[gaweidert]

Actually, if you are willing to sacrifice sensor size, Sony's 24~600mm (equivalent) F2.4-4 Zeiss-made zoom (RX 10 III camera) is really impressive. Boggles the mind what an equivalent lens for a K1 would look like, weigh, or cost.

A few years ago I got my wife a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 cameras with a 52x zoom for Christmas I got her the less expensive version that shoots jpeg only and the camera is impressive as heck. The version that captures in RAW was twice as much and she did not want to play around with i mage manipulation. She loves it. Image quality is excellent. The only real problems are the small battery size and the manual which barely qualifies as such. I did get her an extra battery and charger as the only way to charge the battery is when it is in the camera. Video is very good and the sweeping panoramic mode is a nice add on too.

[WPRESTO]

A few years ago I got my wife a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 cameras with a 52x zoom for Christmas I got her the less expensive version that shoots jpeg only and the camera is impressive as heck. The version that captures in RAW was twice as much and she did not want to play around with i mage manipulation. She loves it. Image quality is excellent. The only real problems are the small battery size and the manual which barely qualifies as such. I did get her an extra battery and charger as the only way to charge the battery is when it is in the camera. Video is very good and the sweeping panoramic mode is a nice add on too.

From what I've read the major complaint on the RX10 III is slow AF as you get past about 300~400mm. Post here on PF, with required compression, I doubt vert much anyone would know images taken with that Sony were not taken with an APS-C format camera. I've posted images taken with a little shirt-pocket Panasonic LF-1 and either people are too polite to comment, or the IQ at the required compression on the screens people use to browse PF is indistinguishable from images I take with a K3. If I did not have chronic LBA - - - -

[Rupert]

I am probably the most prolific Bigma 50-500 shooter on this Forum. I had the original 50-500 10 years ago and more recently the newer HSM OS model.

Just from viewing here on the Forum, I would wager the Pentax 150-450 is a sharper lens in most cases. But.....is it that much sharper for the price difference? I paid $1K for the HSM OS Bigma here on the Market place and it was "New" in almost every respect. You won't find the Pentax at or near that price.

I was considering the Pentax at one time, I'm old and have more cash than I have time left, so that was not a factor. What turned me off was the degree of problems I have read with the Pentax. In 10 years of Bigma shooting I have never encountered any malfunction, large or small. They are rock solid, and for me they are in almost constant use. I hate malfunctions, they are so frustrating.....and time consuming. The Bigma has given me none.

I shot on most all Pentax bodies with my Bigmas....and AF was a severe problem in many instances. Low light, crowded scenes, long distances, etc.
With the K1 all of those problems are gone, it is fast focusing and there is no hunting...none! Makes shooting the Bigma a fun experience like never before!

That is my perspective.......if you can take the time to learn Bigma shooting, (It will take a little time!) it will most likely satisfy your needs if you are not too damn picky!

Here is my K1 Gallery of some of my Bigma shots. Most shots are at 500MM, my most used range, and ALL are handheld...I detest tripods and monopods. I post the Good, Bad, and Ugly...so there is a wide assortment here and are very typical of Bigma results by an average shooter of no significant talent. (Less than average if you ask the squirrels!)

Pentax K1 | Flickr EXIF on all shots is available by clicking on it.

Might mention.....the Bigma is also easy to MF and from time to time I use that method. Combined with the K1 it is a very easy lens to use and the weight is not even noticeable to me after all these years.

Typical shot with the Bigma.....I could shoot over a hundred of these a day...and sometimes do! Not near perfect, but plenty good for me!

f7.1 1/200 handheld ISO 6400 @ 500mm


"Oh no! Not again...here comes another damn squirrel!" f7.1 1/160 handheld ISO 3200 @ 500mm


"Did somebody call for me?" f8 1/30 handheld ISO 400 @ 500mm Sharp enough to see the screw holding up the Cheater Branch!


Best Regards...Get whatever works for you, long lens shooting is such joy and a ton of fun!

[aslyfox]

I've been lurking and trying to learn, please keep posting your comments

I am a seeker of knowledge and if the knowledge is actually useful, I award bonus points

so far all of you folks have earned bonus points which when added to $ will allow you to buy coffee at the diner

I got a great deal, IMHO, YMMV, on a n almost new "big guy" - the Pentax 150 - 450 and I am trying to get familiar with it for our upcoming trip to the Grand Tetons/Yellowstone NP in June. I found that my Tamron 70 - 300 mm macro zoom was a little short at times when we were in Tanzania last summer

I have posted some of my efforts in this thread:

Post your HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW pictures! - PentaxForums.com

so far, I have been hand holding it, thank you SR, and I know I need to start using the tripod/monopod

FWIW, I like it a lot - yes the weight and size is quite noticeable but the results I have seen on this forum are so great I will put up with it.

can't compare with the "other" options mentioned by other posters I have never used any of them

---

Last edited by aslyfox; 03-15-2017 at 10:58 AM.

[VoiceOfReason]

For travel, especially with the 1.4 tc I can handhold it, but it is a little better to use the roof of my car or the top of the door as a stabilizer, a monopod, a fencepost, or, kneel down on one knee and rest the elbow of the arm that is holding the lens on the other knee while shooting. If you're in a stable area that a tripod is doable that is fine too. For handholding just make sure to use a faster shutter speed.

