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09-08-2009, 05:09 PM   #1
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Looking for a good Telephoto lens ideas?

Hey everyone, this is my first post here so forgive me if I do anything wrong!
I was just lurking around Ebay and came across a few lenses that caught my attention. Alrighty, so I have a Pentax K20D (which I love) and I can't decide Between the Pentax DA 50-200mm or the Tamron 70-300mm. I heard the Tamron is useless over 200mm, is that true?
The Tamron is Priced at Au$211 and the Pentax Au$209. Also, I saw this Tamron 100-300mm Lens, which suit both Film and digital, so is it better going for a fully digital dedicated Lens or are older Lenses better IQ wise? Any ideas? Ah, I wouldn't mind a Sigma within that same range (55-200mm)!

Thank you in advance!

09-08-2009, 06:01 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by Andrezao Quote
I was just lurking around Ebay and came across a few lenses that caught my attention. Alrighty, so I have a Pentax K20D (which I love) and I can't decide Between the Pentax DA 50-200mm or the Tamron 70-300mm. I heard the Tamron is useless over 200mm, is that true?
Certainly not, although it's not as sharp at 300mm as it is a bit below that.

I'd suggest browsing this forum for previous discussions of this topic;' it comes up pretty often. Also the Sigma 70-300, and the Pentax 55-300 are generally included in any such discussions.

For my money, the 50-200 is tough to beat if 200mm is long enough. IQ is at least as good at the 70-300's if not as good as the 55-300, but it's much smaller and lighter than the others, focuses faster, has quick shift unlike the 70-300's, and is cheaper than the 55-300. If I felt it absolutely necessary to have the extra length, I'd get the 55-300 over either of the 70-300's for the better quality as well as quick shift. but for my purposes, either 200mm is enough, or 300mm isn't, so the extra length just doesn't really matter to me.

QuoteQuote:
I saw this Tamron 100-300mm Lens, which suit both Film and digital, so is it better going for a fully digital dedicated Lens or are older Lenses better IQ wise?
Whether it was originally designed for film or digital is not relevant to IQ - there are great and not-so-great designed-for-film lenses, and the same for digital.
09-08-2009, 07:03 PM   #3
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Thanks!

Thanks Marc, Yeah I think 200 should probably be enough, I just thought it would be interesting since the price difference between the 50-200 and the 70-300 is merely $2. Another thing I might add, is I have pretty good Lenses on my Pentax K1000 and MZ-10, do the lenses of these models work on the K20D through an adapter?
Also, the reason why I want a Zoom lens is just to reach to further away objects, like birds etc, so you think I would be fine with the 200mm and that it would be a better choice overall over the 300mm Tamron or Sigma?
09-08-2009, 07:13 PM   #4
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which lenses?

09-08-2009, 07:25 PM   #5
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@yeatze you mean which Film Lenses I got? Well, for the K1000 I have a Pentax-m SMC 50mm and a Sigma 80-200mm, the MZ-10 I have a Sigma 28-80 Macro. is that for the M42 Adapter?
09-08-2009, 07:44 PM   #6
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If your lenses have a bayonet mount they are ready to go, if the mount is threaded with M42 then you need an adapter. For the M series lenses, those being without the electrical contact points you will need to get into the camera menus, Custom setting, item 36 on that menu being Using Aperture ring and set to Permitted.
09-08-2009, 11:05 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Andrezao Quote
Also, the reason why I want a Zoom lens is just to reach to further away objects, like birds etc, so you think I would be fine with the 200mm and that it would be a better choice overall over the 300mm Tamron or Sigma?
Birding with a 200mm will be very dissappointing unless its pigeons in the park. Even an average 300mm will be difficult with small birds unless you are sitting around a feeding dish.

09-08-2009, 11:31 PM   #8
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I do have the Tamron lens and its not at all bad.

Like many zoom lens owners I tend to use it at its extremes ie 300mm and although it can struggle with fast moving aircraft (focus wise) its overall performance at 300mm isn't disappointing.

A few examples...


A Spitfire


A Train


A Swan

All taken with the 70-300mm at 300mm.

I have seen the extremely small and light DA50-200 and I am sure that it is a great lens and it really is surprisingly small compared to the comparatively bulky size of the Tamron.

I would still jump for a 50-200 for the times that I don't want to much to lug around but, that said, I am happy with my Tamron.

