News

Judge for yourself. A video of a photographer supposedly dropping a massive $5,000 lens into a pool is making the rounds in the photography community and drawing a healthy share of skepticism. 

In the video, you can see photographer Steven Ho of Macau positioning his Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS lens close to the pool edge. And then – uh oh – he apparently slips and drops the entire setup into the water. Since Ho has posted the video on Facebook, it has been viewed thousands of times.

Debate has raged on in online forums of whether the video is authentic. After all, Ho is already dressed for a dive into the pool and such a large lens would be unnecessary for photographing action close up. Many viewers also point out that the lens bobs back to the surface, which indicates it is quite buoyant. 

That’s where opinions split. Would the lens – if it were real – not sink like a rock? Or, because there is so much air space in between the optics perhaps it would float. There’s only one way to find out: Buy the $5,000 lens and try it for yourself. We’re kidding. Don’t do that.