Ultimaxx/Bower 500mm/1000mm f.8 Telephoto Lens Review

Image Posted on June 12, 2016 Updated on June 12, 2016

I bought this lens some time ago because I wanted a telephoto lens on a budget, since photography is something I do only for myself, and brings in no money, precluding me from spending exorbitant amounts on high-quality glass.

I found this for about $90 on Amazon, and it’s as basic as you can get. Now, I’m fairly comfortable using my camera in manual mode, so the lack of an autofocus wasn’t a deterrent.

The construction of the lens is pretty simple, and despite it’s price, seemingly well-made. As far as I can tell, it’s entirely metal; no plastic to be found. The main lens is 500mm, and comes with a simple 2x converter that’s supposed to push it to 1000mm. Despite the claims that it’s a fixed aperture, it does have a manual aperture ring that can go as small as f.32. With a lens this slow, though, you’d only get a decent shot if your subject was lit by a nearby supernova.

I originally got this for lunar photography, but since this lens (maybe just mine) wouldn’t actually focus at infinity, I couldn’t get the moon sharp enough to even attempt a photograph.

It’s also heavy, and obviously very long. On a tripod, it’s nearly impossible to focus properly, as the tiniest movement causes the scene to resemble the bridge of the Enterprise during a Klingon attack. The only way I found of getting a subject in focus was to brace the lens on something solid, like a deck-railing or tree-limb, much like you would a hunting rifle.

This lens is almost useless in anything but bright sunlight. The few evening / dusk shots I took were wiped out by noise, thanks to the high ISO I had to use to compensate for the rather small maximum aperture.

However, even in full sun, without the 2x converter (which makes the images even softer), the sharpest it gets isn’t that sharp at all.

With the 2x converter, it’s even worse:

Also, to switch between the two modes, you must unscrew the adapter ring (which one you get depends on your camera brand), screw on, or off, the 2x converter, then replace the adapter. If using a tripod, you will also need to adjust the position of the mount, since it doesn’t retain it’s alignment when switching between 500mm / 1000mm.

The focus ring itself is massive, more like an extension ring on a zoom lens, and turns rather smoothly. The aperture ring, on the other hand, has a tendency to stick and “clunk” into position.

Now, perhaps I just got a lemon. It’s hard to tell without a second, identical lens to compare to, but I guarantee I won’t be getting a second one to test that theory.

There are other budget telephoto lenses on the market, and who knows if they’re any better, but I’ll keep trying, because dropping three grand on a lens that will be used infrequently at best is simply out of the question.

Whatever your reasons for shopping for a cheap telephoto lens, stay away from the Bower, and look into other brands first, unless you want to test your luck and hope you get a better one than I did.