Time to convince 3rd party Lens manufacturers to support Pentax

normhead · 10-11-2021, 02:49 PM - **3 Likes**

Originally posted by Michael Piziak

Those are very nice photos! What type of animal is that?
The photos are sharp too!

Regards,

Michael

The animal is a Pine Marten. They are a cat sized weasel. Thanks for commenting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_marten

---------- Post added 10-11-21 at 06:03 PM ----------

Originally posted by jerryn

I was just wondering why Tamron and other budget lense manufacturers no longer support Pentax. Maybe with the failure of Minolta and Sony cameras they will circle back and support Pentax

It's all about market share. And Pentax as a brand like all of Ricoh has been instructed to pursue premium product not market share. As much as some would like that, (and I own 5 Tamron, Sigma and Rokinon lenses) it's very unlikely.

There are replacements of course. The Pentax 11-18 for the my Sigma 8-16. The Pentax 300 ƒ4, for my Tamron 2.8. The DA 55-300 PLM for my Sigma 70-300. The 16-50 for my Tamron 17-50. I actually prefer my DFA 100 macro to my Sigma 70 macro (lighter, WR and much easier to handle.) The only one left out is the 150-600. But I get it, those lenses are expensive. However, Pentax has gone the premium route. The people like myself these days, who can't afford the premium Pentax glass are no longer the Pentax target market. Sad for those of us always looking to do more with less. Pentax used to be our brand.

The last lens I bought was the DA 55-300 PLM. Who knows if there will ever be another high quality low cost offering. Was personally hoping the DA 150-450 would come down. Used with the 1.4 TC it would fill the gap. The cost is prohibitive however. Who knows if I'll ever get one?

Last edited by normhead; 10-11-2021 at 03:13 PM.

**UncleVanya** · 10-11-2021, 06:17 PM

Originally posted by Michael Piziak

Those are very nice photos! What type of animal is that?
The photos are sharp too!

Regards,

Michael

I think it is a marten.

jerryn · 10-12-2021, 06:18 AM

Here's a twilight shot of the moon I took last night with an Opteka 500mm lens, my Pentax K-x, a good solid tripod, and a shutter remote.

martin42mm · 10-12-2021, 06:39 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by jerryn

Here's a photo I shot with my K3-II with the bundled SMC Pentax-DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 lens.

I've shot photos of sailboats tacking across the bay with water in stop action splashing across the bow. I'm looking to do more of that, with a lens that has longer reach.

I've been experimenting with my Pentax K-x and manual high focal length lenses.

Here's a shot I took of the moon with my K-x and an Opteka 500mm mirrored lens. With the proper shutter speed and ISO settings this lens is actually pretty decent.
It's not the right lense for everything, but if you are going for a narrow depth of field, it works well.

I have an Orion ST-80 Refractor on the way. I'm going to use a Flattener to compensate for chromatic aberration. I'll be using it with my K-x and also as a wide field telescope.

I also found and just purchased a Tamron A17 AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens and a Kenko 2x teleconverter on Ebay. I'm going to give that a try. I'll post my results.
I tried to get the funky AF teleconverter that works with manual lenses. They are available but selling for far more than what they are worth.

Funny about the Opteka 500mm. I have one myself, and have found it so good I parted with my Tamron 500mm I've had since new back in the 1980's. It was also sharper than the Pentax mirror-zoom I had for a short while, but like every inexpensive lens, it all depends on the sample you have. I'm lucky-others might not be, but for the money, if you find one going cheap, try it. Mine was all of £20, including the bundled 2x converter which I DON'T use.

**UncleVanya** · 10-12-2021, 03:33 PM

Originally posted by martin42mm

Funny about the Opteka 500mm. I have one myself, and have found it so good I parted with my Tamron 500mm I've had since new back in the 1980's. It was also sharper than the Pentax mirror-zoom I had for a short while, but like every inexpensive lens, it all depends on the sample you have. I'm lucky-others might not be, but for the money, if you find one going cheap, try it. Mine was all of £20, including the bundled 2x converter which I DON'T use.

Isn’t that a simple telescope design? Long and slow doesn’t mean it won’t turn in a good image now and then.

martin42mm · 10-13-2021, 02:04 AM

No, I'm referring to the 500mm Opteka mirror, not the refractive one. Unless you mean the Opteka is similar design to my Celestron mirror telescope, which of course it is. However the conditions I have used the Opteka under have been mainly terrestial, and compared to the other mirrors I have owned over the years, this example is the sharpest and most colour-faithful I've encountered. As I said, I seriously doubt all copies of the lens will be as good-when you buy mainstream lens manufacturer's lenses, you pay a a premium towards the one's that don't make it through the quality-control proceedure. Much like the Russian lenses, many of which are very good, and as we all know, many of which are less than stellar!

