[clackers]

Thanks for the feedback. Would the K-30 be any better than just shooting with the K-1 II in crop mode with an APS-C lens ?
It seems to me that I would still get better AF, focus points covering most of the APS-C frame, higher ISO, etc. So not much of a reason to keep the K-30 except as a backup camera.

Well, it's of course much smaller and lighter.

If the dropoff in image quality back to your Panasonic isn't noticeable in your shooting style, I guess you have that for when size matters and can sell the K-30.

[madbrain]

Well, it's of course much smaller and lighter.

Compared to K-1 II, yes. But I love the form factor of the K-1 II. The stabilizer is much better, ISO is much better, etc.
The main thing missing for stills is superzoom IMO. Also, ultrawide. For now, I have to keep my Sigma 10-20 and shoot from for that. Pentax 15-30 is too rich for me.

And of course for video the K-1 II is not very useful, smartphone does better usually, and GX85 does much better.

If the dropoff in image quality back to your Panasonic isn't noticeable in your shooting style, I guess you have that for when size matters and can sell the K-30.

IQ of the Panasonic in daylight is very good, I would say on par with the K-30 despite smaller sensor, mostly due to better AF. Not on par with the K-1 II of course.

The main problem of the Panasonic for me is the ergonomics. Many features rely on touch screen which are really hard to use in broad daylight. And carrying two cameras with widely different ergonomics, one K-1 II Pentax around the neck, and one GX85 in wrist strap, would be very confusing for the shooter.

I really bought the GX85 for the 4K video and not really anything else. I took it outside the home once, on a shoot once in an indoor location - cat show. Had the K-30 with me too. IQ on the GX85 was horrible due to noise. K-30 wasn't as great as I wish, but did OK. K-1 II would have been nice to have that day (it wasn't released yet).

My goal ultimately is to keep it down to two cameras, one for stills - the K-1 II - and one for video, the GX85.
But FF superzoom on K-1 II seems to be bit of a challenge at the moment. Seems like even for other brands, it is an issue. I don't think Sigma or Tamron make an FF superzoom in any mount currently. I think Canon and Nikon have them, but big $$$. Not sure about Sony.

[clackers]

Compared to K-1 II, yes. But I love the form factor of the K-1 II. The stabilizer is much better, ISO is much better, etc.
The main thing missing for stills is superzoom IMO. Also, ultrawide. For now, I have to keep my Sigma 10-20 and shoot from for that. Pentax 15-30 is too rich for me.

Obviously the 15-30 is the pro way to go, and is the natural fit with your flagship camera.

You can save money with a Samyang 14mm, manual focus, variable quality control, etc … but it does the job, including for astro!

IQ of the Panasonic in daylight is very good, I would say on par with the K-30 despite smaller sensor, mostly due to better AF. Not on par with the K-1 II of course.

One of the people I went birding with one time had put money into an m43 system, believed all that stuff about being able to get closer to the wildlife with a smaller focal length because of the crop factor, etc, but it was just getting closer with a grainier image. She was very disappointed at the mushy texture of fur and feathers.

I looked on with sympathy, but thought, that's what you get for being persuaded by internet vloggers!

My goal ultimately is to keep it down to two cameras, one for stills - the K-1 II - and one for video, the GX85.

There we are, you know where to go!

But FF superzoom on K-1 II seems to be bit of a challenge at the moment. Seems like even for other brands, it is an issue. I don't think Sigma or Tamron make an FF superzoom in any mount currently. I think Canon and Nikon have them, but big $$$. Not sure about Sony.

Does anyone? It's just putting mediocre lenses in front of a very good camera … check out how bad they are at the bottom of the link below … that Tamron 18-200 … ouch!

Best lenses for the 24-MPix Pentax K-3: Recommended primes and zooms - DxOMark

[Wheatfield]

I'm aware there are older Sigma and Tamron 28-300mm lenses in K-mount that could work with the K-1 .

