[boriscleto]

Hmmm. Never thought of that. I was hoping I could just put my k3 in AFC and Fire away and have keepers. Not the case.

It is certainly possible to get good BiF shots with the 55-300. It helps to start with big birds...these are with a cheap 1.4x TC.









The HSM of the 150-500 doesn't make it any easier. Still shooting big birds from a distance...

[Michaelina2]

I just bought a K-5IIs which has the 18-135mm WR lens. Now I am looking to add a birding lens...

Listen up, Ag...

When it comes to producing excellent birding and wildlife photography, it's really easy to screw-up. If you think gear is expensive, nothing can be more expensive than putting in the extra effort to get into the perfect position, then come away with a missed shot. The opportunity for a do-over with a critter is nada. You made an excellent choice with the K5IIs. Why sell yourself short by trying to make do with a consumer zoom like the 55-300 when the DA*300/4+ HD 1.4TC is time tested, ready and available?

You will not be pleased with anything less and I'll be very surprised, if they disappoint.

Cheers (& Gig-um)... M (TAMU '65)

[ramseybuckeye]

the 55-300 is best you can get in your price range. It was mentioned that the autofocus is slow, that is correct and it is also noisy. I learned to use the quickshift when birding. Use the QS to get close to focus, then nail it with the AF. Otherwise it hunts, and the noise scares the birds. I got a lot of good pictures with the lens. The lens does extremely well if you have decent light.

Another option is renting a lens. I go to Magee Marsh every year for the warbler migration. two years ago I decided to rent a Sigma 50-500 from CameraLensRentals.com to see how well a longer lens would work. I also knew I was going to buy a DA*300 or the Sigma, this would be a good test. The process was easy and they really give you service. Then last year I had acquired my own DA*300.

[jimr-pdx]

My short term bargain is the Quantaray 100-300/4.5-6.7 often found for $50 more or less. Fast to focus (or hunt as it needs sunshine!) and decent sharpness. The 55-300 is better though, DAL versions at $150 pop up now & then. Another decent option is the sigmna APO 70-300, nice if you want closeups too..non APO is not rated as highly, and these too are close to $180.

[jddwoods]

I have DA* 200 mm and prior to that had the SMC 55 to 300. Neither one proved to be the ideal birding lens for two very different reasons. The DA 55 - 300 issue is its noisy autofocus. DO not consider the DA L version which lacks quick shift. With the DA 55 - 300 at least I could prefocus using quick shift and let the noisy autofocus fine tune the focus. Believe me, the birds can hear this lens autofocus and I missed shots because of this. For skittish small birds, I ended up focusing manually. I sold that lens and replaced it with the nice quiet and hand holdable DA* 200. The problem with the DA* 200 is it is just not long enough for bird photography except for large birds such as herons, egrets and swans. So now I am looking for an alternate as well. I am considering the 1.4 x Teleconverter, or the Sigma 120 - 400 HSM or waiting on what Pentax may come out with later this year. For sure, I will avoid a screw drive lens for birding. In hindsight, I wish I had gotten the DA* 300 but I do not plan on getting rid of the DA* 200, just adding something that will give some extra reach. I would like to hear from anyone who added the TC to the DA* 200 or bought the Sigma 120 - 400 if these options worked for them.

[AggieDad]

Michaelina2 - Howdy! The reality is that the new RV is less than a year old and Momma's new car was bought in the fall. Oh, and don't forget my 2015 season tickets to Kyle Field. Right now I am really pushing my luck buying the camera. I am trying to sneak the lens in under the radar, and $1K+ just isn't under the radar! It could be in the future, but it sure isn't now. Her radar is scanning at max.

Everyone - It seems as though unless I go with Michaelina's suggestion, or similar, the best option is the 55-300.

Many thanks to all for thoughts and suggestions.

Don

[boriscleto]

The DA L version is fine if you can live without WR. Quick shift is over rated. You can do the same thing by pressing the lens release button.

[UncleVanya]

And where did this lens fall in your testing?

Very nice, but not as long as the 60-250, very useable and still very sharp. It will take more time before I know if I need both lenses or if the range of the 50-135 plus tc is enough. Of course then I ask myself what about the 60-250 and the tc... yes I tried it and yes it looked pretty good as well.

[UncleVanya]

I spent this weekend shooting a different kind of bird... rockets. The first day the weather was better and I shot with the 60-250 with and without the TC. Lots of good shots and many opportunities for shots. The next day was not as good, the weather shifted to a darker sky and wind drove many away from flying. Opportunities were fewer, and I had intentionally brought the DA 55-300 not thinking about the weather or the lack of light. The loss of f/4 moved my shutter speed up and some fast rockets were blurry at 1/640s but some of that is due to the lower light available due to conditions.

The thing is with both lenses I preferred manual focus over autofocus. Since the distance at takeoff was fixed I could ignore focus at that point and then after it left the pad I could refocus on the flying rocket without the af hunting.