**UncleVanya** · 10-13-2021, 04:31 AM

Originally posted by martin42mm

No, I'm referring to the 500mm Opteka mirror, not the refractive one. Unless you mean the Opteka is similar design to my Celestron mirror telescope, which of course it is. However the conditions I have used the Opteka under have been mainly terrestial, and compared to the other mirrors I have owned over the years, this example is the sharpest and most colour-faithful I've encountered. As I said, I seriously doubt all copies of the lens will be as good-when you buy mainstream lens manufacturer's lenses, you pay a a premium towards the one's that don't make it through the quality-control proceedure. Much like the Russian lenses, many of which are very good, and as we all know, many of which are less than stellar!

Ahhh! Gotcha.

jerryn · 10-14-2021, 11:49 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by martin42mm

No, I'm referring to the 500mm Opteka mirror, not the refractive one. Unless you mean the Opteka is similar design to my Celestron mirror telescope, which of course it is. However the conditions I have used the Opteka under have been mainly terrestial, and compared to the other mirrors I have owned over the years, this example is the sharpest and most colour-faithful I've encountered. As I said, I seriously doubt all copies of the lens will be as good-when you buy mainstream lens manufacturer's lenses, you pay a a premium towards the one's that don't make it through the quality-control proceedure. Much like the Russian lenses, many of which are very good, and as we all know, many of which are less than stellar!

yep.. the Opteka mirrored 500mm lens is a Cassegrain design. I have it. It was the first lenses I bought to test. I was lucky too. Also with the K-x and similar focus verification works. I have the AF point set to one dot in the center. If the exposure is set right, when you focus on your subject you will hear the focus verification beep/chime.

---------- Post added 10-14-21 at 12:16 PM ----------

I wanted to update this thread. I ended up finding and purchasing a Tamron AF 70-300mm F4-5.6 LD Macro 1:2 and a
Tamron Pz-AF 2x Teleplus MC7 Teleconverter. I'm pretty happy with it. I've got the reach I was shooting for

Here's a shot of a tough local squirrel that I actually witnessed fight off a redtail hawk.

jerryn · 10-20-2021, 06:01 AM - **1 Like**

Here's a photo of the Hunter Moon that I shot last night with my Pentax K-x, Tamron 70-300mm lens, and Kenko 2x teleconverter

normhead · 11-02-2021, 12:55 PM

Good to see you got something, I have the Tamron MC 7 TC for my Tamron 2.8 AF. It's better than people might think.

10-13-2021, 02:04 AM	#156
martin42mm Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 316	Opteka 500 No, I'm referring to the 500mm Opteka mirror, not the refractive one. Unless you mean the Opteka is similar design to my Celestron mirror telescope, which of course it is. However the conditions I have used the Opteka under have been mainly terrestial, and compared to the other mirrors I have owned over the years, this example is the sharpest and most colour-faithful I've encountered. As I said, I seriously doubt all copies of the lens will be as good-when you buy mainstream lens manufacturer's lenses, you pay a a premium towards the one's that don't make it through the quality-control proceedure. Much like the Russian lenses, many of which are very good, and as we all know, many of which are less than stellar!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
For Sale - Sold: Pentax K, M and 3rd party lens for sale. 28mm, 40mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm	Gareth.Ig	Sold Items	6	03-03-2020 09:02 PM
Suggestion Add third party manufacturers K-mount lenses to the lens database	MarkJerling	Site Suggestions and Help	3	10-09-2018 08:05 PM
Pentax TC too pricey, need 3rd party support	LeDave	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	14	08-26-2015 11:17 AM
DxO is adding support for 3rd Party Lenses	kenafein	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	12	06-02-2012 01:59 PM

10-11-2021, 02:49 PM - 3 Likes	#151
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,150	Originally posted by Michael Piziak Those are very nice photos! What type of animal is that? The photos are sharp too! Regards, Michael The animal is a Pine Marten. They are a cat sized weasel. Thanks for commenting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_marten ---------- Post added 10-11-21 at 06:03 PM ---------- Originally posted by jerryn I was just wondering why Tamron and other budget lense manufacturers no longer support Pentax. Maybe with the failure of Minolta and Sony cameras they will circle back and support Pentax It's all about market share. And Pentax as a brand like all of Ricoh has been instructed to pursue premium product not market share. As much as some would like that, (and I own 5 Tamron, Sigma and Rokinon lenses) it's very unlikely. There are replacements of course. The Pentax 11-18 for the my Sigma 8-16. The Pentax 300 ƒ4, for my Tamron 2.8. The DA 55-300 PLM for my Sigma 70-300. The 16-50 for my Tamron 17-50. I actually prefer my DFA 100 macro to my Sigma 70 macro (lighter, WR and much easier to handle.) The only one left out is the 150-600. But I get it, those lenses are expensive. However, Pentax has gone the premium route. The people like myself these days, who can't afford the premium Pentax glass are no longer the Pentax target market. Sad for those of us always looking to do more with less. Pentax used to be our brand. The last lens I bought was the DA 55-300 PLM. Who knows if there will ever be another high quality low cost offering. Was personally hoping the DA 150-450 would come down. Used with the 1.4 TC it would fill the gap. The cost is prohibitive however. Who knows if I'll ever get one? Last edited by normhead; 10-11-2021 at 03:13 PM.