There doesn't seem to be any modern superzoom that supports full-frame.

I am the owner of a Tamron AF 1.4x teleconverter. If combined with a modern APS-C superzoom, say, the Sigma 18-300, would it provide better IRQ than the older 28-300 zooms ?

Has anyone tried that sort of combo to see what the vignetting looked like ?

Something to consider is this lens, if you want it to be similar in potential angles of view to your 18-300, it would have to be a 27-450 f/2.4- f/5.2 or some such.
It would be huge.
And expensive.

[madbrain]

Something to consider is this lens, if you want it to be similar in potential angles of view to your 18-300, it would have to be a 27-450 f/2.4- f/5.2 or some such.
It would be huge.
And expensive.

I don't have an 18-300 yet. I don't necessarily require that much range. I think 28-300mm range in full-frame terms would be enough for me at both ends . Ie. 18-200 in APS-C format.
I shot with a Pentax DA 18-250 on my K200D and K-30 for years and was happy with it. When it got stolen, I got a second hand Tamron 18-250 (nearly identical).
I sold that lens recently when I moved to FF, because I wanted FF lens to go with it. Maybe I should just have kept that lens instead, and kept shooting with it on the K-1 II in crop mode. I hadn't realized there was a void in superzoom for full-frame on Pentax.

Looks like Tamron has model A010 which is available in Nikon, Canon and Sony mounts, but not Pentax unfortunately. Pentax did not make a full frame when it was launched. And unfortunately, Tamron stopped supporting Pentax mounts.

Tamron officially launches 28-300mm F3.5-6.3 full frame superzoom: Digital Photography Review

Canon has this very pricey lens :
amazon.com : Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM Lens : Camera Lenses : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20&

Nikon has this less expensive one (but not cheap) :
amazon.com : Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras : Digital Slr Camera Lenses : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20&

Sony has this interesting 24-240mm :
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens SEL24240 B&H Photo Video

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any similar superzooms in full-frame K mount.

---------- Post added 06-27-18 at 12:24 AM ----------

Obviously the 15-30 is the pro way to go, and is the natural fit with your flagship camera.
You can save money with a Samyang 14mm, manual focus, variable quality control, etc … but it does the job, including for astro!

I don't think I would be happy with the Samyang 14mm due to manual fcous. 15-30 not in budget yet.
I think I have to keep shooting in crop with my Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 for this case.
This is not as critical of a need for me as it has been my least used lens even on APS-C. It's not for astro, it's mostly for indoors in tight spaces.

The superzoom is a much more important need for me. I would like to get the one that will provide the best IQ on a K-1 II body. Maybe that still has to be an APS-C lens in crop mode.

[nater]

The superzoom is a much more important need for me. I would like to get the one that will provide the best IQ on a K-1 II body. Maybe that still has to be an APS-C lens in crop mode.

I would lean toward APS-C lens in crop mode. Most teleconverters (including the Tamron you mentioned) just pass through the lens data to the body without modifying it, so the focal length information won't take into account the magnification the teleconverter adds, slightly reducing the effectiveness of the shake reduction. Teleconverters also decrease the amount of light that reaches the sensor, so you loose some F-stop in the process, which can make the AF less responsive/accurate in some shooting conditions. Additional lens elements will also marginally reduce the amount of light (i.e. the T-stop of the lens will further decrease the more elements there are in the light path).

