That's funny; I saw this same group at the corner of Spring and Temple just a few minutes before you took this. Their signs read things like "513 years of stolen land" and "500 years of resistance and still resisting." -e;

i’m pretty sure that i have seen them go by before, too.

i thought maybe i had taken a picture of them last time, but i can’t find it if i did.

The first lens (300mm f.8) is not a zoom it is fixed focal length.

Why is it so expensive ($6400 list)? The front end of the lense is a great big piece of crystal, 2 to 4inches in diameter, that is cut,shaped and polished. The clearer the crystal and the fewer imperfections the better. It has been many years since I used these types of lenses but if I remember correctly only one out of three would spec out at f2.8, the others being lower rated at f4.0 or f5.6, and you should think of these as being a "speed" rating.

The lower the f-stop the higher shutter speed you can use. The clearer and less optical imperfections the more light can get to the film.

The Canon f2.8 lenses were so perfect that they were converted to movie camera use. If you remember the old Wells Fargo stagecoach commercials, shot at long distance throught thermal haze, that was a Canon f2.8 used by oscar winning DP Haskell Wexler.

Look at the Canon f2.8 400mm list at 10,800. Back in the day we could only dream, the technology did not exist to make such a lens.

Oh, I used to enjoy photographing fast moving machines at close range, Reno air races, drag boats & cars etc. These are the lenses that I used.

Next time youwatch a football game try adding up the cost of the lenses that the photographers have on the field as the are ploughed down by a line backer.

For your purposes go with the cheapest zoom with the lowest f-stop but remember f4.0 or 5.6 will be more than adequate for your needs