[Papa_Joe]

Speaking of extra focal length. If you are in bird watching, also have a look at the Swarovski ATX/STX spoting scopes with the TLS Apo Adaptor.
The main drawback is the price, about 4.000 EUR upwards.

[kayakfari]

The K 1000mm f/8 is an old school design but still a very sharp lens. It's a very large lens, about 15 lbs with cam, so needs a heavy duty tripod and a gimbal mount to balance on properly. After that you feel like a tail gunner swinging it around! Aside from the portability (or lack there of) I've taken mine to remote locations in the Everglades via kayak. It gives a reach of 1500mm with APSC and I found my K20D to be the limiting factor, not the lens (sensor too noisy above 800)! I've successfully used it with my Q also, and even with a 2x TC for a ridiculous effective reach of 11200mm!!
It's able to pull in distant details from many miles away provided you can focus it and the weather is good. There is some fringing on highlights, but not bad f/11 - f/13. The rack and pinion focus action is super smooth and very precise. I only wish that it had a focus lock screw!

See here for a trip I did with this lens: (scroll down to the lens)
Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’! | kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i )

Another option is the 1000mm f/11 reflex which is a lot lighter and a lot smaller, hence will naturally get more use. I use a larger video fluid head and a medium duty pod, rock solid! The reflex is not quite as sharp as the refractor (to my eyes) but focuses much closer than the big gun. Excellent for moon shots, again with APSC cams like the 24mp KP (same pixel density as K-1) and an older Sony 16mp Nex-3N. This one also good for solar observation with a safety filter on the front. The reflex also has a bit of fringing on highlights, but the secondary mirror obstruction is comparatively small, so not too many donuts (unlike the 500mm mirrors!) which is nice! The KP is a huge improvement in higher ISO performance, and the K-1 MII will likely give similar results. Very well made lens, handles easy for what it is.

See here for reflex eclipse shots (also with a Q):
ART of Eclipses and other Cosmic alignments! | kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i )

Here's the last 'pink' full moon with the reflex and KP:
The Coronavirus might stop our world, but can’t reach the sky nor the moon! | kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i )

To sum up, lenses of this focal length are special purpose, you need to plan ahead to use them properly and successfully. Also you will probably need to do some PP to boost contrast (esp the mirror) and adjust colors. The reflex I'd recommend if you can get it at a good price. The big refractor get only if you're willing to lug it around, it comes in a big aluminum case. It will draw a lot of attention if you pull it out in public!

[pete-tarmigan]

I remember reading some where on the forums that Pentax only made less than 15 copies of the A* 1200, hence the difficulty finding one for sale.

[SteveinSLC]

I have a Kowa 883 spotting scope, which does adapt to my KP. With various eyepieces and extenders, it will get you out past 1000mm focal length. And though very expensive, it's still less than that A*1200, and easier to find.

For that matter, you could get one of these:

Stellarvue 130mm Apo Triplet Refractor Telescope | SVA130T-25SV

for less than what the A* appears to be going for.

[monochrome]

I remember reading some where on the forums that Pentax only made less than 15 copies of the A* 1200, hence the difficulty finding one for sale.

I’d be surprised if the number was as low as fifteen copies. I have personally bid on one three different times since 1999. The last time I was out “Make-Offer”-ed by a Forum Member. There are two available on eBay right now - one apparently from a private Poland seller but we can’t see the mount end, and another from a seemingly credible USA Seller with a 97.3 Rating.

I’ll take one in at a certain price in order to serve as its steward for the next twenty years, but I’m not going to sink $7,500 into a closet queen.

[johnha]

I once did an experiment with a Tamron 500mm mirror and 2x & 3x tele converters on my K-5. My biggest problem was framing anything that moved. I resorted to a ball head on a heavy tripod to take the weight but left it unlocked for freedom of movement. It needed very high ISO (6400) to keep the shutter speed fast enough (1/1500th minimum) and lots of (too much) sharpening in post.

[Derek]

I've owned a K-1000mm f8 for quite a while and didn't really care it for on APS-C. I bought myself a K1 Mk II for Xmas and that changed my opinion on the 1000 (and a couple of other older lenses).
Yes, it's a beast to carry, and if there's anyone about they'll probably come over to see what you're doing. Ideally you're using a heavy tripod and gymbal head. There's a lot of CA but a strong UV filter helps out a great deal. A 1A won't do it but a 2A UV Haze works well. I think many of the long telephotos from that era with inner filters (like my Tamron 60b), were also computed with the idea that there would be a filter somewhere in the light path.
The K1 Mk II lets you use Pixel Shift when handheld, in tandem with Shake Reduction, and that works well on a gymbal head. Go ahead and use F32 or 45 if you have the light; you won't be hitting diffraction on this focal length. This 1000 out resolves my F* 300mm at middle distances, although obviously it's not nearly as convenient. More testing to be done.

