Quote:
I'll find some kind of remote justification for purchasing an exotic telephoto lens


You won't have to. In the long run, the optics and resolution will advance to the point where you never have to change lenses. Check out the CoolPix 8800. Moore's law applied to cameras. They seem to be pretty close now with component pieces. Shrink the sensor while increasing the resolution while holding the noise down. Then SLRs will be obsolete. No more worries about dust on the sensor, completely water proof to 100m and 8 fps all for $500.