[borno]

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There are several guys at PF that use the big FA* lenses on dSLR including Ron. Marc also has a lineup of FA* lenses.

I'm just reiterating what pentax us told me when they wouldn't admit anything was out of whack with the FA300 f2,8 I sent in twice to no avail. I sold my motorcycle in part to get that lens so I'm not real happy with pentax. I would rather have that lens but had to cut my losses.

[borno]

I have been making do with an A 400mm f5.6. I do have a 500mm f4.5 tak.

This is from the A 400mm but relatively close with good light.

That's a nice shot Blue, I had the k 500mm f4.5 also and I think it was sharper than the 300mm 2.8 and that just wasn't right. I sold the 500mm because my eyes aren't too good for MF with these little viewfinders anymore and it was pretty unweildy. anyway here is one with the 500mm. (I think he saw himself in that big front glass)

[ixian]

We have FA* 600/4, DA* 300/4, Sigma 500/4.5, Sigma 300/2.8 - all of them quite real

I don't think Pentax will release anything like DA* 500 or 600 F/4 anytime soon - and even if that happens, it will be special order item, like current FA* 600/4. There is not enough market for Pentax lens like that.

As for the roadmapped "DA Super Telephoto" - lable on the roadmap says DA, no Star there... So I would rather expect something like DA 100-400. And that lens would make sense, as Pentax would be able to actually sell some of them.

[wll]

I had a BigMa but did not use it. I used my 50-135 DA f2.8 and it was not enough even though I was within feet of the animals.

I just bought (this morning from B&H) a 60-150mm DA F4, and when I get it I'll be going back.

The BigMa is just to big for this application and a tripod is not an option as it looks like a stick to some of the animals that have been abused.

So, when I get the 60-150 I'm off for more photos.

There are a couple of my tiger shots in the photo section under; "Some Hot Blooded and Cold Blooded Bad Boys".


wll

[Aditya Panda]

If I know correctly, the FA* 300mm f/2.8 and FA* 600mm f/4 are no longer available even on order.

Pentaxians can't pay for 600mmF4s? What happened? They used to until recently!

The world is filled with tons of wildlife/bird photographers who buy Canikon 600mm f/4s, 400mmf/2.8s and even 800mmF/5.6s, let alone the much cheaper 500mmF/4s... that's because Canikon still make them! They stay away from Pentax because Pentax keeps these photographers away by simply not offering them any choice!

Also, when I started this thread, I had a hypothetical DA* 500mm F4 SDM in mind. Such a lens would perhaps cost a little more than the Sigma 500mm F4.5... only about four times the price of a Pentax K-7 or a DA* 300... why do people here think that Pentaxians wouldn't be able to buy them?? Wouldn't we have more Pentaxians willing to pay if we offer more choice? By the same argument, we should never have a fully pro Pentax body (full frame or otherwise) competing with the Nikon D3 or Canon 1D series because then they would be too expensive for us poor Pentaxians!!

Cheers,
Aditya

[Aditya Panda]

Btw, someone here said that the Sigma 800mm f/5.6 is available for Pentax. That is not correct. Only the 300mm f/2.8 and 500mm f/4.5 are available and that too without HSM. I just pray that Sigma doesn't discontinue even these. Until recently, even budget 500mm zooms like the famous Sigma 150-500mm were unavailable in Pentax mount. Neither Tamron nor Sigma makes a full line of Pentax-compatible teleconverters and the famous Tamron 200-500mm zoom isn't available with the K-mount.

The point is, if the brand itself is most uninterested in a particular genre of photography- wildlife, action and sport in this case- third party lens makers too will lose interest. And honestly, who wants third party lenses? None of us would buy them without financial compulsions or availability issues. I seriously believe that with its history for tough, capable, ultra high quality and yet affordable equipment, if Pentax makes a comeback in the wildlife-sports scenario, its going to be hard to beat by the others.

Dear Pentax, a DA 100-400mm, as suggested by someone here, is most welcome. Just also let us have a DA* 500mmF4 SDM, at least on order. We love our weathersealed bodies with their tank like build, we love Pentax colours, we love DA* glass and we love inbuilt SR... just give us enough reach

Regards,
Aditya

[Blue]

Btw, someone here said that the Sigma 800mm f/5.6 is available for Pentax. That is not correct. Only the 300mm f/2.8 and 500mm f/4.5 are available and that too without HSM. I just pray that Sigma doesn't discontinue even these. Until recently, even budget 500mm zooms like the famous Sigma 150-500mm were unavailable in Pentax mount. Neither Tamron nor Sigma makes a full line of Pentax-compatible teleconverters and the famous Tamron 200-500mm zoom isn't available with the K-mount.

