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07-24-2014, 10:17 PM   #31
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Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG

QuoteOriginally posted by Miguel Quote
How disappointing. I'd do the same as you.
I'm curious about how you tested the lens' capabilities? Action shots, static shots, charts? How many shots in a sequence? I'm as much curious about how other shooters do this as I am about this lens. I've read lots of very good things about the Sigma "Sport" 120-300mm f2.8, but it's heavy, and I'm uncertain whether it's available in K-mount.

M

Well I started this morning by taking it to the zoo here, and everything I was shooting just wasn't as sharp. I chalked it up as harsh lighting/shadows and getting used to a new lens. When I got back home, I tested some depth shots. Having focus points set on the ground at different distances. I noticed it was never focused on my points. Static shots that should be crystal clear, were soft. I found it consistently back focusing quite a bit. I played with the cameras AF fine tuning and moved it forward some with some better results but then I found it searching to AF quite a bit more. F4-F8 should be money on this thing, and birds in the back yard were all much worse than the pics I've taken with my old 300mm Pentax. All taken on a tripod in good light. Occasionally I'd catch a bird in the lens sweet spot and pushing f10+ because a bird would fly back in the appropriate focus depth. Then my ISO would be high and it was still an ugly shot for me.

What is interesting, I noticed focus problems when I first shot that puma at the zoo yesterday. Looking at the images I found certain pics coming in blurry in the front of the focal point and sharper in the back. Again, I just played with my focal points and it was sufficient, but at the end of the day, I thought that the puma pics weren't that good. Nice, but I was expecting better...

I played with it for about 8-10 hours today.. Took thousands of shots. I did everything I could to try and convince myself it was me and not the lens. I took my old KX and put my old 300mm on it and snapped hand held alongside with better results. That's when I knew, it was 100% the lens. I even made sure to test the camera, which my k3 is rather new itself, but all my other lenses were great. I've heard of this happening a few times with this lens needing calibration, and coming back perfect. I just think you want that out of the box when you spent $3500... I'm not familiar with these large Telephotos so maybe that's the norm, but it's just disappointing I need to wait a week or more for a replacement. Thank goodness for BHphotovideos return/exchange policy. Fingers crossed the next one is better.

On a side note: why is it my camera wanted to shoot everything at f2.8 on auto? I mean everything... Made no sense to me either. Is this a communication problem with the camera and lens, or a camera problem? My auto pics with this lens were OMG horrible. Made absolutely no sense to me. I had to shoot everything on manual mode to even get anything normal. Aperture mode and my shutter speed and ISO seemed extreme for the lighting, shutter mode and aperature was again stuck on 2.8... This thing was just a mess for me.


Last edited by MajorLeaguePentax; 07-24-2014 at 10:27 PM.
07-24-2014, 10:45 PM   #32
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After you get it replaced, invest in an alignment kit.
07-25-2014, 06:05 AM   #33
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QuoteOriginally posted by MajorLeaguePentax Quote
On a side note: why is it my camera wanted to shoot everything at f2.8 on auto? I mean everything... Made no sense to me either. Is this a communication problem with the camera and lens, or a camera problem? My auto pics with this lens were OMG horrible. Made absolutely no sense to me. I had to shoot everything on manual mode to even get anything normal. Aperture mode and my shutter speed and ISO seemed extreme for the lighting, shutter mode and aperture was again stuck on 2.8... This thing was just a mess for me.
It looks to me the lens needs an firmware update (maybe an upgrade on the chip as well) to better communicate with your K-3. Since the K-3 is new i don't know how much Sigma has invested in debugging their lenses to properly work the newest Pentax body. GaryK, the gentleman i bought the 300mm from, send it back three times opting to re-chip and calibrate the lens (they put an upgraded chip that enables easier firmware updates.) I don't know if it was optional or not but after the three service calls, the sigma focused well on both his K-5 and K-3. I own a K-5iis and the lens is very sharp (even with the sigma 1.4x tc, the 2x it on the way) It may take a few tries but I believe after the calibrations and updates you'll get your Sigma singing...

You can view some of the pictures taken with the K-3 and the Sigma. Gary made a comparison between two systems the K-3+ 300mm f2.8 and the Canon 1D Mark IV + 300mm f2.8 II on his blog:

Birds That Fart - Blog

Last edited by Mirton; 07-25-2014 at 10:20 AM.
07-25-2014, 11:33 AM - 1 Like   #34
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QuoteOriginally posted by MajorLeaguePentax Quote
I'm looking for some solid feedback on this lens from Pentax users. There is only a handful of user reviews out there for this lens and I really just want to hear more. I'm thinking about purchasing this, I just want to know is it worth the upgrade from the DA* 300mm Pentax? I do want lower light sharpness, especially for wildlife and sports. Am I going to see a $2000 difference from my DA* 300mm in my photo quality?

Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG Lens for Pentax 195109 B&H Photo Video
I assume that a new 2.8/300 from Sigma with the possibility to exchange mounts will be presented at photokina in 2 months. That lens should also have silent AF.

Pentax has nothing to offer in this range, no large aperture tele lens for years, all you can get from Pentax is used and overpriced.

