[MacGirl]

My current kit includes a K20D, DA16-45, TamronSPAF28-75XRDi, TamronAF70-300LD. I have been using the 70-300 for daytime photos from the stands but I have a love/hate relationship with this lens. Great reach and cheap but not so great final results, slow to focus and missed/blurry shots and purple fringe, ugh! I don't even attempt pics once the sun goes down and the lights come up, it's a no win situation. LOL

So my two choices are new Pentax 50-300 or a used Pentax 50-135. I plan on taking pics on the sidelines and in the stands. If I go with the faster lens I will shoot in the evening under the lights also, otherwise I will stick with day time when possible. I've always wanted that 50-135 but could never afford new pricing so settling for used if I can find it would satisfy that long urge.

Marching band has been the only times lately that I pull out the old equipment which makes me sad, but I can't bear to let it go for the times when I need faster and sharper and longer photos than an iPhone can get. I loathe that I mostly use a stupid phone for photos anymore but it is what it is. I would not get enough money on my used equipment to cover the cost of a smaller, newer system with telephoto capabilities. OR is there a solution I'm not aware of such as a nice mirrorless that would be under $700?

Help an old timer who has grown out of touch out!

[mee]

I just went to the Full Frame side and thus sold my 50-135mm (for a song).. it is my most favorite lens I've used in terms of optical performance. Sharp, nice colors, and a lovely rendering.

But I'm not entirely certain it will be long enough, if you're in the stands, to take photos of kids on a football field.

Focal length-wise you're better off with a 55-300mm lens if you must sit in the stands. But, as you know, it is not a fast lens.

If you can get right up front, in the stands, then the 50-135mm might work. Better yet on the sidelines.

My advice for you would be to take your 70-300mm out to the football stadium and lock it at 135mm then take some sample photos to see if that is enough reach for you.

Also, your K20D is very long in the tooth. The autofocus system has come a long way from olden tymes... notably in terms of low light focusing. High ISO performance has also improved quite a bit. I wouldn't doubt if Shake Reduction has improved too. It has been almost a decade afterall. So I'd recommend a look at a K-70 just as something to consider also.

[jddwoods]

I just went to the Full Frame side and thus sold my 50-135mm (for a song).. it is my most favorite lens I've used in terms of optical performance. Sharp, nice colors, and a lovely rendering.

But I'm not entirely certain it will be long enough, if you're in the stands, to take photos of kids on a football field.

Focal length-wise you're better off with a 55-300mm lens if you must sit in the stands. But, as you know, it is not a fast lens.

If you can get right up front, in the stands, then the 50-135mm might work. Better yet on the sidelines.

My advice for you would be to take your 70-300mm out to the football stadium and lock it at 135mm then take some sample photos to see if that is enough reach for you.

Also, your K20D is very long in the tooth. The autofocus system has come a long way from olden tymes... notably in terms of low light focusing. High ISO performance has also improved quite a bit. I wouldn't doubt if Shake Reduction has improved too. It has been almost a decade afterall. So I'd recommend a look at a K-70 just as something to consider also.

If you follow this advice and upgrade to a K-70 then that upgrade opens the door to the DA 55-300 PLM. The PLM has super fast and quiet autofocus and even though the aperture range is a little bit slower, the newer cameras make up for it.

[clackers]

Don't think the fast focusing new PLM version of the 55-300 will work on your K-20, MacGirl - something to think about.

The 50-135 takes glorious pictures but by the sound of it you need the extra focal length.

[Qman]

You can get a new K-70 for a very reasonable cost. It is a huge improvement over your old camera. The combination of better stabilization and better high iso performance may allow you to get better photos with your 70-300 lens.
If that lens still doesn't work for you,
and since the 50-135 is likely too short, you could get a DA* 200 used for a reasonable cost. Its faster than the Tamron and has better image quality.
A K-70 is a lot of fun to use and it might re-ignite your interest in DSLR photography.

[mikesbike]

The older DA 55-300mm HD is a very good lens. Its AF is not really slow if you are working at or around the same FL and not going from near to far back and forth. The focus turn is long rather than short, causing a bit slower AF under those circumstances, but good for MF tuning.

The DA * 50-135mm is one fine lens. If you are not at a great distance up in the stands, it should do well, and with its IQ a bit of cropping afterwards should be doable. From the sidelines you would not have the elevation to get the whole band in at once, but maybe fine for getting individual and partial group shots.

[MacGirl]

Thank you all for the wonderful and insightful comments!

For my purpose the longer focal range would be ideal and the new body upgrade sounds like an improvement overall. I may need to save up some money for next year and take the plunge but man I have always loved that 50-135 but felt the range would be too short for the situations I find myself taking photos. I just like fast glass though since I usually find myself indoors at distance and now outside at night!!

I remember walking in the Botanical Garden many years ago and seeing people using mobile phones to take photos of the beautiful views and told my friend, "I'll never take photos here with an iPhone." Never say never....LOL

[MacGirl]

I'm resurrecting my dead post from last year....because I still have not pulled the trigger on a new improved system but now I have gone back to work so the funds are coming back! I have been reading reviews on the K70 and the KP and contemplating an upgrade in camera body now. I have been using a lowly Canon Rebel at work for quick product shots for social media to move inventory but when I review the pictures I cringe and I miss my own equipment! Thinking of taking the K70 + Tamron 28-75 f2.8 in for a few days and see if I like the results better and feel good about my shots. LOL

Anyway, marching season is starting up again and I still have not purchased any upgraded equipment! Do you the earlier recommendations in this thread hold up? What do you folks think about between the K70 and the KP? I don't care much about video on a dSLR so any autofocus or image quality surrounding that is leftovers for me. I whip out the iPhone 7Plus. Man I am rusty still!

