[Christine Tham]

1

that would have been a HSM II...not to be confused with the newer OS version..which is quite a step up...ive had the former..and tested the latter quite extensively..and Id put the latter right up there with either the Nikon VrII 70-200 or the Canon USM L II 70-200....but not quite as good at 100% crops...thats wide open testing {F2.8}

2

No worries...its your dollars..your choice ..7FPS has never been a way I like shoot.....i hate having to work my way through loads of images to find a few keepers .......but if it works for you thats cool.....

I'm pretty sure I was testing the new version with HSM II - not the original (which is discontinued) - the shop even double checked for me and confirmed there should be no difference in performance and optics between the OS and non OS (version 2) of the lenses.

I'm not interested in the OS version - way too heavy for me.

The sigma may be comparable to a Canon USM 70-200, but no way will it be comparable to say a Canon L 200/2, which is what the real pros use.

As for 7fps, the secret is to use it sparingly, and timing is everything - never ever fill the buffer. Whenever I shoot with 7fps, I never end up with "hundreds of shots" - that what novices do. I end up with maybe 6-12 of each set.

That advice is relevant for any camera, even the EOS 1D, which shoots at 10fps (I have a bit of experience shooting on that camera).

[cfraz]

The scene is daylight (slightly cloudy), shot at high speeds (min 1/750) to prevent motion blur, at apertures ranging from f2.8 to f5.6 - only the f5.6 looks sharp, the other images are slightly soft.

...

Any help/suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

It seems to me that the lower right hand corner is fuzzier than the other 3 corners in all of these images, even the f5.6 shot. In fact, I first noticed it on the f5.6 shot. Could this be an indication of mis-alignment or some other issue for this particular copy of the 50-135 that is also giving a steeper than normal drop off in sharpness at higher apertures?

[selar]

for sport Id have chosen the sigma 70-200 F2.8 OS..that is a very sharp lens....and quick AF..the 50-135 AF is too slow for sports IMHO

Hi Steve, good to see you hanging out at Pentaxforums, though you're a Nikon man now. I'm loving the lens you sold me. Trying BIFs with it, Parakeets, damn they're quick. No way the 50-135 is going to get a parakeet skitting between branches. Got a half decent shot today, your old lens is greased lightning, mate! I can only dream of how fast your Nikon VR must be, if you sold the Sigma for the Nikon.

[Tommot1965]

Hi Steve, good to see you hanging out at Pentaxforums, though you're a Nikon man now. I'm loving the lens you sold me. Trying BIFs with it, Parakeets, damn they're quick. No way the 50-135 is going to get a parakeet skitting between branches. Got a half decent shot today, your old lens is greased lightning, mate! I can only dream of how fast your Nikon VR must be, if you sold the Sigma for the Nikon.

yep still here..I post a bit in the Off camera area...and in the Pentax area if I have something to contribute..I was helping my niece with her K7 today..so I still keep my hand in as far as Pentax goes

Im well stoked that your happy with that lens..I know I was when I got it..the HSM II is very quick..the Nikon is quicker..but I wouldn't say its night and day...mainly its sharper wide open...

[Tommot1965]

I'm pretty sure I was testing the new version with HSM II - not the original (which is discontinued) - the shop even double checked for me and confirmed there should be no difference in performance and optics between the OS and non OS (version 2) of the lenses.

I'm not interested in the OS version - way too heavy for me.

The sigma may be comparable to a Canon USM 70-200, but no way will it be comparable to say a Canon L 200/2, which is what the real pros use.

As for 7fps, the secret is to use it sparingly, and timing is everything - never ever fill the buffer. Whenever I shoot with 7fps, I never end up with "hundreds of shots" - that what novices do. I end up with maybe 6-12 of each set.

That advice is relevant for any camera, even the EOS 1D, which shoots at 10fps (I have a bit of experience shooting on that camera).

hmm not sure you'd get a sigma 70-200 OS for $900 I just checked DWI, they have it listed for $1150au...which is well cheap..and the best price Ive seen for that lens yet.

the latest OS version is the 4th Sigma 70-200 EX..the first being screw driven and widely accepted as the best for sharpness and IQ..until the OS {latest version} was released

yes I doubt any of these comparable priced lenses would be as good as the canon 200mmF2..but thats a $6500 lens..so Id be gob smacked if it were..not sure why you put that one in the mix

anyway my lens choice is way off your topic...so I will add to your topic...

Is there a chance you could test a local 50-135 and compare back to back images with your copy...if your copy is at fault...could you return it to the vendor for a replacement

[Christine Tham]

It seems to me that the lower right hand corner is fuzzier than the other 3 corners in all of these images, even the f5.6 shot. In fact, I first noticed it on the f5.6 shot. Could this be an indication of mis-alignment or some other issue for this particular copy of the 50-135 that is also giving a steeper than normal drop off in sharpness at higher apertures?

Wow you are pretty observant.

Not sure what happened there, since I have other photos taken with the lens which are sharp in that corner, so I doubt it's the lens. Must have been a smudge there or something blurring that section of the image.

