I need help pricing a camera lens-has anyone heard of HQ Optics 1:16 1000 zoom lens?

I've googled to no avail....

Nope, its 500-1000mm HQ Optics f/16 mirror lens...I found out that Phoenix bought out HQ Optics so thats why I couldnt find it.

Its listed on ebay now for $99 buy it now! Retails for about $115

No, where did you hear about it.

1:16 sounds like some kind of cinematography lens ... 1000, probably not the length of the lens in mm.

try yahoo shopping

Check shutterbug.com and Search to see if they might have reviewed the lens.

If you do buy it, I wouldn't expect too much from it. Cheap optics are cheap optics. There is a reason why lenses cost so much.

Phoenix makes cheap lenses. Period. Expect very soft images at the 500mm. The way they advertise it as a 500-1000mm lens is by including a cheap doubler, giving you a very dark viewfinder as you peer through an f/16 lens.

If you are on a tight budget and just want to capture a distant image, any image, it's ok, but I'd recommend looking for a gently used Sigma, Tamron, or OEM lens first.

But if you want quality photos, you'll be disappointed.

FYI, your camera definitely won't be able to autofocus with it and may also not meter correctly with this lens.