Ridiculous Lens of the Day: Zeiss APO Sonnar T 1700mm f/4 Lens

Back in 2006, Zeiss announced something quite unexpected. A lens I can only classify under the growing category of "ridiculous". Today's lens of the day is the built-to-order Carl Zeiss APO Sonnar T 1700mm f/4 lens.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the world's largest telephoto lens made for non-military use... If you thought Sigma's rocket launcher 200-500mm lens warranted the question "Do you even lift?",  this 564lbs sucker will make you weep creatine tears. Seriously, this thing is such a monster that it doesn't come with a traditional tripod mount. You'll have to secure this thing with the yoke mounts on the side, not unlike a gigantic space telescope. Made specifically to fit the Hasselblad 203FE, this blimp/starcraft-looking lens utilizes special means for focusing (probably since each of it's 15 elements are something around 50lbs). There's no focusing ring here, instead you'll have to use it's servo controlled focusing system... and maybe a heat-seeking spy satellite that collects trajectory points along with the subject's list of irrational fears. Naturally, we'll  never know how much the lens costs and it belongs to a private buyer somewhere in the State of Qatar judging from the national emblem and Arabic text on the side of the barrel. Too bad this space lens doesn't come with an E-Mount adapter, it would be a perfect match for this year's Hasselblad Lunar space-oddity camera.