HELP PLEASE 300mm lenses

DreTAX · 08-22-2012, 04:57 PM

My spot metering reference was from "i'm the guy" suggestion and usage. Jack you would normally lower the ev in that situation if you were shooting in Average metering, but you were set to Spot which should be accurate for the bird ( but then you dropped ev lower) Centre weighted tends to find a better balance, unless the subject is part in the shade.

msatlas · 08-22-2012, 10:04 PM

You can usually dial in an AF fine adjustment without too much work. I use the side-by-side comparison dealie in review mode on my K-r. Get a cereal box or something else flat with stuff printed on it. Put it some distance away from the camera and set the camera to center AF point, and focus on something with a bunch of fine detail. Then dial in a -1 adjustment and take the same shot. Do the side-by-side review and zoom in on whatever part of the image you focused on, and see if the -1 shot makes an improvement. If so, you know you're moving in the right direction. Keep trying the next increment down until it stops getting better. Alternatively if the -1 shot is less sharp than the un-adjusted shot, do the same process with positive adjustments. It's not nearly as scientific as using focus charts and calculating focus offsets or whatever, but I've successfully used this method with all of my lenses.

**pntxjack** · 08-23-2012, 02:20 AM

Thank you.

**pntxjack** · 08-23-2012, 02:24 AM

Thanks MS--
Would this be an adhustment to:
the lens;
the camera;
or the particlar lens/camera combination?
What I am worried about is making changes to a body that works perfectly with all of my other lenses.
Thanks again.
Jack

**pntxjack** · 08-23-2012, 09:45 AM

Thanks to all of you who helped.
This morning I did three things:
Tried manual focus--results inconclusive;
Disabled Image Stabilization;
Changed form f/8 to f/10.
IS off and/or aperture made a difference. I am going to keep the lens.
For a spectacularly lucky shot form this morning, look at my album.
Thanks again.
Jack

**Lowell Goudge** · 08-23-2012, 09:50 AM

jack

you said image stabilization off.

were you on a tripod for this? you mentioned earlier the tripod collar was heaven sent so i am guessing here, BUT SHOULD ALWAYS be off on a tripod. Is is designed for low frequency vibration/ motion from hand holding, and cannot work properly with the higher frequencies you get from a tripod.

**pntxjack** · 08-23-2012, 10:13 AM

Thanks Lowell--
Yes, a very sturdy tripod. And, dumb me, I knew not to use IS with a tripod, but my K-5 does not have an IS switch on the back as a reminder about that feature. IS off together with a higher f stop (to f/10, for now) seem to be getting me in the right direction.
Thanks again.
Jack

msatlas · 08-23-2012, 12:49 PM

Originally posted by pntxjack

Thanks MS--
Would this be an adhustment to:
the lens;
the camera;
or the particlar lens/camera combination?
What I am worried about is making changes to a body that works perfectly with all of my other lenses.
Thanks again.
Jack

It's a setting on the body. Most of the bodies with this feature allow you to set a correction factor for specific lenses rather than overall. The exception being the K-r which only has an overall adjustment. I just keep a list of correction factors for my different lenses and change the setting when I change lenses.

**pntxjack** · 08-23-2012, 12:55 PM

Thank you.
J.

**pntxjack** · 09-02-2012, 08:10 AM

Thanks for all of your help. My solution: I returned the lens to B&H. (The box had been opened previously which made me super-sensitive to the sharpness issue. I have an order for a new copy when B&H gets more in stock. I like so much about this new lens that even if I still think my FA* 300mm f/4.5 is sharper, I am going to keep the new lens and sell the FA*. :-(

**pntxjack** · 09-13-2012, 07:55 PM

Today (Thursday and one day early!) I received my replacement DA* 300mm f/4 lens. This one came in an unopened box. Testing it indoors it appears MUCH sharper than the first one (that came in a pre-opened box).
Tomorrow morning its off to the pond to see what I can shoot. If it is sharper than the first, my beloved FA* 300mm f/4.5 goes on eBay. Stay tuned.

stormtech · 09-13-2012, 08:02 PM

Let me know how you find the comparison of the two lenses.

My FA* 300 4.5 is my favorite and most used lens, but I am constantly tempted to upgrade (?) to the DA* 300. I'd like to know your thoughts after you have tried the DA* out.

