Hi, JCO. > I've never dared to put mine on a tripod. I only use with a > monopod and my left hand supporting the front of the barrel.
Yes, I guess that's one way to handle the "lopsidedness" of the tripod mount location. I suppose that one-touch zooms are often going to have a problem with the rearward placement of the tripod mount. (But this one seems extreme...) > Yes, it's hard to focus at 135mm, but not bad at all at 600mm. > Just like all 1 touch zooms, I focus at maximum focal length and > zoom out to compose. Using fast film and bright daylight > certainly helps... That is a good way to handle focusing, if you have the time. My problem is that I often want to be able to focus quickly - with a one-touch zoom I am often focusing and zooming at the same time. > The 4:1 Zoom range absolutely destroys primes in composition > flexability and you really dont give up much at all in > performance. The width of the zoom range is indeed immense (and convenient for framing). And, I agree that the optical qualities are really quite good. > I like it. I do, too. However, I found myself using it at 600mm most of the time (so that it almost ended up being a 600mm prime of sorts for me anyway), and I have had better luck focusing with the A* 600/5.6 and the Novoflex (follow focus) 600/8. I have even seemed to have an easier time focusing the VS1 600/8 Solid Cat, despite the speed disadvantage compared to the (135-)600/6.7. But the lens ~surely~ is built, isn't it? - <g>. Fred