The point is, if the brand itself is most uninterested in a particular genre of photography- wildlife, action and sport in this case- third party lens makers too will lose interest. And honestly, who wants third party lenses? None of us would buy them without financial compulsions or availability issues. I seriously believe that with its history for tough, capable, ultra high quality and yet affordable equipment, if Pentax makes a comeback in the wildlife-sports scenario, its going to be hard to beat by the others.

Dear Pentax, a DA 100-400mm, as suggested by someone here, is most welcome. Just also let us have a DA* 500mmF4 SDM, at least on order. We love our weathersealed bodies with their tank like build, we love Pentax colours, we love DA* glass and we love inbuilt SR... just give us enough reach

Regards,
Aditya

If you notice, I had a question mark next to it as well as said it is out of production. However, the made it and a few are still available for the low low price of $8K shipped to to your door.

SIGMA 800mm f/5.6 EX DG APO for Pentax/Samsung 152109 - eBay (item 160182017775 end time Oct-08-09 13:06:31 PDT)

How much to you figure a DA* 500mm F4 SDM would cost in the current market? Probably more than the current FA* 600mm f4.

[Aditya Panda]

A DA* 500mm f/4 would most probably be priced somewhere around the $4-5000 mark. Remember that Pentax can afford to make it cheaper than Canikon simply because unlike Canikon this lens wont require an in built stabilising mechanism. Also, its going to be physically smaller since it'll be a DA* with an APS-C sized image circle.

And from the best I know, the FA* 600mmF4 isn't 'current' anymore. They've stopped making it even to order.

Cheers,
Aditya

[Blue]

The DA* 200mm and 300mm work on full frame film so I don't see why anything bigger would not.

[imtheguy]

Remember that Pentax can afford to make it cheaper than Canikon simply because unlike Canikon this lens wont require an in built stabilising mechanism.

I used to believe that when I bought into the Pentax system only 6 months ago. Then the lens prices shot up so that Canikon is now looking pretty good again. Whatever advantage MAY have existed they decided to give it back it seems.

[Shashinki]

The Sigma 500mm is actually quite good you guys. I don't see Pentax coughing up something like that unless it costs twice the amount (like the FA 600mm).

[snostorm]

Only the 300mm f/2.8 and 500mm f/4.5 are available and that too without HSM. I just pray that Sigma doesn't discontinue even these. Until recently, even budget 500mm zooms like the famous Sigma 150-500mm were unavailable in Pentax mount. Neither Tamron nor Sigma makes a full line of Pentax-compatible teleconverters and the famous Tamron 200-500mm zoom isn't available with the K-mount.

The point is, if the brand itself is most uninterested in a particular genre of photography- wildlife, action and sport in this case- third party lens makers too will lose interest. And honestly, who wants third party lenses? None of us would buy them without financial compulsions or availability issues. I seriously believe that with its history for tough, capable, ultra high quality and yet affordable equipment, if Pentax makes a comeback in the wildlife-sports scenario, its going to be hard to beat by the others.

Hi Aditya,

I think that you unwittingly make the point against your argument. If the 3rd party lens mfgs are unwilling to step in and fill the void in Pentax's long lens lineup when all they'd have to do is put a relatively small investment in time, effort, and development money into adapting a K-mount to already proven optical and mechanical lens designs, then there seems to be a consensus across the board that there isn't a market for the high ticket more specialized models.

Take a quick look at any Pentax forum on the web. For Pentax shooters, at least for those who participate in such fora, landscape, portrait, macro, architectural, and street photography posts outnumber wildlife, birds, and action/sports by 50:1 if not a lot more. A recent poll done on this forum showed, IIRC, bird shots as the most disliked genre by a wide margin. The great majority of the small minority of DSLR shooters who shoot Pentax will never own anything over 200mm in a premium lens, and a great majority of those will probably never consider anything over 100mm (or maybe even 50mm) as their primary lens. As a long-time Pentax DSLR bird shooter, I've accepted this a long time ago. I'm actually surprised at the number of DA*300/4s that have apparently been sold.

. . . but a $1K easily hand-holdable 300mm lens is a much different beast than anything even a little longer at the same speed. Add 100mm @f4, and you'd have a 112mm front element, and the weight goes from just over 2 lbs to probably well over 7lbs (my FA*300/2.8, with its 112mm front element, weighs in at 6 lbs, 10 oz ready to shoot, but without the lens plate for my Sidekick -- much more than either my Tamron SP300/2.8 or my Sigma EX 300/2.8 APO).