Thanks

**pntxjack** · 09-13-2012, 09:57 PM

Stan--You could weld my FA* to my camera body, and I probably would not notice. Here is a "pre" reply. You can not drive a truck over my new lens. I think you can drive a truck over any FA* lens. The .5 extra brightness is not meaningful to me. I almost always shoot at f/8.0. The quick and quiet SDM, the tripod mount, and the "window" in the hood to adjust a circular polarizer through are such strong pluses for me that if the new lens even comes close in sharpness, (the first one was not even close) I will sell the FA*. Wish I could afford to keep both of them.
I will post further after the shoot tomorrow morning.
Jack
PS
I don't think "sharper" than the FA* 300 f/4.5 is possible, so if "sharp" is top of the list, the FA* is the best.

stormtech · 09-13-2012, 11:01 PM

Originally posted by pntxjack

Stan--You could weld my FA* to my camera body, and I probably would not notice. Here is a "pre" reply. You can not drive a truck over my new lens. I think you can drive a truck over any FA* lens. The .5 extra brightness is not meaningful to me. I almost always shoot at f/8.0. The quick and quiet SDM, the tripod mount, and the "window" in the hood to adjust a circular polarizer through are such strong pluses for me that if the new lens even comes close in sharpness, (the first one was not even close) I will sell the FA*. Wish I could afford to keep both of them.
I will post further after the shoot tomorrow morning.
Jack
PS
I don't think "sharper" than the FA* 300 f/4.5 is possible, so if "sharp" is top of the list, the FA* is the best.

Yeah, every time I think about switching, I just take my FA* for a walk and I am over it for a while.

I really need a good tripod mount as I use a tripod a lot. I did get one of those Chinese mounts for the FA*, and while it does serve its purpose, it just isn't the same as a dedicated mount. I love the way the mount works on my DA* 60-250, and that is probably my main reason for thinking of the switch.

Looking forward to your thoughts after a session or two with the DA*.

**pntxjack** · 09-14-2012, 06:47 AM

Stan--How do you like your 60-250 lens?
Jack

09-13-2012, 09:57 PM	#28
pntxjack Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: placerville, ca Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 171 Original Poster	Stan--You could weld my FA* to my camera body, and I probably would not notice. Here is a "pre" reply. You can not drive a truck over my new lens. I think you can drive a truck over any FA* lens. The .5 extra brightness is not meaningful to me. I almost always shoot at f/8.0. The quick and quiet SDM, the tripod mount, and the "window" in the hood to adjust a circular polarizer through are such strong pluses for me that if the new lens even comes close in sharpness, (the first one was not even close) I will sell the FA. Wish I could afford to keep both of them. I will post further after the shoot tomorrow morning. Jack PS I don't think "sharper" than the FA 300 f/4.5 is possible, so if "sharp" is top of the list, the FA* is the best. Last edited by pntxjack; 09-13-2012 at 10:00 PM. Reason: add a sentence

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
K-5 and 300mm+ lenses	planedriver	Pentax K-5 & K-5 II	44	10-31-2011 04:04 PM
K5 Lenses 55-300mm	Rick Clark	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	16	12-03-2010 05:09 AM
For Sale - Sold: Tamron 70-300mm, few M lenses (US/CAN)	shimoyjk	Sold Items	5	09-07-2010 09:52 PM
How fast focus in 55-300mm any better new lenses what reach 300mm ?	jpq	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	2	08-20-2010 07:19 PM
For Sale - Sold: Yard sale: M lenses, K 300mm, DA 14mm, ME film body, Nikkor lenses and more	Nachodog	Sold Items	24	12-26-2009 12:03 AM

08-22-2012, 04:57 PM	#16
DreTAX Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria. Photos: Gallery Posts: 118	My spot metering reference was from "i'm the guy" suggestion and usage. Jack you would normally lower the ev in that situation if you were shooting in Average metering, but you were set to Spot which should be accurate for the bird ( but then you dropped ev lower) Centre weighted tends to find a better balance, unless the subject is part in the shade.

08-22-2012, 10:04 PM	#17
msatlas Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 309	You can usually dial in an AF fine adjustment without too much work. I use the side-by-side comparison dealie in review mode on my K-r. Get a cereal box or something else flat with stuff printed on it. Put it some distance away from the camera and set the camera to center AF point, and focus on something with a bunch of fine detail. Then dial in a -1 adjustment and take the same shot. Do the side-by-side review and zoom in on whatever part of the image you focused on, and see if the -1 shot makes an improvement. If so, you know you're moving in the right direction. Keep trying the next increment down until it stops getting better. Alternatively if the -1 shot is less sharp than the un-adjusted shot, do the same process with positive adjustments. It's not nearly as scientific as using focus charts and calculating focus offsets or whatever, but I've successfully used this method with all of my lenses.

08-23-2012, 02:20 AM	#18
pntxjack Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: placerville, ca Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 171 Original Poster	Thank you.