07-25-2014, 01:17 PM   #35
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Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG

If the next one is the same, I'll contact Sigma. I really want this lens to work well for me. As previously mentioned, there really isn't much else we have to choose from that is "new".

---------- Post added 07-25-14 at 01:41 PM ----------

Also, lens correction offered on the k3 wasn't accessible with this lens attached. I'm beginning to think the chip needed updating and there was significant communication problems between the k3 and the sigma 300mm

Last edited by MajorLeaguePentax; 07-25-2014 at 01:41 PM.
07-25-2014, 08:43 PM   #36
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QuoteOriginally posted by MajorLeaguePentax Quote
If the next one is the same, I'll contact Sigma. I really want this lens to work well for me. As previously mentioned, there really isn't much else we have to choose from that is "new".

---------- Post added 07-25-14 at 01:41 PM ----------

Also, lens correction offered on the k3 wasn't accessible with this lens attached. I'm beginning to think the chip needed updating and there was significant communication problems between the k3 and the sigma 300mm

I agree with that assessment....
08-01-2014, 09:39 AM   #37
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Replacement lens arrives Tuesday. Will retest and report that evening.

08-01-2014, 09:58 AM   #38
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Er, is lens correction available with third party lenses? My Sigma 17-70 has no lens correction option on the k-3.
08-01-2014, 10:05 AM   #39
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QuoteOriginally posted by JinDesu Quote
Er, is lens correction available with third party lenses? My Sigma 17-70 has no lens correction option on the k-3.
I don't own the 17-70 but all my other Sigma lenses have the focus adjustment option on the K-5/iis
08-01-2014, 10:08 AM   #40
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Focus adjustment and lens correction are two different things.
08-01-2014, 11:15 AM   #41
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QuoteOriginally posted by JinDesu Quote
Er, is lens correction available with third party lenses? My Sigma 17-70 has no lens correction option on the k-3.

Interesting. Does it take good photos? Do your settings adjust appropriately on the auto setting?
08-01-2014, 11:33 AM   #42
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QuoteOriginally posted by MajorLeaguePentax Quote
Interesting. Does it take good photos? Do your settings adjust appropriately on the auto setting?
Do you mean green mode? The k-3 doesn't have an Auto setting.
In green mode, when my ISO reaches 200, then it begins to raise the aperture. Otherwise it keeps it at F2.8.
08-01-2014, 11:44 AM   #43
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QuoteOriginally posted by JinDesu Quote
Do you mean green mode? The k-3 doesn't have an Auto setting.
In green mode, when my ISO reaches 200, then it begins to raise the aperture. Otherwise it keeps it at F2.8.

Yes green mode. With the sigma 300 attached to my camera, it was 2.8 if I was looking at the sun.
08-05-2014, 10:43 PM   #44
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Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG

Quick update: replacement lens still has communication problems with the K3. Took no more than 10 pictures with it before I boxed it back up.. I would have liked to pursue Sigma updating and adjusting the lens, but this one even came with a nice smear of something on the face of the glass... It did clean up some but the residual reside still looks to be there under close inspection.... Double let down... I think I'm over the Sigma 300mm 2.8. To be honest, I don't even see why they sell this lens for Pentax... It obviously needs to go to Sigma before mounting on our cameras..

In the middle of the day, shooting outside on my dog about 10 meters away in full light, on green mode my camera wants to shoot at 1/800, 2.8 and 200 ISO... Any pic on green mode looks absolutely terrible. Lens correction still not applicable. Auto focus depth looked ok with manual settings, but I didn't even bother to look into much more. I probably wouldn't shoot this much on green mode, but something bugs me when the camera is no where near the same page as the lens. Anyone familiar with this?

I hope Pentax makes a new 300mm 2.8 soon.
08-05-2014, 11:33 PM   #45
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QuoteOriginally posted by MajorLeaguePentax Quote
Took no more than 10 pictures with it before I boxed it back up..
That's a damn shame the lens didn't work out for you. I was very curious about it.
QuoteOriginally posted by MajorLeaguePentax Quote
I probably wouldn't shoot this much on green mode, but something bugs me when the camera is no where near the same page as the lens.
I've been shooting DSLRs for the past ten years, sports with long lenses 8 years--and have never used the Green mode. I really think that there is an underlying assumption that users of high-quality long lenses need to use more advanced modes to get the best out of both their camera and lenses. This is because the margin of error in covering action is rather slim, so more control is very valuable. On both Canon and Pentax systems I use AV for DOF control about 75% of the time, and M 20% of the time. Sometimes I'll use SV, but it makes post processing more of a hassle.
That said, shooting at f2.8 and 1/800 at 300mm is surely something I would do and it should produce superb results with the subject popping out of the frame sharply. So you did the smart thing in sending it back.
QuoteOriginally posted by MajorLeaguePentax Quote
I hope Pentax makes a new 300mm 2.8 soon
That's a bet I'd never go for. Pentax has a decent f4 300mm that seems to suffice for the vast majority of Pentax users. Ricoh is still lacking a general 100-400mm-ish zoom that could sell for $2000. Anyone really needing a top notch 300mm f2.8 for $3400 - $7400 is shooting other brands--even for the sole use of that lens.

M
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