[epa4wd]

I've been taking pictures lately at some of the local R/C tracks, it has been a challenge to take good pictures since the R/C cars move so quick and I'm new to photography. My best result have been with Pentax M 135mm F3.5, shooting around F/4 and ISO800-1600 (Don't like the noise from 1600 & up). I'm looking for recommendations for a better quality lens something around 200mm or more either prime or zoom lens, manual focusing is no problem (I actually prefer manual focus). What lens comes to your mind???

Here are some of the good enough for me shots.

[SpecialK]

Tamron 70-200 f2.8 or Sigma 100-300 f4, for zooms.

[yeatzee]

K 200mm F/2.5

[epa4wd]

thanks for the recommendations

[jolepp]

With these external flashes could work too, quite a bit of setting up compared to a fast lens though.

[axl]

DA*/FA*200/2.8. DA*50-135, Tamron 70-200, the oldest version of Sigma 70-200 DG EX (non HSM, non macro), FA*80-200....

that's short list off the top of my head...

oh, hold on F/FA135/2.8...

my 2p

[Just1MoreDave]

I might try a Vivitar 200mm f3.5. There are K mount and M42 mount versions, and versions by Komine and Tokina, and older and newer variations. I have the newer M42 Komine, and it works well wide open. Minimum focus distance is 6 feet, and that's typical of older lenses. I used to see these lenses going for minimum bid all the time on eBay.

I wonder whether you would have problems with enough depth of field at large apertures. I would definitely explore using a flash. It'd be a little work but once you got it right, it would allow much more flexibility in exposure settings. Radio triggers might not be a great idea, though.

[yeatzee]

Good point axl.

If you want a lens that can certainly keep up AF wise with the RC cars, the F 135mm is what you want

[epa4wd]

Thanks for the tips, I basically was looking for something 200mm or more so I would be able to take pictures of the r/c cars from farther away, I can follow them easier around the track with my camera (I have to move less) if I'm farther away from them, with 135mm I have to take pictures of them when they are closer to me and since they are so fast and they are a short distance from me I have to move a lot and quick to get a shot of them.

The flash recommendation I'm a bit confused, the pictures are taken at broad daylight, so I'm a bit lost with how the flash would help? I'm new to this so I'm sure I'm missing something.

Thanks for the recommendations and tips are welcome! I'm looking into the lens mentioned here.

With the Pentax M 135mm f/3.5 I'm using, what I'm doing is I manual focus on a certain part of the track and then I follow the cars around the track until they reach that spot. I shoot the picture once they reach that spot I had my lens already focused to.

[DanielT74]

If you don't mind MF, A*200/2.8 has exceptional IQ. And incidentally I have one for sale, which of course wouldn't make me a biased source

But seriously it's a fantastic lens, much smaller and lighter than the zooms and I dare say better optically than any other lens out there especially the zooms (eg less flare, more microcontrast, less CA).

If you want more reach, then there is the choice of the various 300mm (A*/4.5, FA*/4.5, DA/4, A*/2.8 etc) or something like A400/5.6.

If you want a fast lens and are undaunted by the weight, I can vouch for the A*300/2.8 - a fantastic lens that is a joy to use (if not to lug around). The slower A*/4.5 or FA* etc are nice lenses that are a lot more compact and light and while not quite as good are good enough for most applications if speed is not an issue. A400/5.6 has great IQ and is quite light compared to the others, so if you are prepared to rev your ISO up (with K-5 this seems to be OK) or shoot in bright conditions, this is a great lens.

[opiet70]

The Orestergor 200mm 4.0 has given me some wonderful shots. They seem to have almost a 3d effect. It's a 1960s to early 1970's lens, but I love mine.

I believe I picked mine up for less than $100

[RioRico]

I am cheap, so I'll recommend cheap M42 manual glass. My Focal 200/3.5 (probably by Tomioka) weighs 560g and recently cost me US$8; as is typical with such lenses, near focus is 3m. My Jupiter-11 200/4 weighs 950g and cost US$25, with a near focus of 1.8m. A bit lighter is the superb VIvitar Series 1 Version 1 70-210/3.5 that weighs 880g and cost me US$33 a while back; it's still obtainable for well under US100. That Viv S1 is a 'macrozoom' so near focus is CLOSE.

Prefocusing is great. It can be expanded slightly, by using Catch-In-Focus. With CIF enabled, you can prefocus on a point and hold the shutter down. When something comes into focus at that point, the shutter automatically snaps. With CIF and Continuous Drive on, you can jink the shutter down, walk away, and each time something comes into focus, the camera goes SNAP SNAP SNAP. Great for shooting birds, bike races, and burglars.

[jolepp]

...
The flash recommendation I'm a bit confused, the pictures are taken at broad daylight, so I'm a bit lost with how the flash would help? I'm new to this so I'm sure I'm missing something.
...

I somehow assumed that these were taken inside, probably from the ISO you mentioned. Hence an assumption of a lack of light as a primaty problem and a suggestion of flashes :-) So I take it you need quite fast shutter times (that high ISO)?

[epa4wd]

Yeah I need the high ISO for the shutter speed, I'm sure pictures can be shot with lower ISO and lower shutter speed, but my hands shake a bit, so my shaking combined with the speed of the r/c cars I get motion blur if I shoot at lower ISO. I will try next time using a monopod or a tripod.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm looking in to the lens mentioned here to see what I decide works best for me (including my budget and lens availability)

[Pentaxor]

I'll recommend the k-5. no more High ISO noise worries.