I wouldn't totally write off legacy lenses if I were you though. I've been buying second hand Pentax compatible lenses for about 20 years, and I'd rank my buying experiences like this from best to worst: Pentaxforums, B&H, KEH, eBay, random local shops. While I make a lot of purchases on Amazon in general, I have never bought a used lens from an Amazon seller. While it seems like I've ranked eBay low, I've probably done the most purchases from there, and my experiences have been all over the map. What I've purchased there falls into two basic categories: well listed items from sellers with an excellent rating and return policy and appear to know what they're doing, and items from sellers who don't really know what they're doing and have lousy pictures of what they're selling and often just sell a bunch of stuff in a lot. I've had good and bad experiences with both of those. I once purchased a "mint" Sigma 15mm EX Fisheye from a seller in Japan that arrived with a broken "A" lock button on the aperture ring and some marks on the inside of the front element. Return process went smoothly, but it was frustrating to have to go through with it. In other cases I've bid low on lots that have turned out to have some great things in them. I've also managed to eventually find a few lenses with a good buy it now price that were in great condition (it just took me a few years). I've even found lenses that I theorized existed in Pentax mount and aren't documented anywhere (like the Tokina 28-105mm F3.5-4.5 AF Aspherical, which is a great lens, and not in the lens database here). Anyway I have too many lenses, and now with two kids not enough funds to buy the K-1 (which I theorized would come to market years before it was announced, and began pursuing only full frame lenses for...) I need to sell a bunch, hopefully I'll have the time to put them up on the marketplace here sometime soon.

[mbukal]

I'm just an amateur and I use a long millimeter on K1 FA 80-320 / 4,5-5,6 (silver with no original black metal eyeshadow), I'm happy, sometimes when I have lights on it and af adapter smcF x1.7, combination agrees super:



K1 + FA 80-320 / 4,5-5,6
Focal length: 80mm, aperture: F6.3, exposure time: 1/125 ,iso: 100, metering mode: center-weighted average

Focal length: 128mm ,aperture: F6.3 ,exposure time:1/250 ,iso: 100 ,metering mode:center-weighted average


out of the arm without a tripod
Focal length:320mm, ,aperture: F5,6 ,exposure time:1/180 ,iso:800 ,metering mode:center-weighted average

---

Last edited by mbukal; 06-27-2018 at 02:10 PM.

[madbrain]

I'm just an amateur and I use a long millimeter on K1 FA 80-320 / 4,5-5,6 (silver with no original black metal eyeshadow), I'm happy, sometimes when I have lights on it and af adapter smcF x1.7, combination agrees super:

Thanks. I have a Sigma 70-300 which covers similar focal length range . It is a great lens. The problem is that it does not cover the wide end.
On my K-1 I keep wanting to go back and forth between the D FA 28-105 and 70-300 . I want something that covers more range on wide end than my Sigma.

[mbukal]

Thanks. I have a Sigma 70-300 which covers similar focal length range . It is a great lens. The problem is that it does not cover the wide end.
On my K-1 I keep wanting to go back and forth between the D FA 28-105 and 70-300 . I want something that covers more range on wide end than my Sigma.

OK, specify that you are willing to compromise, price / width / speed (and focus, and iris) / optical quality / and for that milimetražu looking for a lens, as simple as can be
if you are ready for the exibition (here in the forum described in detail) then I certainly recommend DA * 60-250 / 4 ED [IF] SDM,covers the FF full width and has a great length and is optically smile Sweet!



if I were in financial ability I would be delighted to have him at K1, in combination with Tokina 28-70 / 2.8 as an amateur I would not need anything more

Tamron (Promaster) AF 28-200mm / 3.8-5.6 LD IF
if that's what you want to put on K1 since you're only interested in the range





I will quote Adam: "Using cheap lenses with good sensors is worse than using good lenses on poor sensors."

[madbrain]

OK, specify that you are willing to compromise, price / width / speed (and focus, and iris) / optical quality / and for that milimetražu looking for a lens, as simple as can be
if you are ready for the exibition (here in the forum described in detail) then I certainly recommend DA * 60-250 / 4 ED [IF] SDM,covers the FF full width and has a great length and is optically smile Sweet!



if I were in financial ability I would be delighted to have him at K1, in combination with Tokina 28-70 / 2.8 as an amateur I would not need anything more

Tamron (Promaster) AF 28-200mm / 3.8-5.6 LD IF
if that's what you want to put on K1 since you're only interested in the range





I will quote Adam: "Using cheap lenses with good sensors is worse than using good lenses on poor sensors."