Cheerz MZ
09-08-2009, 11:38 PM   #9
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Woah, ManixZero, those look pretty good, like I said, I've heard not so good things about the Tamron 70-300 in comparison to the DA50-200mm but now I might consider getting it since I've now found it for cheaper. Now one more question, there's a Sigma AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 APO DG Macro selling for Au$140 would anyone advise me to go for this rather than the DA or Tamron? It is 50-60 bucks cheaper...

Thanks for the help everyone!
09-09-2009, 01:13 AM   #10
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I'll suggest to go DA50-200mm as it have more stable quality and size.
And buy fast 300mm prime manual focus lens for hunting. Prime lens have other advantage - you could use much cheaper 2X teleconverter lately of 300mm will be not enough and quility will be ok.
Sigma APO and Tamron are not bad, but you must check both before buying.
Cheap Sigma 100-300mm is very slow at long end (F6.7) but is quite sharp for the price. And also much smaller then both Sigma 70-300 and Tamron (it is largest from all this lenses).
09-09-2009, 02:57 AM   #11
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300 Prime? Is that the Film camera Lens? Then I guess for now, I'll prob go with the Pentax DA 50-200mm, then possibly Later on get another longer range camera. I have until friday or Saturday to decide, if anyone else has something to add, please do!
09-09-2009, 03:05 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Andrezao Quote
Hey everyone, this is my first post here so forgive me if I do anything wrong!
I was just lurking around Ebay and came across a few lenses that caught my attention. Alrighty, so I have a Pentax K20D (which I love) and I can't decide Between the Pentax DA 50-200mm or the Tamron 70-300mm. I heard the Tamron is useless over 200mm, is that true?
The Tamron is Priced at Au$211 and the Pentax Au$209. Also, I saw this Tamron 100-300mm Lens, which suit both Film and digital, so is it better going for a fully digital dedicated Lens or are older Lenses better IQ wise? Any ideas? Ah, I wouldn't mind a Sigma within that same range (55-200mm)!

Thank you in advance!
If cost is not very important, get the best lens you can, like the Pentax 55-300.

If cost is important, soft focus can be corrected using deconvolution software like FocusMagic. Deconvolution is a mathematical approach to correct focus errors; small errors can actually be corrected, not simply masked.

Using such software is easy, if a need for critically focused images with wide-open long lenses arises occasionally (of course not as easy as not using it at all).

Here's an example; Hand-held, Soligor 200mm @ 1:2.8, plus 1.5x Kenko TC, original on left, Focus Magic correction only (no "usm sharpening") on right.


Dave in Iowa
09-09-2009, 09:26 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Andrezao Quote
Woah, ManixZero, those look pretty good, like I said, I've heard not so good things about the Tamron 70-300 in comparison to the DA50-200mm but now I might consider getting it since I've now found it for cheaper.
Judging on IQ alone, I'd say there is basically no difference worth worrying about, except for the purple fringing that can plague the Tamron shooting in high contrast situations, especially at or close to wide open. But overall IQ is quite simialr. I'd be making the decision based on other factors, like focal length range, size, weight, price, focus speed, presence of quick shift, etc.

QuoteQuote:
Now one more question, there's a Sigma AF 70-300mm f4-5.6 APO DG Macro selling for Au$140 would anyone advise me to go for this rather than the DA or Tamron? It is 50-60 bucks cheaper...
Generally considered not as sharp as the Tamron, but also less prone to the purple fringing.
09-09-2009, 09:29 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Andrezao Quote
300 Prime? Is that the Film camera Lens?
There are 300mm primes designed for film (eg, the K300/4, the M*300/4) and also 300mm primes designed for digital (DA*300/4). The latter is *way* out of your price range. The K300/4 can sometimes be had for around the cost of, say, the DA55-300 that is being recommended by most as the best zoom lens in this class, but that's still basically twice the cost of the cheaper 70-300's you are looking at. So as always, you have to decide how much quality is worth to you. Either of the 70-300's will take acceptable pictures, but spending more will allow to take better pictures - simple as that.
09-09-2009, 09:29 PM   #15
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Yeah makes sense, I don't intend to spend much as of now, but maybe I'll save up to buy the 55-300mm as you said. Specially now I found some gems here at home XD there was a 50mm Pentax K mount here at home with a nice 2fstop. Thanks for all the suggestion guys, much appreciated! Any other lenses I should consider in the low price range?
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