08-23-2012, 02:24 AM	#19
pntxjack Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: placerville, ca Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 171 Original Poster	Thanks MS-- Would this be an adhustment to: the lens; the camera; or the particlar lens/camera combination? What I am worried about is making changes to a body that works perfectly with all of my other lenses. Thanks again. Jack

08-23-2012, 09:45 AM	#20
pntxjack Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: placerville, ca Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 171 Original Poster	Thanks to all of you who helped. This morning I did three things: Tried manual focus--results inconclusive; Disabled Image Stabilization; Changed form f/8 to f/10. IS off and/or aperture made a difference. I am going to keep the lens. For a spectacularly lucky shot form this morning, look at my album. Thanks again. Jack

08-23-2012, 09:50 AM	#21
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	jack you said image stabilization off. were you on a tripod for this? you mentioned earlier the tripod collar was heaven sent so i am guessing here, BUT SHOULD ALWAYS be off on a tripod. Is is designed for low frequency vibration/ motion from hand holding, and cannot work properly with the higher frequencies you get from a tripod.

08-23-2012, 10:13 AM	#22
pntxjack Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: placerville, ca Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 171 Original Poster	Thanks Lowell-- Yes, a very sturdy tripod. And, dumb me, I knew not to use IS with a tripod, but my K-5 does not have an IS switch on the back as a reminder about that feature. IS off together with a higher f stop (to f/10, for now) seem to be getting me in the right direction. Thanks again. Jack

08-23-2012, 12:49 PM	#23
msatlas Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 309	Originally posted by pntxjack Thanks MS-- Would this be an adhustment to: the lens; the camera; or the particlar lens/camera combination? What I am worried about is making changes to a body that works perfectly with all of my other lenses. Thanks again. Jack It's a setting on the body. Most of the bodies with this feature allow you to set a correction factor for specific lenses rather than overall. The exception being the K-r which only has an overall adjustment. I just keep a list of correction factors for my different lenses and change the setting when I change lenses.

08-23-2012, 12:55 PM	#24
pntxjack Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: placerville, ca Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 171 Original Poster	Thank you. J.

09-02-2012, 08:10 AM	#25
pntxjack Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: placerville, ca Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 171 Original Poster	Thanks for all of your help. My solution: I returned the lens to B&H. (The box had been opened previously which made me super-sensitive to the sharpness issue. I have an order for a new copy when B&H gets more in stock. I like so much about this new lens that even if I still think my FA* 300mm f/4.5 is sharper, I am going to keep the new lens and sell the FA*. :-(

09-13-2012, 07:55 PM	#26
pntxjack Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: placerville, ca Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 171 Original Poster	Today (Thursday and one day early!) I received my replacement DA* 300mm f/4 lens. This one came in an unopened box. Testing it indoors it appears MUCH sharper than the first one (that came in a pre-opened box). Tomorrow morning its off to the pond to see what I can shoot. If it is sharper than the first, my beloved FA* 300mm f/4.5 goes on eBay. Stay tuned.

09-13-2012, 08:02 PM	#27
stormtech Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,744	Let me know how you find the comparison of the two lenses. My FA* 300 4.5 is my favorite and most used lens, but I am constantly tempted to upgrade (?) to the DA* 300. I'd like to know your thoughts after you have tried the DA* out. Thanks

09-13-2012, 11:01 PM	#29
stormtech Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,744	Originally posted by pntxjack Stan--You could weld my FA* to my camera body, and I probably would not notice. Here is a "pre" reply. You can not drive a truck over my new lens. I think you can drive a truck over any FA* lens. The .5 extra brightness is not meaningful to me. I almost always shoot at f/8.0. The quick and quiet SDM, the tripod mount, and the "window" in the hood to adjust a circular polarizer through are such strong pluses for me that if the new lens even comes close in sharpness, (the first one was not even close) I will sell the FA. Wish I could afford to keep both of them. I will post further after the shoot tomorrow morning. Jack PS I don't think "sharper" than the FA 300 f/4.5 is possible, so if "sharp" is top of the list, the FA* is the best. Yeah, every time I think about switching, I just take my FA* for a walk and I am over it for a while. I really need a good tripod mount as I use a tripod a lot. I did get one of those Chinese mounts for the FA, and while it does serve its purpose, it just isn't the same as a dedicated mount. I love the way the mount works on my DA 60-250, and that is probably my main reason for thinking of the switch. Looking forward to your thoughts after a session or two with the DA*.

09-14-2012, 06:47 AM	#30
pntxjack Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: placerville, ca Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 171 Original Poster	Stan--How do you like your 60-250 lens? Jack