K70 or KP with the HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE Lens??

[normhead]

I'm resurrecting my dead post from last year....because I still have not pulled the trigger on a new improved system but now I have gone back to work so the funds are coming back! I have been reading reviews on the K70 and the KP and contemplating an upgrade in camera body now. I have been using a lowly Canon Rebel at work for quick product shots for social media to move inventory but when I review the pictures I cringe and I miss my own equipment! Thinking of taking the K70 + Tamron 28-75 f2.8 in for a few days and see if I like the results better and feel good about my shots. LOL

Anyway, marching season is starting up again and I still have not purchased any upgraded equipment! Do you the earlier recommendations in this thread hold up? What do you folks think about between the K70 and the KP? I don't care much about video on a dSLR so any autofocus or image quality surrounding that is leftovers for me. I whip out the iPhone 7Plus. Man I am rusty still!

K70 or KP with the HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE Lens??

Daytime use the K-70 or K-p DA 55-300 PLM
Nightime 50-135.

I hav had some pretty sluggish AF results with the PLM in low light.
If you're actually thinking of shooting under the lights from the stands a Tamron 70-200 might be your best option, Especially if the Tamron 28-75 is available for WA shots. but it's going to be heavy.

The PLM will be exlcellent for day use.
The K-70 or K-P choice is more about whether or not you are comfortable with the price of the K-P. Increase in value is pretty much on par with the increase in price. Image quality of the two is pretty similar.

The 50-125 2.8 choice is still interesting to me. The price of that lens has dropped, it may be more affordable now than it was when you first investigated. Off the top of my head I'd say not long enough or not wide enough, but your application could work with it.

From a Mac guy.

[MacGirl]

Yes, I agree with that short simple breakdown there.

I usually take most photos at the prelims performance during the day and enjoy the show for the finals performance. But there are times I do want a pic or two from the evening performance so I think I could handle the compromise to have the reach. If I was on the level/track during a performance doing close up's the 50-135 would be more of a draw. Such a nice lens! But I think I'd be good with paying more for the KP and making use of what I currently have glass-wise and upgrading the telephoto into the 21st century. You always need a decent zoom telephoto out to 300mm right but having to upgrade bodies is a bit of a downside.

Could I do a firmware update to my K20 and get any use from the DA 55-300 PLM? I just still feel a little dizzy thinking of the cost all at once. LOL

[twilhelm]

There’s nothing you can do to make the PLM lens work on the K20.

I would recommend buy the K70. Use the savings to put toward the 50-135 or the 55-300 plm. The 50-135 is a bit slower to focus, but amazing rendering.

[northcoastgreg]

The main advantages of the KP are: 5 axis stabilization (instead of 3-axis stabilization with the K-70); ability to add a battery grip (both these cameras are smaller than the K-20); 27 focus points (versus 11 for K-70); better external controls for changing camera functionality. In my experience, the 5 axis stabilization is significantly better than the three axis stabilization on the K-5 series of cameras at wide to normal focal lengths. I'm not noticing much difference at longer focal lengths. The additional focus points improve tracking AF, particularly with a lens like the 55-300 PLM (which is the fastest focusing lens in the Pentax stable). I'm personally very impressed with the 55-300 PLM. In the 55-200 range, it comes very close to the image quality of professional caliber lenses, producing very sharp and contrasty images.

[aslyfox]

I would recommend you consider renting some equipment and doing your own testing before investing in new equipment

I have used Lensrentals.com with good results

there are other companies

be sure to purchase the best protection program offered

once you have conducted your own testing of a camera body and/or lenses, you will have a much better idea of what to look for

__________________

this chart will give you info on what camera body to use with the lenses you might want to consider:

Pentax Lens Compatibility Chart
Copyright 2006-2016 Mosphotos.com. All rights reserved.

Pentax bayonet lenses labeled "SMC Pentax" are referred to as "K" lenses in the table below. Other Pentax bayonet lenses have the lens designation as a part of their name as in "SMC Pentax-FA."

Note that "star" lenses work like their "non-star" counterparts: DA* lenses work like DA lenses, FA* like FA, F* like F, A* like A, and M* like M.

Exceptions: FA and F "soft" lenses behave like M lenses in terms of metering.

The Pentax Camera Lens Compatibility Chart

as noted, the newest 55-300mm - DA 55-300mm EDPLM WR RE

will only work properly with the following camera bodies:

The Pentax K-50, K-S1, K-S2, K-3, K-3 II, and K-1 are supported via a camera firmware update; the Pentax K-70, Pentax KP and all 2017 or newer bodies will work out of the box.

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/hd-pentax-da-55-300mm-f45-63-ed-plm-wr/...#ixzz5NzWSC1kk

[dtrego]

When my daughter was in marching band, a 70-200mm f2.8 lived on my camera. Mine happens to be a Sigma, but another band dad had the Tamron (on a Canon body) that he really liked.

[normhead]

When my daughter was in marching band, a 70-200mm f2.8 lived on my camera. Mine happens to be a Sigma, but another band dad had the Tamron (on a Canon body) that he really liked.

The Sigma may well be the best of the early 70-200s it's hard to say, but I think it is a bit harder to find, second hand.