10-11-2021, 06:17 PM	#152
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24,440	Originally posted by Michael Piziak Those are very nice photos! What type of animal is that? The photos are sharp too! Regards, Michael I think it is a marten.

10-12-2021, 06:18 AM	#153
jerryn New Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Photos: Albums Posts: 25 Original Poster	Here's a twilight shot of the moon I took last night with an Opteka 500mm lens, my Pentax K-x, a good solid tripod, and a shutter remote.

10-12-2021, 06:39 AM - 1 Like	#154
martin42mm Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 316	Originally posted by jerryn Here's a photo I shot with my K3-II with the bundled SMC Pentax-DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 lens. I've shot photos of sailboats tacking across the bay with water in stop action splashing across the bow. I'm looking to do more of that, with a lens that has longer reach. I've been experimenting with my Pentax K-x and manual high focal length lenses. Here's a shot I took of the moon with my K-x and an Opteka 500mm mirrored lens. With the proper shutter speed and ISO settings this lens is actually pretty decent. It's not the right lense for everything, but if you are going for a narrow depth of field, it works well. I have an Orion ST-80 Refractor on the way. I'm going to use a Flattener to compensate for chromatic aberration. I'll be using it with my K-x and also as a wide field telescope. I also found and just purchased a Tamron A17 AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD Macro Lens and a Kenko 2x teleconverter on Ebay. I'm going to give that a try. I'll post my results. I tried to get the funky AF teleconverter that works with manual lenses. They are available but selling for far more than what they are worth. Funny about the Opteka 500mm. I have one myself, and have found it so good I parted with my Tamron 500mm I've had since new back in the 1980's. It was also sharper than the Pentax mirror-zoom I had for a short while, but like every inexpensive lens, it all depends on the sample you have. I'm lucky-others might not be, but for the money, if you find one going cheap, try it. Mine was all of £20, including the bundled 2x converter which I DON'T use.

10-12-2021, 03:33 PM	#155
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24,440	Originally posted by martin42mm Funny about the Opteka 500mm. I have one myself, and have found it so good I parted with my Tamron 500mm I've had since new back in the 1980's. It was also sharper than the Pentax mirror-zoom I had for a short while, but like every inexpensive lens, it all depends on the sample you have. I'm lucky-others might not be, but for the money, if you find one going cheap, try it. Mine was all of £20, including the bundled 2x converter which I DON'T use. Isn’t that a simple telescope design? Long and slow doesn’t mean it won’t turn in a good image now and then.

10-13-2021, 04:31 AM	#157
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24,440	Originally posted by martin42mm No, I'm referring to the 500mm Opteka mirror, not the refractive one. Unless you mean the Opteka is similar design to my Celestron mirror telescope, which of course it is. However the conditions I have used the Opteka under have been mainly terrestial, and compared to the other mirrors I have owned over the years, this example is the sharpest and most colour-faithful I've encountered. As I said, I seriously doubt all copies of the lens will be as good-when you buy mainstream lens manufacturer's lenses, you pay a a premium towards the one's that don't make it through the quality-control proceedure. Much like the Russian lenses, many of which are very good, and as we all know, many of which are less than stellar! Ahhh! Gotcha.

10-14-2021, 11:49 AM - 1 Like	#158
jerryn New Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Photos: Albums Posts: 25 Original Poster	Originally posted by martin42mm No, I'm referring to the 500mm Opteka mirror, not the refractive one. Unless you mean the Opteka is similar design to my Celestron mirror telescope, which of course it is. However the conditions I have used the Opteka under have been mainly terrestial, and compared to the other mirrors I have owned over the years, this example is the sharpest and most colour-faithful I've encountered. As I said, I seriously doubt all copies of the lens will be as good-when you buy mainstream lens manufacturer's lenses, you pay a a premium towards the one's that don't make it through the quality-control proceedure. Much like the Russian lenses, many of which are very good, and as we all know, many of which are less than stellar! yep.. the Opteka mirrored 500mm lens is a Cassegrain design. I have it. It was the first lenses I bought to test. I was lucky too. Also with the K-x and similar focus verification works. I have the AF point set to one dot in the center. If the exposure is set right, when you focus on your subject you will hear the focus verification beep/chime. ---------- Post added 10-14-21 at 12:16 PM ---------- I wanted to update this thread. I ended up finding and purchasing a Tamron AF 70-300mm F4-5.6 LD Macro 1:2 and a Tamron Pz-AF 2x Teleplus MC7 Teleconverter. I'm pretty happy with it. I've got the reach I was shooting for Here's a shot of a tough local squirrel that I actually witnessed fight off a redtail hawk.

10-20-2021, 06:01 AM - 1 Like	#159
jerryn New Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Photos: Albums Posts: 25 Original Poster	Here's a photo of the Hunter Moon that I shot last night with my Pentax K-x, Tamron 70-300mm lens, and Kenko 2x teleconverter

11-02-2021, 12:55 PM	#160
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,150	Good to see you got something, I have the Tamron MC 7 TC for my Tamron 2.8 AF. It's better than people might think.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
	Search this Thread: Advanced Search