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03-03-2021, 08:54 PM - 1 Like   #61
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QuoteOriginally posted by Des Quote
This is hypothetical for me (no hummingbirds in Australia), but many of the guides about this seem to recommend using flash. Here's an example:
Huh...I didn't realize there were no hummingbirds in Australia. I'll admit I've visited your wonderful country several times and never seen one, but I just assumed I wasn't looking in the right place (and there were plenty of other things to see!).

The article definitely shows awesome hummingbird photos, but his set up is definitely not something I can travel with on a regular basis! That said, there was other useful info about shutter speed necessary to freeze a hummingbird that I didn't know.

03-04-2021, 05:02 AM - 1 Like   #62
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A word of caution on the link about hummingbirds

The fastest recorded beats per second is something like 80 the slowest is about 16 per second (this is species dependant) with an average in the range of 50 per second.

For flash durations, you need to check, but I have had flashes that on the lowest power setting have durations of only 20 microseconds (1/50,000) this was actually a very old sunpak autozoom 3000 that I bought in the early 1980’s. I know the duration because I actually measured it in the late 1980’s while investigating high intensity light impacts on sensitive electronics. The full power interval might be closer to the truth at 1/1000 for some high intensity flashes. Lower power flashes might actually be better for use than high power units in this respect. I seem to recall some discussions with the K10 I think, that with the AF540FGZ that the full power flash duration was longer than the full open time between curtains, at maximum sync speed, leading to a darker band across the top (I think it was) of the image
03-11-2021, 08:39 PM - 4 Likes   #63
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Just wanted to provide an update. Thanks to everyone for their input. I ended up getting the 18-135, the 1.4x TC, and the 300 f4 all for just a tiny bit over my original $1K budget - all used, from the forum marketplace. They have all finally arrived. I love the size and versatility of the 18-135. I am very happy I didn't go with the 150-450 - there is literally no way I could carry it around and use it without a tripod for any significant length of time. The 300 + TC is already a lot heavier than my current setup, but I think it will be manageable with a new cross-body strap. Unfortunately it's been dark by the time I get home so I won't be able to test them properly until the weekend.

Preliminary indoor tests demonstrate the 18-135 appears to have no obvious front or back focusing issues, solid AF that is fast and so quiet, and is sharper than my 18-55 DA L and 55-300 DA L at all lengths, although the difference is less between the 18-135 and 55-300 at 135 than between the 18-55 and 18-135 at 55. The 300* is not well suited for indoor shooting (my house really isn't that big!), but has quick, silent, and accurate AF and is clearly sharper than my 55-300 at 300. With the TC attached, the AF focus often does a lot of hunting, but is accurate once it finds it and I can't see any loss of sharpness. Fortunately, the manual focus ring is very easy to use without having to press any buttons and very accurate in the lower light conditions where the AF was struggling.

So far, so good!
03-12-2021, 05:06 AM - 1 Like   #64
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score one for the forums' marketplace

hope the equipment works well for you

03-12-2021, 05:59 AM - 1 Like   #65
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In daylight the focus won't hunt as much, if at all. Just pointing the 150-450 or 55-300 PLM out the front window with the TC attached I could focus on anything in the neighborhood instantly. Even in gloomy, overcast March light.
03-13-2021, 11:33 PM - 2 Likes   #66
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Tested both lenses out today wandering around my front yard, albeit in rather flat/overcast light. Not much exciting to test the DA 18-135 - just a shot of my cactus that is about the flower, but I was happy with how it functions and handles. Some little finches flew in to help me test the DA*300 + TC and I was very pleased with this result (significant crop). I think it hunted more when the little birds were obscured by branches, so I had to experiment with various setting, but I think this pair of lenses will be a good travel kit for me. Both of these are straight out of the camera JPEGs.

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]
03-22-2021, 04:21 PM - 1 Like   #67
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Helpful thread as currently going through similar deliberations

03-23-2021, 03:08 PM - 1 Like   #68
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QuoteOriginally posted by GreenRich Quote
Helpful thread as currently going through similar deliberations
You could start with budget, focal length, aperture, AF, zoom/prime, sharpness, weight/size and features like WR,QS
>= 50mm <= F4.5 Lenses between 440g and 2010g with Autofocus | PentaxForums.com

Here's a UK copy of the Sigma 100-300m f4:
Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG EX
04-03-2021, 07:13 PM - 5 Likes   #69
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Just returned from Costa Rica and couldn't be happier with my lens choices. It (unusually) rained almost non-stop so I was very happy to have the WR on both lenses (neither of my previous lenses were WR which would have been really limiting on this trip). I truly am primarily a wildlife (including birds) photographer, so the 300+TC mostly lived on the camera, but the 18-135 did fine when a landscape photo was needed (such as a few waterfalls I visited) along with a quick zoom if something interesting showed up! The 300+TC was beautiful. It still focus hunts more than I'd like in lower light (more than my DA-L 55-300), but I dealt with it and it was worth it for the IQ, reach, and speed. I very rarely missed the zoom while it was on the camera. Watching several other photographers with physically larger lenses, I was happy that I could still reliably handhold mine as a tripod was just not practical in many situations. I will also give a shout out for the Peak Design Slide Camera Strap I also purchased - it made the setup comfortable for significant hiking, which a conventional neck strap just couldn't have done.
05-27-2021, 08:04 AM   #70
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Care to share some of the results with us?
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