Which El Cheapo Long Zoom Lens would you pick?

Driline · 01-18-2014, 08:07 PM

Originally posted by DeepThrob

Purple fringing ?

I don't see any purple fringing. The main reason for this lens will be shooting eagles along the Mississippi river. They roost in the tree's along the river bank which are right next to the main road.

Kona · 01-18-2014, 09:47 PM

I have a SMC Pentax-FA 80-320mm F4.5-5.6 Reviews - FA Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database which I bought for $80 iirc. Certainly worth that price, though I don't actually use it a whole lot since most of my shooting is short range and its min focus is pretty dismal. Great for birding, though.

Driline · 01-19-2014, 11:17 AM

Well, I've pored over the Tamron, Sigma,Quantaray, and Pentax El Cheapo 70-300, 100-300, and 80-320, lenses and they all seem similarly mediocre. I think the first one I can get for $20 bucks wins

Driline · 01-20-2014, 06:35 PM

Well after careful thought and consideration I decided to forego the el cheapo lens route and purchase a Tokina AT-X 100-300mm F4 SD from a forum member on the marketplace. I decided I could trade off the auto focus of the cheap lenses for manual focus and much higher IQ on the Tokina. Looking forward to using this lens for wildlife shots. And if that proves fruitless it will certainly come in handy as a nice close quarter defensive weapon.

Driline · 03-02-2014, 09:25 AM

This lens is awesome. Really glad I chose this over the other El Cheapo's. Pictures are worth a thousand words....

ChristianRock · 03-03-2014, 08:35 AM

Awesome shots, Driline

I'm glad the Tokina works for you.
I saw one recently going for a very good price at KEH and had to pass on it, because I need AF. I need to keep up with my kids playing sports.
So I chose the "el cheapo" Tamron 70-300 Di LD. I'm actually pretty pleased with it, it's better than I thought it would be, considering the price (got mine for 80 bucks in EX+ condition at KEH).
The Tokina is clearly superior, though, and constant F4 all the way to 300 is awesome. Someday I'll try and splurge on that one!

bdery · 03-03-2014, 11:40 AM

Originally posted by Driline

Or Pentax FA 100-300 F 4.7-5.8

Definitely this one. A surprisingly good lens, if you accept that it is slow.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
If you could have only 2 lenses in the 50mm(ish) range, which two would you pick?	Clinton	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	64	04-05-2010 09:49 PM
Which macro lens would you pick if you only had one choice?	ViS	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	27	11-09-2008 08:46 PM
Which zoom would you recommend?	aegisphan	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	25	03-27-2008 08:52 AM
zeiss or voigtlander: which one would you pick?	ricosuave	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	14	11-19-2007 10:11 AM
El-cheapo telezoom lens	skaktuss	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	3	03-20-2007 05:05 AM

01-18-2014, 08:07 PM	#16
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	Originally posted by DeepThrob Purple fringing ? I don't see any purple fringing. The main reason for this lens will be shooting eagles along the Mississippi river. They roost in the tree's along the river bank which are right next to the main road.

01-18-2014, 09:47 PM	#17
Kona Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Victoria Photos: Albums Posts: 201	I have a SMC Pentax-FA 80-320mm F4.5-5.6 Reviews - FA Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database which I bought for $80 iirc. Certainly worth that price, though I don't actually use it a whole lot since most of my shooting is short range and its min focus is pretty dismal. Great for birding, though.

01-19-2014, 11:17 AM	#18
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	Well, I've pored over the Tamron, Sigma,Quantaray, and Pentax El Cheapo 70-300, 100-300, and 80-320, lenses and they all seem similarly mediocre. I think the first one I can get for $20 bucks wins

01-20-2014, 06:35 PM	#19
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	Well after careful thought and consideration I decided to forego the el cheapo lens route and purchase a Tokina AT-X 100-300mm F4 SD from a forum member on the marketplace. I decided I could trade off the auto focus of the cheap lenses for manual focus and much higher IQ on the Tokina. Looking forward to using this lens for wildlife shots. And if that proves fruitless it will certainly come in handy as a nice close quarter defensive weapon.

03-02-2014, 09:25 AM	#20
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697 Original Poster	This lens is awesome. Really glad I chose this over the other El Cheapo's. Pictures are worth a thousand words....

03-03-2014, 08:35 AM	#21
ChristianRock Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,910	Awesome shots, Driline I'm glad the Tokina works for you. I saw one recently going for a very good price at KEH and had to pass on it, because I need AF. I need to keep up with my kids playing sports. So I chose the "el cheapo" Tamron 70-300 Di LD. I'm actually pretty pleased with it, it's better than I thought it would be, considering the price (got mine for 80 bucks in EX+ condition at KEH). The Tokina is clearly superior, though, and constant F4 all the way to 300 is awesome. Someday I'll try and splurge on that one!

03-03-2014, 11:40 AM	#22
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Originally posted by Driline Or Pentax FA 100-300 F 4.7-5.8 Definitely this one. A surprisingly good lens, if you accept that it is slow.