[builttospill]

I used Clinton's A* 1200 several years ago, but this was before the K-1 so it was mounted to my K10D. I might have used his K-01 on the 1200mm monster too. I was surprised at how sharp the image was, but then again it was Clinton's lens mounted to his tripod too.

I'm not sure what he's doing now. It's been a long time since he's stopped by.

[leodp]

I own a K-70 and a 1000mm f10 mirror tele lens. The combination is different from what you're interested in, but a mirror lens is a cheap way to go if you wish to find out what the challenges are with such a tele lens: vibrations, correct focusing, finding out where your subject is in such a narrow field of view, ...
As example: I took some shots of the moon and even with a sturdy tripod the shutter release vibrations (not the mirror mechanical vibrations, as I do 2-seconds-delay photo) may cause blurred images.

You can easily find an used MC MTO-11CA 10/1000 (aka Russentonne) in some of its variants between 100 and 250$. They're not the best in sharpness and contrast, but before investing a few thousands they allow you to explore this focal range.
Leodp

[glasbak]

I did some testing in the past with some of the above mentioned lenses (on APS-C):

3x1000mm - PentaxForums.com

Pentax, Sigma and Leitz 500mm..560mm optics - PentaxForums.com

Pre ED optics will have serious chromatic aberations, except mirror optics, but they have different problems (donut bokeh)

[Henrico]

My longest lens is 400mm. I hesitate investing in legacy longer lenses because of sensor reflection issues. I found a thread about this at #Arkive: CK's Lens Post: Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 1000mm f/8: Adapted Lens Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Has anybody used legacy extreme teles on modern DSLR's and issued this reflections too?

Such old long lenses need to be stopped down for acceptable IQ, wide open there might be little advantage compared to expanded 400mm shots.

[RedRuff]

My longest lens is 400mm. I hesitate investing in legacy longer lenses because of sensor reflection issues. I found a thread about this at #Arkive: CK's Lens Post: Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 1000mm f/8: Adapted Lens Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Has anybody used legacy extreme teles on modern DSLR's and issued this reflections too?

Such old long lenses need to be stopped down for acceptable IQ, wide open there might be little advantage compared to expanded 400mm shots.

I use a manual focus Nikon 500mm f/4 P lens with 2x teleconverter on my K1 with no problems wide open. I guess it's not quite THAT legacy though only being the late 80's. I love the lens though.

[condor27596]

The K 1000mm f/8 is an old school design but still a very sharp lens. It's a very large lens, about 15 lbs with cam, so needs a heavy duty tripod and a gimbal mount to balance on properly. After that you feel like a tail gunner swinging it around! Aside from the portability (or lack there of) I've taken mine to remote locations in the Everglades via kayak. It gives a reach of 1500mm with APSC and I found my K20D to be the limiting factor, not the lens (sensor too noisy above 800)! I've successfully used it with my Q also, and even with a 2x TC for a ridiculous effective reach of 11200mm!!
It's able to pull in distant details from many miles away provided you can focus it and the weather is good. There is some fringing on highlights, but not bad f/11 - f/13. The rack and pinion focus action is super smooth and very precise. I only wish that it had a focus lock screw!

See here for a trip I did with this lens: (scroll down to the lens)
Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’! | kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i )

Another option is the 1000mm f/11 reflex which is a lot lighter and a lot smaller, hence will naturally get more use. I use a larger video fluid head and a medium duty pod, rock solid! The reflex is not quite as sharp as the refractor (to my eyes) but focuses much closer than the big gun. Excellent for moon shots, again with APSC cams like the 24mp KP (same pixel density as K-1) and an older Sony 16mp Nex-3N. This one also good for solar observation with a safety filter on the front. The reflex also has a bit of fringing on highlights, but the secondary mirror obstruction is comparatively small, so not too many donuts (unlike the 500mm mirrors!) which is nice! The KP is a huge improvement in higher ISO performance, and the K-1 MII will likely give similar results. Very well made lens, handles easy for what it is.

See here for reflex eclipse shots (also with a Q):
ART of Eclipses and other Cosmic alignments! | kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i )

Here's the last 'pink' full moon with the reflex and KP:
The Coronavirus might stop our world, but can’t reach the sky nor the moon! | kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i )

To sum up, lenses of this focal length are special purpose, you need to plan ahead to use them properly and successfully. Also you will probably need to do some PP to boost contrast (esp the mirror) and adjust colors. The reflex I'd recommend if you can get it at a good price. The big refractor get only if you're willing to lug it around, it comes in a big aluminum case. It will draw a lot of attention if you pull it out in public!

Very cool pics and I much enjoyed. I went with my daughter and some friends and spent the night at South of the Border, SC, for the big eclipse. We then drove to ground zero. It was in the top 5 most amazing things I have ever seen. I can't even imagine seeing the stuff on a regular basis like you do.