[Beekeeper]

Hi,
I like to catch birds and using the Sigma DG 70-300 mm 1:4-5.6 and second the Pentax -DA 50-200 mm, 1:4-5.6.
The Sigma is fine in the macro mode, but in the Tele it looks always a little bit foggy ( maybe not the right word) and not sharp, although close it up to 16 or 22.
Using it in a range between 70 and 150 mm it is ok, not brilliant, but ok.
The Pentax lens is not strong enough with the 200 mm. Good in the garden, but outside I miss some more 200 mm.

So, all comments are welcome to figure out, if there is a good Pentax Telezoom or another one.
Thanks a lot
Beekeeper

[normhead]

The cheaper option would be the DA 55-300, it's considerably stronger in the long end than the Sigma 70-300.
The more expensive Pentax option would be the DA*300 and 1.4 converter.
Then there's the Sigma 500 prime and Pentax 560, but now you're getting into the big bucks.

Just go through this thread and check out the lenses being used... I'm sure you'll find something you like.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/55946-300mm-plus-lens-club...enses-837.html

[Adam]

FWIW you shouldn't be stopping down to F16. Optimal sharpness is usually closer to F8.

[boriscleto]

I use the DA L 55-300. Sometimes with the Vivitar Series 1 1.4x TC. It's fine if you can get within 20-30 feet of a larger bird, closer for smaller birds. (I shoot at a feeder out my window that is within 15 feet.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/benmcgann/sets

I'm not going to be making any poster size prints, a lot of what I post is cropped to less than 2 MP...

Seriously considering the Sigma 150-500. It's the only affordable (and somewhat portable) consumer option available for K-mount. I was also considering moving to Nikon for the Tamron 150-600 that just came out. Maybe in a year or two.

[normhead]

I use the DA L 55-300. Sometimes with the Vivitar Series 1 1.4x TC. It's fine if you can get within 20-30 feet of a larger bird, closer for smaller birds. (I shoot at a feeder out my window that is within 15 feet.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/benmcgann/sets

I'm not going to be making any poster size prints, a lot of what I post is cropped to less than 2 MP...

Seriously considering the Sigma 150-500. It's the only affordable (and somewhat portable) consumer option available for K-mount. I was also considering moving to Nikon for the Tamron 150-600 that just came out. Maybe in a year or two.

I saw some Nikon guys trying a Tamron 150-600 out when I was birding this winter, they seemed pretty impressed.

[Beekeeper]

The cheaper option would be the DA 55-300, it's considerably stronger in the long end than the Sigma 70-300.
The more expensive Pentax option would be the DA*300 and 1.4 converter.
Then there's the Sigma 500 prime and Pentax 560, but now you're getting into the big bucks.

Just go through this thread and check out the lenses being used... I'm sure you'll find something you like.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/55946-300mm-plus-lens-club...enses-837.html

Thanks for the advice with the tele club !

---------- Post added 06-08-14 at 08:04 PM ----------

FWIW you shouldn't be stopping down to F16. Optimal sharpness is usually closer to F8.

Hi Adam, will try this
Thabks

---------- Post added 06-08-14 at 08:07 PM ----------

I use the DA L 55-300. Sometimes with the Vivitar Series 1 1.4x TC. It's fine if you can get within 20-30 feet of a larger bird, closer for smaller birds. (I shoot at a feeder out my window that is within 15 feet.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/benmcgann/sets

I'm not going to be making any poster size prints, a lot of what I post is cropped to less than 2 MP...

Seriously considering the Sigma 150-500. It's the only affordable (and somewhat portable) consumer option available for K-mount. I was also considering moving to Nikon for the Tamron 150-600 that just came out. Maybe in a year or two.

During the good old times of MX and ME-super I used a Kenko Teleconverter, but was not really convinced. In combination with a Tokina 80-200 the sharpness was lost. But I still have that Kenko, so I try again with my K20

[ElJamoquio]

Hi,
I like to catch birds and using the Sigma DG 70-300 mm 1:4-5.6 and second the Pentax -DA 50-200 mm, 1:4-5.6.
The Sigma is fine in the macro mode, but in the Tele it looks always a little bit foggy ( maybe not the right word) and not sharp, although close it up to 16 or 22.
Using it in a range between 70 and 150 mm it is ok, not brilliant, but ok.
The Pentax lens is not strong enough with the 200 mm. Good in the garden, but outside I miss some more 200 mm.

So, all comments are welcome to figure out, if there is a good Pentax Telezoom or another one.
Thanks a lot
Beekeeper

Cheapest good option: 55-300mm (~$350)
More Expensive, better: DA*300 (~$1500)
More Expensive still, best option in Pentax: Sigma 500mm F/4.5 ($5000)

[Na Horuk]

I think people also like to use those Sigma zooms that go to 500mm (also called bigma, I think). Those probably need a heavy tripod, though. One is the 50-500mm, and the other is 150-500mm
And Pentax also currently makes a 560mm prime lens, but its rather rare

[ElJamoquio]

I'd take the DA*300 over the Sigma zooms any day.

[boriscleto]

I'd take the DA*300 over the Sigma zooms any day.

It also costs twice as much as the 150-500...then you have to crop or spend another $600 on a TC.

[ElJamoquio]

It also costs twice as much as the 150-500...then you have to crop or spend another $600 on a TC.

Sure, I guess if $900 is your budget you should get the 150-500. Used to be they were the same price.

Cropping the 300 is better than the 150-500 at the long end in my experience on the K-5. With the K-3 it should be even more biased towards the 300.

[gifthorse]

I have a Bigma (Sigma 150-500) and it's money well spent. It is big and heavy. A tripod is nice but not required. All of these were handheld.














Some were cropped, others weren't. It's a great bird lens. And I've don't believe that the 50-500 is available in a Pentax mount.

[ElJamoquio]

50-500 definitely was available a few years ago.

[ramseybuckeye]

I have the DA 55-300 and the DA*300, and have rented the Sigma 50-500. You can get good results with any of them, with the right conditions and technique. The 55-300 does well as long as you have good light. The Sigma has the reach, and the DA*300 has lower light ability, and I think stnger image quality. Technique is steadiness, patience, scouting, LUCK, and knowing your equipment. The focus on the 55-300 is slow and noisy, learn to manually focus with quick shift and then hit the AF, especially through trees. I like to use burst (Continuous High Shooting) too. Here's thread on Lenses for Birding that a lot of top bird shooters replied to.

If you look at the EXIF of these sample you'll see with the 55-300 I was lucky to get sharp shots at those low shutter speeds, my copy is optimal at f8. I had pretty good light on that shot with the Sigma, and the DA*300 can be shot at f4 all day, just less depth of field. These are all handheld and all warblers, which are tiny birds no more that 4 inches long.

55-300:


Sigma 50-500:


DA*300:

[boriscleto]

@ramseybuckeye are those warblers at Magee Marsh?

The Hooded Warbler is very nice, and the Black-throated Blue...