[Christine Tham]

yes I doubt any of these comparable priced lenses would be as good as the canon 200mmF2..but thats a $6500 lens..so Id be gob smacked if it were..not sure why you put that one in the mix

I think the point I was trying to make was that speed of focusing isn't the be all and end all. I mentioned a lens that I happen to have had a little experience with, which would be my benchmark for a good fast long lens.

So when I say that the DA*50-135mm is fast enough for me, I wanted to stress that it's not because I have not been able to experience faster lenses.

But in my experience, focusing speed does not matter as much as anticipation and timing on the part of the photographer.

Also, in continuous mode, it's the ability to track across shots that matter more than the speed of rotating the lens barrel from one end to another. In this respect, the DA* lens seems to be quite sure-footed and stable, the Sigma I tried seemed more erratic. Maybe the OS version performs better - I was assured that the OS and non OS versions had similar performance but hey anything is possible, maybe I was trying out a dud Sigma unit.

It does make sense to me that Pentax may have tested and fine tuned the K-5 focusing algorithms to match their premium lenses more than 3rd party lenses.

[Christine Tham]

Is there a chance you could test a local 50-135 and compare back to back images with your copy...if your copy is at fault...could you return it to the vendor for a replacement

Good suggestion. I still have a few shots that I took at the Pentax workshop on the lens that was supplied by Pentax Australia. Comparing between these shots and the similar ones taken on my lens, I wouldn't say there are any significant differences between them.

PS - I love the cataloguing capabilities of Lightroom - allows me to search for shots with specific characteristics really quickly.

[selar]

hmm not sure you'd get a sigma 70-200 OS for $900 I just checked DWI, they have it listed for $1150au

DWI sells grey market. If you have a warranty repair they ship the lens overseas to get it repaired. Better to buy from B&H or Adorama, Pentax USA will give you a 1 year international warranty, that CR kennedy have to honour.

[Tommot1965]

I think the point I was trying to make was that speed of focusing isn't the be all and end all. I mentioned a lens that I happen to have had a little experience with, which would be my benchmark for a good fast long lens.

So when I say that the DA*50-135mm is fast enough for me, I wanted to stress that it's not because I have not been able to experience faster lenses.

But in my experience, focusing speed does not matter as much as anticipation and timing on the part of the photographer.

Also, in continuous mode, it's the ability to track across shots that matter more than the speed of rotating the lens barrel from one end to another. In this respect, the DA* lens seems to be quite sure-footed and stable, the Sigma I tried seemed more erratic. Maybe the OS version performs better - I was assured that the OS and non OS versions had similar performance but hey anything is possible, maybe I was trying out a dud Sigma unit.

It does make sense to me that Pentax may have tested and fine tuned the K-5 focusing algorithms to match their premium lenses more than 3rd party lenses.

1....yes I see your point now

2 Id agree with that....not sure if its the case though...

[Tommot1965]

Good suggestion. I still have a few shots that I took at the Pentax workshop on the lens that was supplied by Pentax Australia. Comparing between these shots and the similar ones taken on my lens, I wouldn't say there are any significant differences between them.

PS - I love the cataloguing capabilities of Lightroom - allows me to search for shots with specific characteristics really quickly.

1..thats a pity..be nice if it were the lens in question rather than a trait of the lens design

2 ..thats something I need to learn..my workflow is tedious beyond belief

[Tommot1965]

DWI sells grey market. If you have a warranty repair they ship the lens overseas to get it repaired. Better to buy from B&H or Adorama, Pentax USA will give you a 1 year international warranty, that CR kennedy have to honour.

i only gave DWI as a example for pricing..no point in buying OS for sigma..as CRK will price match any sigma product that is either Grey or shipped from OS....its the only product in their line up that is price matched...so it makes me believe its factory backed and not just a CRK idea

[vario]

I tried both the 50-135, and the 60-250, buying into the sharp wide open, more flexible theory.
Just was not true with the new copies i had. Sent them both back, and now have the DA 200 and DA300. Those you cannot beat for sharpness. Not as flexible, but my feet do the zooming now and would not go back to a zoom.
Joe

[selar]

As I own both the DA 50-135 and the Sigma 70-200 HSM II, I decided to try their focusing speed and accuracy side by side. Lets just say, that if I tried to shoot those Parakeets in flight with the 50-135, they'd just laugh at me. There's no anticipating those little devils and they go like rockets.

[Christine Tham]

As I own both the DA 50-135 and the Sigma 70-200 HSM II, I decided to try their focusing speed and accuracy side by side. Lets just say, that if I tried to shoot those Parakeets in flight with the 50-135, they'd just laugh at me. There's no anticipating those little devils and they go like rockets.

I haven't had too many issues with fast moving birds:




If you want to improve your ability to capture birds, try capturing them on a manual focus lens - you'll soon be amazed that with anticipation and timing, it is possible to get them and you'll realise focusing speed is not really the issue - photographers were doing sports photography long before auto focus.

I managed to get this guy flapping about all over the place on Botanical Gardens on my A50:


I can post more, but that would be way off topic.