The last MSRP for the FA*300/2.8 was $6067 USD, with a "street" price of $4700 USD. There have been significant price increases in the meantime, so I'd think a realistic street price expectation for the rumored vaporware DA*400/4 would be $5500-6000 USD. -- and the usual (shall I say "frugal") Pentaxian response would probably be "but the Sigma EX 500/4.5 is only 1/3 stop slower and 100mm longer, weighs the same, and is going for $4200. . ." -- and then he/she would buy a Bigma. . .

I find Pentax bodies perform well for me, and I really like the more film-like IQ which these bodies produce as opposed to other brands, but I don't have to make a living at this, nor do I have to produce results on demand. If I did, I probably would have gone with a C or N Pro level body (1D. . . or D3. . .) a long time ago. It would have been for a lot of relatively subtle reasons -- not only the oft stated brute AF speed or Frame Rate, but the more discrete AF sensor areas and more sophisticated AF C algorithms, plus the Pro Services support and availability of rentals for the really specialized stuff.

I've looked at your PPG gallery, and it's impressive. I fully understand your desire for some fast super tele options from Pentax. I just don't think you're being realistic in actually expecting them to materialize. Only a small minority of Pentax shooters would be interested at all in these, and of this group, only a very small minority would actually buy them if they were introduced.

IMO, the fabled "super tele" that is projected, is probably going to be a revamped FA*400/5.6 with WR, and SDM, @ $1400-1800 street or we might get a surprise and see a 400/5 or 400/4.5. . .

A DA* 500mm f/4 would most probably be priced somewhere around the $4-5000 mark. Remember that Pentax can afford to make it cheaper than Canikon simply because unlike Canikon this lens wont require an in built stabilising mechanism. Also, its going to be physically smaller since it'll be a DA* with an APS-C sized image circle.

If APS-C designed lenses can be made smaller, then why would the DA*300/4 be larger and heavier than the FF designed A*300/4? . . . or even better, why is the Oly 300/2.8 -- designed for the smaller than APS-C 4/3 mount even bigger and heavier (7.1 lbs) than the FF designed FA*300/2.8.

The economies of scale, with much larger sales projected for either Canon or Nikon would argue against a Pentax offering being less expensive to produce. If nothing else, the last MSRP that I quoted for the FA*300/2.8 would indicate that a DA*500/4 under $7500 would be an unrealistic expectation.

just my 2¢

Scott

[Big G]

I have been using a FA*600mm f/4 ED borrowed from my uncle...I"ll post the results from my K-7 sometime.

I am VERY interested to see how that pans out, the K-7 mated to that lens would be a superb combo - very much looking forward to your test shots!!

[Jonson PL]

If I know correctly, the FA* 300mm f/2.8 and FA* 600mm f/4 are no longer available even on order.

The FA* 600/4 ED [IF] can still be ordering from Japan, so jump in.


Here was another discussion about long lens Pentax glass. Some were hoping for a reissue along the lines of the 67 M*400/4 ED IF, as that was a particularly impressive performer :
DA*400mm/4 Rumored in Outdoor Photographer magazine... [Page 1]: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

What I've seen from the Sigma 500/4 has really been inspiring.

I use a canon 400mmf/2.8 L IS - a heavy lens to be certain but if Pentax made a lens like this it would be more useful than you think. With a 2X teleconverter it becomes a 800mm f/5.6 that has absolutely superb image quality and IS. I have been using a FA*600mm f/4 ED borrowed from my uncle...I"ll post the results from my K-7 sometime.

Looking forward to your K7 & FA* 600 shots

[Digitalis]

Looking forward to your K7 & FA* 600 shots

it will take me a while to get this done, I'm going to be in hospital in a few days for major eye surgery. But my impressions so far are that the K-7's autofocus is significantly improved over the K10D the FA*600mm f/4 ED is an internal focus design, which is why this lens such snappy AF. The K-7 looks a bit stupid when it's mounted to this monster because the camera is so small...The ME super looks even more ridiculous. Image quality is VERY good;High resolution even wide open, minimal CA & neglible PF. The FA*600mm f/4 ED IF I have used it with a teleconverter giving a 1800mm f/8 lens on a reduced frame DSLR, unsurprisingly K10D couldn't AF reliably but I'll look forward to testing the K-7 with this combo.