New Panasonic Lumix FZ18

On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 03:52:52 -0500, Ron Hunter wrote:

Talking about large lenses...
I recently visited a nearby animal reserve (Fossil Rim, Glen Rose, Tx.),
and the car going through in front of me stopped by the Cheetah
enclosure, and poked a lens through the open window, and rested it on
the bottom of the window to take a picture. I would estimate the size
of the objective lens at 6", and the length of the lens to be about 12
inches. The Cheetah was only about 30 feet from the camera. Now I
would LOVE to see the picture he got. As we followed this car through
the rest of the drive, I got other glimpses of that lens, and two or
three others they had as they took pictures. It was obvious that they
were either professionals, or amateurs with MUCH money.

But not enough money to have gone on a *real* safari. It
reminds me a bit of the not very admirable hunters bagging helpless
"big game" in Carl Hiaasen's very funny "Sick Puppy".