Street Photography with a Super-Telephoto Lens

Google wisdom says: “While it is technically possible to adapt the Canon FD 800mm f/5.6 S.S.C. to a modern camera body, it is highly impractical and rarely recommended for street photography.

An 800mm lens is designed to shoot subjects hundreds of yards away, making it incredibly difficult to navigate the fast, crowded, and intimate environments typical of street scenes.”

If I were a drinking man, this is where I’d say, “Hold my beer.”

For my photos I am using a Canon R5 and vintage Canon FD 800mm f/5.6 SSC lens.

The first photo is of McCloud River Railroad #25 built in September 1925. It as featured in the movie "Stand By Me" and is currently an excursion train on the Oregon Coast operated by the Oregon Coast Scenic Railway.

I am setup 800 feet away. f/11 - 1/320 - ISO 100 - 800mm

I framed the second photo to catch the subject(s) walking past the Film Posters. My timing was good and yet poor. Good that I am happy with the framing but bad due to it was the final day of the local County Fair about a mile away, and no one was walking by. (about 45 minutes before someone walked by.)

Setup about 325 feet away f/16 - 1/200 - ISO 400 - 800mm

The third photo is the entrance to a local food court and beer garden. Another scenario where timing was critical. The person is front is wearing a lace hat that was blowing in the wind.

This setup was 380 feet away and I am sitting on the ground. f/16 - 1/400 - ISO 400 - 800mm.

What I have discovered through this adventure is the difficulty is the angle of view is 3° 03' on a full frame. This made it a challenge in finding a composition with an unobstructive view for anything further than 50 feet away! (The closest focal distance is 46 feet).