Superzoom is requirement, I'm not compromising on that. The 60-250 may be great but doesn't cover the wide end, so it's irrelevant to me.

28-70 does not help me as it does not cover tele end, and I already have a 28-105 and find 105mm not enough on the tele end.

I ordered a very cheap Sigma DL 28-300mm zoom from ebay yesterday. $75 shipped. Not sure how good or bad it is. This will probably not be the end of it though.

Got a job offer today from a major company with a nice sign up bonus and 20% higher pay, so there is less price pressure. But I still want the best IQ superzoom.

Looking at DXOmark, looks like it might be the Sigma 18-300 . Not tested in Pentax mount, but in Nikon mount :
Sigma 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM C Nikon

Of course, it's only APS-C, so would have to shoot crop. Or combine it with the 1.4x TC and see what happens.
Not available used anywhere that I can see, so would have to pay full $400 price.

Would still rather pay more for a true modern FF superzoom. Doesn't seem to be in tht cards so far. Hope Pentax is listening.

Tamron has APS-C 16-300 and 18-400, but not in Pentax mount. First one was reviewed by DXO and not any better than Sigma 18-300 . 18-400 was never reviewed. Likely neither one will ever come to Pentax. And neither are FF .

[TwoUptons]

I had the Pentax 28-200 lens when I got my K1. I was hoping it would be a good lens for my wife.

It wasn’t...

It produced good images at f8 and smaller apertures up to about 150mm. Outside of that was just a soft mess.

I replaced it with the old FA28-105, which is decent, if not nearly as good as the new one.

The combo of old 28-105 and a Tamron 70-300 are worlds better than the all-in-one.

-Eric

[madbrain]

The combo of old 28-105 and a Tamron 70-300 are worlds better than the all-in-one.

From an IQ perspective, I'm sure that's true. But from a convenient perspective, no. I can't be changing lens every 2 shots. And conditions can be bad for switching lenses in the field.

There are full-frame superzoom options for other mounts. Clearly there is some demand and there are some use cases for them. I think this is a need that should be filled for Pentax K mount as well.

[clackers]

There are full-frame superzoom options for other mounts. Clearly there is some demand and there are some use cases for them. I think this is a need that should be filled for Pentax K mount as well.

My guess is they're amongst the worst performed lenses in every mount's lineup, Madbrain. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Pentax to release one, I'm afraid.

The pros wear two bodies on a harness when they need to cover 24-200mm on FF, they just don't go for anything past a 2x or 3x zoom.

[madbrain]

My guess is they're amongst the worst performed lenses in every mount's lineup, Madbrain. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Pentax to release one, I'm afraid.

The pros wear two bodies on a harness when they need to cover 24-200mm on FF, they just don't go for anything past a 2x or 3x zoom.

I'm sure. And as you might have guessed, I'm not a pro. Sometimes I want the best picture and am able to change lens to get it, but other times I need convenience and can't change lens. It really depends on the setting. Carrying two bodies is too inconvenient to me, not to mention expensive if talking about two FF bodies. Somehow, those FF superzooms on other mounts still sell. It may not be pros buying them. But not all FF users have to be pros. The K-1 / K-1 II are within the realm of some non-pros enthusiasts. I wonder what percentage of K-1 users are pros. Is there a poll on that ?

[madbrain]

I also ordered the Sigma 18-300 DC given that's the "least bad" option in superzooms. But not FF unfortunately. Will try it both in crop mode and with the Tamron 1.4x teleconverter.

Lightroom tells me I have taken over 15,000 pictures with the DA 18-250 and Tamron 18-250 in the past with my K200D and K-30 . Clearly I enjoyed the convenience as that's more than 1/3 my entire collection.

One of the best and last pictures that I have of my dad was shot on my K200D with DA 18-250 in 2009, a year before he passed away, 60 days into a stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

It was shot in JPEG at f/8, 1/200, ISO 100 . 65mm.