I have a DSC-R1 (see my other review) and have recently added the telephoto accessory lens from Sony to the toolbox. Oh, and its companion "adapter" too. This is not a cheap lens nor is it a lightweight one, but it seems to be a good one.
The front element of this baby is nearly 5" in diameter. What does that get you? No loss in f-stop to start with. That's right, the light-gathering ability of Sony's addition to the already phenomenal optics of the Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar costs nothing in terms of your ability to "paint with light". (On your credit card, is a different calculation may appear.) The size of the lens makes necessary the adapter "sidekick" mounting bracket. Why? Without it, the lens is unbalanced and, rather than a cheap screw-on extender, this allows the primary lens to gain a few elements to become a credible telephoto. It also has the advantage of allowing for the quick removal of the tele and use of the zoom on the primary lens with the adapter in place.
So you have a vision of running along the sidelines capturing every grimace on the quarterback's face as the defense floods over him? Not with this lens. Spring for the $8,000 Canon outfit, get two as you might get sacked yourself, and have an assistant to hand you your equipment. Hiking into the outback to capture the dawn mating of the Kookaburra? There are better choices. (Note to friends of the Kookaburra: I have seen one, and heard one, but have no actual experience with their reproductive practices.) On the other hand, if you occasionally need a bit more reach and can manage a tripod for mounting, then by all means pick one up.
And speaking of "picking one up", this lens can be hand-held and deliver acceptable results (better than using digital zoom or enlarging to get the same magnification), but only for nearly still subjects. For example, a yacht race from the race deck at the club. (My choice) The digital zoom (2x 120mm) at lower mega-pixels was good enough, but not great. A natural 200mm beats a stretched 120mm any day, which is what you get with the digital zoom alternative, but for fast shooting the combo may be too, shall we say "bulky".
Which brings me to my main point: why are we doing this? Photography I mean. If you see a camera a way to capture the visual poetry that your mind sees, then this camera and the combo will work for you, and you'll enjoy the experience. If you see a camera as a cool tool that makes a statement about who you are, well join the gear heads in the photo chat rooms and natter on about max-mega-pixel-mania and spurn the "point-and-shoot" in favor of a bag full of expensive interchangeable lenses. Frankly, some of the best photographs of all time have been captured on the spur of the moment, "point and shoot". With an excellent 24mm-120mm lens mounted on the camera, you'll get the shot 95% of the time. If you need to stretch you view a bit farther from time-to-time, by all means spend the $400 or so on this telephoto combo and look forward to some good photography.
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