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03-01-2023, 04:23 PM   #16
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For birding, if you can get yourself a second hand copy of the DA*560, that'd be the one to go for.

More versatile (you can use it for sports) and cheaper is the DA 150-450.

03-01-2023, 04:58 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by mlag Quote

[*]sigma 500mm f4.5 sharpest, but tad longer and hence feels heavier handheld. Slower screwdrive focus. F4,5 is a huge benefit.[*]pentax 150-450mm (f4-)f5.6 very sharp for a zoom, just a tad less than the first (a prime!), close to equal. Works well handheld. Superfast, accurate focussing.[*]sigma 50-500mm (f4-)f6.3. Less sharp but still OK. Shortest of the three, makes a bit easier handheld. Slower screwdrive autofocus. F6.3 means less light...[/LIST]
For handheld birding, moving subjects, I would prefer the pentax, it handles well, sharp and the fast focus system is a blessing. On aps-c even the tc1,4x teams well with it. But it is the most expensive , new 3.. 4x more than the others which I catched for 500..600€.

If you want to start cheaper, the sigma 50-500 only secondhand available, is probably easier to get than the 500mm, also only secondhand. Nice lens, convenient, value for the money. With a stop less light hence slower shutter speed, less margin to crop because bit less sharper, screwdrive focus, it might be a bit more difficult for birds moving around. It performs well or easier on more static or slower objects...some compromises but excellent starter in long tele !
The 500mm I would say only the screw drive focus is more difficult for fast birds, and you might need to rest your arms a bit more as it feels heavier. Here f4,5 is a blessing, compared to f6,3 . Otherwise excellent , well you can’t zoom if to close...but usually one is to far away.

There exist other sigma tele zoom lenses but not sure about fulframe (check before buying) successors to the 50-500, as other cheap secondhand options ... never tested one of them but in same league I guess.
if you see one on secondhand shops like keh, adorama, mpb, kamerastore, ..., go quick, they sell quickly... it took me 3 years to acquire both sigma’s...initially I missed a few because I hesitated.

Note that these lenses are 3kg and bulky, not so easy in carry around on a neckstrap! And if you focus to 500mm they extend considerably.
Carry around is the 1,7x AFA with A* 300mm f4 or M* 300mm f4. Yields a 510mm f7. Half (even less) the bulk and weight, semi manual operated, hence less for moving objects....but feasible on a neckstrap! And fullframe....bit film rendering, maybe less sharp but also not unsharp, hard to explain, film era, nice images.
I sold my Sigma 500 4.5 last month. Too heavy and unbalanced, locked into 500mm, and TBH I saw very little difference in the images between it and the Pentax 150-450. The Pentax zoom is way more useful IMO.

Nearly every time out there are times I need to back off from 450, and I've run into more than a few photogs who comment they are too close to a subject for their big 500+ primes and can't take the shot. I can. I have absolutely no concern or complaint about the 150-450, and on a crop body it's even better, pairing great with the Pentax HD1.4TC.
03-02-2023, 06:52 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by phoenix50 Quote
I would like some suggestions on a top-quality telephoto lens to use with the K1 II.
These Lenses are excellent choices regarding top image quality:
  • F★ 300mm F4.5
  • FA★ 300mm F2.8
  • FA★ 300mm F4.5
  • FA★ 400mm F5.6
  • HD D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6
  • HD DA 560mm F5.6
<= 560mm <= F5.6 >= 620g Full Frame Lenses with Autofocus | PentaxForums.com


QuoteOriginally posted by termy Quote
there's only the DFA 150-450 for that. Nothing else (for a zoom).
The HD DA 560mm f5.6 is still available new.
DA 560mm F5.6 - is it a Full-frame lens? - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com
PENTAX HD PENTAX-DA 560mm F5.6ED AW Lens Japan New Tokyo Kyoto Fedex Free Ship 4549212218408 | eBay

Last edited by angerdan; 03-02-2023 at 06:58 AM.
03-02-2023, 07:49 AM   #19
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Welcome to the forum... but I have to an ask, when are those guys over at Ricoh going to start paying us? Hopefully they give Adam a good deal on the contest prizes if they are going to include us in their support structure.

QuoteOriginally posted by K-Three Quote
Get a Pentax 1.7X AF adaptor to go on the 400, The combo might be too dark to work under the canopy in a swamp though,
You can never have too much lens chasing birds,
I had absolutely no luck getting accurate focus with my A400 ƒ5.6 and the F 1.7x AF adapter. Usefulness is not a given.

For my travel pack, I take the DA 55-300 PLM even for use on FF. Some of the pictures have vignetting, but I can always get 30 MP crop from an image, still better than APS-c, and some times the whole frame is covered. With the 1.4 TC it' slow but accurate, just not a low light solution starting at full reach, ƒ8 if you dial it back a bit.


Last edited by normhead; 03-02-2023 at 07:55 AM.
03-02-2023, 08:24 AM - 8 Likes   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by normhead Quote
I had absolutely no luck getting accurate focus with my A400 ƒ5.6 and the F 1.7x AF adapter. Usefulness is not a given.
Ditto. And I've owned 3 copies of the AFA 1.7x.

OTOH, the AFA 1.7x + 300/2.8 is pretty nice...



03-02-2023, 08:36 AM - 2 Likes   #21
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For TCs, ƒ2.8 is a wonderful thing...
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