[boriscleto]

I shoot the 150-500 handheld most of the time. That includes shots where I'm leaning back and shooting above my head...The OS is a great help shooting hand held, the Pentax doesn't have it...

[aslyfox]

FWIW here is a shot of a drake wood duck in full mating colors with the K 3 + HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW + HD Pentax-DA 1.4x AW AF Rear Converter

I was shooting hand held on an elevated platform down toward the duck and into the sun

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

[nomadkng]

Here's my post from a similar thread a month or so ago:

I've owned the 50-500, 150-500 and now own the 150-450. I have also owned the Pentax 1.4x, Tamron 1.4x, Sigma 1.4x and 2x and the Kenko/Vivitar 1.4x TC. I've tried just about ever combination of long lens out there except the DA 560mm.

My opinion: The 150-500 is better at 500mm than the 50-500, but the 50-500 is better UP TO about 400mm. The 50-500 is actually closer to a 50-460ish if i remember the exact specs in terms of magnification, whereas the 150-500 is pretty close to 500 at 500. AF performance on the K5iis and K3 is slightly better for the 150-500 than the 55-300 but that's not saying a whole lot. It's slow for wildlife. The 50-500 AF is slower and less consistent than the 150-500.

The 150-450 is in a different league and for the price it better be. It pairs very well with the Pentax TC on a K3, but I would never use the Pentax TC on my K1, the vignetting coupled with the extreme edge distortion leading into the vignetting is just not good enough to be classified as usable on FF. AF is significantly better; faster more accurate. (Anecdote: My 150-450 had issues with its zoom and is now in repair. When I asked my GF, the main user if she wanted the lens repaired or to get another option, she was adamant that I get another 150-450. She did NOT want to "downgrade" to another 150-500.) I personally use MY ultimate long lens, the Sigma 500 f4.5 and the Pentax DFA gives it a pretty good run for its money. The Sigma is slightly faster at focusing for BIF and pixel peeping sharper for objects beyond about 50 yards. Inside 50 yards I have a tough time telling the difference, and that's probably the extra 50mm the Sigma has. The Sigma 500 f4.5 is a 5k lens.

Bottom line, I tried to go cheap and budget in so many different ways, and nothing really worked to my standards or expectations. When it comes to long FL lenses, you better be prepared to ante up, because you can't take shortcuts and expect the same results.

[luftfluss]

FWIW here is a shot of a drake wood duck in full mating colors with the K 3 + HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW + HD Pentax-DA 1.4x AW AF Rear Converter

I was shooting hand held on an elevated platform down toward the duck and into the sun

Looks like focus is on the grass in front of the duck.

[luftfluss]

A few years ago I got my wife a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 cameras with a 52x zoom for Christmas I got her the less expensive version that shoots jpeg only and the camera is impressive as heck. The version that captures in RAW was twice as much and she did not want to play around with i mage manipulation. She loves it. Image quality is excellent. The only real problems are the small battery size and the manual which barely qualifies as such. I did get her an extra battery and charger as the only way to charge the battery is when it is in the camera. Video is very good and the sweeping panoramic mode is a nice add on too.

I've owned a number of small-sensored superduperzooms over the years, and IMO in the right circumstances the image quality is just fine. It's always something other than image quality that makes me move on from them.

[VoiceOfReason]

Here's a handheld pic with the DFA 150-450 and 1.4 tc on the K3. It is a resized copy, so some IQ has been lost, but still, this should give you a hint of the capability. Total zoom was 630mm and total aperture was f/8.

[aslyfox]

Looks like focus is on the grass in front of the duck.

I'm still learning

Actually that was my target

[luftfluss]

I'm still learning

Actually that was my target

In my experience, it can take a long while to learn a new lens, particularly a long lens.

[noelpolar]

Only thing I can add about the DFA 150-450, for me, there came a time when I stopped thinking of it being big and heavy.... just a grab and go lens for a purpose. I think this has to do with both normal familularity and sorting out various carrying and handling solutions that work..... sorta like how one gets used to having put on weight! I must say, a F*300/4.5 is a perfect 300mm addition to the 150-450.... small and light for when that matters...with the best IQ.

[Scorpio71GR]

In my experience, it can take a long while to learn a new lens, particularly a long lens.

Boy isn't that the truth. My first three months with the Bigma were a disaster. Luckily I'm stubborn. I was trained as a teenage photographer to blame myself first, to blame myself second, and then possibly question if it is my gear. After awhile it got much better. My biggest hurdle is my hands shake like a roadside carnival Rollercoaster ride.

My opinion is if you happy with a lens why replace it? If you have the money to spend then sure why not. My feeling is the 150-450 is going to give you more resolving power. The Bigma does not take heavy cropping well. If you can get in close enough with the 50-500 and fill the frame it does well. I would love to have the 150-450 but I do not shoot enough wildlife to justify the price.

500mm handheld with the right light.


Stalking the cranes.


The Bigma has allowed me to get shots I can not get otherwise. For $800 used with the polarizer filter I can not complain. Mine came to me in almost mint condition.