[DSims]

A *300 really is the place to go, as others have said. I've seen some lately going for around $800 on eBay - specifically the F*, which is my favorite anyway (and the one I have). But make sure it's a good copy, functions correctly, and doesn't have a problem such as fungus (this applies to any lens - in rare cases could even be possible with new ones, depending on how they've been shipped/stored). You need to learn how to check for fungus anyway if you don't know already, now that you're venturing into mid-range to higher-priced lenses. Many of the spare parts are no longer available from Pentax for the F*, so it's hard to get someone to repair it.

Don't be scared off, however. Many others on the forum have great copies of the F*300 as well, and it tends to be the favorite lens in their kit. But I think it's much wiser to buy used most of the time. If you're really interested in birding, then put all other photography-related purchases on hold and get one of the *300 lenses. You can resell it and get your money back if you don't like it, so the risk is minimal, unless you plan on severely damaging it . An if you like it then you can add a 1.4x TC next.

Look at the images on the PPG for all three *300 AF lenses:

PENTAX : Select a PENTAX interchangeable lens camera or a lens model
PENTAX : Select a PENTAX interchangeable lens camera or a lens model
PENTAX : Select a PENTAX interchangeable lens camera or a lens model

They're all great lenses with excellent Image Quality. My evaluation of the (sometimes subtle) differences among the three is:
F* - smallest, lightest, handy built in hood, best IQ, tripod collar (which you may never end up using), limited spare parts (hard to get anyone to repair it because they want to be sure they can reassemble it if anything breaks in the process)
FA* - no tripod collar, kind of a compromise between the other two in almost every way (which isn't necessarily a bad thing)
DA* - "worst" IQ (but still excellent), heaviest, tripod collar, WR, somewhat slower AF, very quiet AF, 1/3 stop wider aperture (not very significant), available new or used.

[Rondec]

The 55-300 is probably about the best you can get for your budget. The Sigma lenses that go to 500mm are good as well, but are a little pricey for what you are willing to pay. The 55-300 is a step better than the other 70-300 options available from Sigma and Tamron, but not at the level of the DA *primes or, the 70-200 f2.8 options out there (although those aren't long enough for wildlife/birding purposes).

[Des]

The DA L version is fine if you can live without WR. Quick shift is over rated. You can do the same thing by pressing the lens release button.

+1. Get one for $150. What a bargain! Add a hood for $5. What you save in buying a DA-L rather than DA will just about get you a Raynox 150 (about $70 new). You would then have a poor man's macro (people have got very good results this way - see https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/74221-raynox-macro-club.html), and much better minimum focusing distance. You've now solved two problems, you have a light-weight (440g), compact and versatile lens with good IQ, and you are well within budget.

That leaves you with $375 change to start saving up for a Sigma 150-500 or 50-500 (Bigma) or the forthcoming Pentax long tele zoom or a F*300/FA*300/DA*300 + teleconverter combination. Any of these is likely to be a better option than the 55-300 for a dedicated birding kit, but they are all well over your budget.

Meanwhile keep your eye out for a Sigma 400mm f5.6 Tele Macro (77mm filter - not the earlier one with 72mm filter). Rare as hen's teeth, but occasionally one can be snagged for <$600 (recent sales summarised here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/94-pentax-price-watch/279133-sigma-400mm-...acro-ebay.html). If you see one in good condition (watch out for AF failure), buy it immediately. A good one is the best bang for buck available above 300mm IMO. IQ comparable to say FA*300 with TC, at half to two-thirds the price.

If you do end up getting any of these other options, the 55-300 would not be redundant, because it is compact, light-weight and versatile. If you got a Bigma, for example, even though it covered the whole focal range of the 55-300, the Bigma is such a beast (about 2kg) that you would not take it on a walkaround for casual use.

The only lens that might really substitute for the 55-300 would be a DA*60-250 f4. That would be a significant step up in speed, build and IQ (see the PF review which compares them: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews), but also a big step up in cost (in the region of $1000 second hand), bulk and weight (1040g without hood and tripod collar).

[normhead]

The DA 55-300 is the only relatively inexpensive option, as in, it's the only one that's strong in the long end. Other 70-300s are weaker from 200-300. So for birds it's either a 55-300 or lenses that cost over $1000. I'd be tempted to go for a DA*300 and save up for a TC. (That will get you to 420mm with pretty much un-matched quality without going to a $500 sigma 500mm 4.5 ) But that's really stretching your budget.

Look through this thread...
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/55946-300mm-plus-lens-club...nses-1014.html
You can see what people use and what the pictures look like.

[Des]

a $500 sigma 500mm 4.5

Typo I think - more like $5000 for this lens. Same kind of ballpark as the Pentax 560 f5.6.

[Des]

I am willing to go to about $500-600 for something a bit longer or with more quality.

If you definitely want 500mm within that budget, also consider the Sigma 170-500: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/283893-sigma-170-500-a.html

Ahem, mine is for sale: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/24-photographic-equipment-sale/285493-sal...hood-case.html