K-5 and 300mm+ lenses

planedriver · 02-12-2011, 02:12 AM

overcast this morning.. still can't resist testing..so far my impression is that this lens is in the same leauge in terms of IQ as my da55-300..of course haven't got the chance to test in bright sunshine on larger birds. AF is fast it resembles to the AF in my F zooms:

k-5 iso1250 f8 400mm 1/250

100%:

Andras

Last edited by planedriver; 02-12-2011 at 02:24 AM.

OJGoreng · 02-12-2011, 02:30 AM

Here's a few more. These have been resized to 800 x 600 pixels for web use, but on my screen they're being blown up to a larger size, which compromises the sharpness a bit compared to the original, full-sized images.

Same lens combo as above:

Stork:

Taken in extremely low light, ISO 12800, I think. AF still worked.:

Caspian Gull

Pooping Herring Gull

With manual focus 70s Novoflex f/8 600 mm, on shoulder stock:

planedriver · 02-12-2011, 08:49 AM

So here is a real life picture with my new bargain second-hand Sigma 400 f5.6 AF non-APO:

iso 2500 f10 1/2000 TAV mod

Andras

thomascdk · 02-12-2011, 10:37 AM

Sigma 150-500 @ 440 - 1/1250 -f/7.1 - ISO320

Slightly cropped and sharpened.

RonHendriks1966 · 02-12-2011, 03:33 PM

I owned an older Sigma 170-500mm lens (only used it on K-7). It was a nice lens and nicely sharp at f9-f13. So that with the longniness you would need a sunny day.

Used it for the swanns

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua5mkjlwdEw[/YT]

So if you buy the new version, it would be a nice toy.

Bramela · 02-12-2011, 05:56 PM

Yes, I have the K5 and DA*300. Wouldn't part with either item, despite some of the reading on this Forum.
Rating : Excellent +

1/20th, F13, iso400.

planedriver · 02-13-2011, 07:22 AM

today..grey overcast..but at least it proved me that in bright Sunshine this cheap Sigma 400 AF lens will be very useable:

iso 1600 f8:

and in the bright evening Sunshine from yesterday still iso1600:

Andras

thomascdk · 02-13-2011, 02:09 PM

Some more with the Sigma 150-500 5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM. tAV-mode works very well for me for these shots. It's nice not worrying about ISO.

I didn't get the right wing tip in the frame, so I cropped the left one as well...

traderdrew · 02-18-2011, 09:39 PM

I have a K-5 with a Sigma F/4.5 500mm. The lens is 6.9 lbs and I carry it around without a tripod. You can check out my flickr page. Most of my last shots including some of the butterflies were taken with this lens.

You can enlarge the photos you see on flickr by clicking the photo and selecting "Actions" and the click "view all sizes". This of course will give you an idea of what the combo can do.

Flickr: Andrew Dale Richardson's Photostream

OJGoreng · 10-30-2011, 03:57 AM

Just to revive the thread: here's a shot I took earlier this week with my k-5 and old Sigma 170-500 on a shoulder mount. Barely a crop (just took the edges off to make it 4:3), changed the levels a bit (image was a bit underexposed) and improved contrast and sharpness (unsharp mask with radius 0.3 and amount 50, applied once) a bit in GIMP. f/8 @ 500 mm, 1/800 s. ISO 1000. I just extracted the JPG from the RAW file without further processing in DCU4.

Embedded from a Photobucket upload, which may degrade the image quality a bit.

And while I'm at it, this one's from July. Crop to about 25% of original, same camera/lens combo. f/10, 1/1000, ISO 500.

Somehow they really look nicer on Flickr.

Ducatigaz · 10-31-2011, 05:10 AM

I have a K-5 amd use it with a Sigma 300 2.8 EX DG, Sigma 500mmf4.5 EX DG,Sigma 400mm
f5.6 APO tele macro lenses

garyk · 10-31-2011, 05:37 AM

Beautiful shots Ducatigaz. That fox ? I guess a fox is really sweet. Good sharp lenses.

**MetteHHH** · 10-31-2011, 06:25 AM

Hi planedriver,

I also upgraded from the Pentax 55-300mm to a Sigma 150-500mm, since the ridiculous flight distances of European birds really call for long lenses!

If you do settle for the Sigma 150-500mm, I can recommend all the good advice I got in this thread:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/162258-my-sigm...ng-should.html

You already stop your 55-300mm down to f8, you say, so maybe you would have figured it out quickly enough, but the Sigma 150-500mm really performs better at f8 too - so you wouldn't gain light from this switch, but you would gain reach.

Ducatigaz · 10-31-2011, 07:07 AM

The reason why I sold my Sigma 150-500mm is because it's not very good wide open,having to stop down to f8 was a pain.
Now with the Sigma 300mm f2.8 I usually use it at f3.2 and the Sigma 500mm f4.5 at f5.
ISO5000 1/125 f3.2

ISO1000 1/30 f3.2

garyk · 10-31-2011, 04:04 PM

Just had a look at your flickr site. All nice. I wish you would enable the exif view. So people like me can see you camera and lens settings.
Personally I think the Fox is one of the best I have seen of him or her.

02-12-2011, 08:49 AM	#33
planedriver Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Velence, Hungary Posts: 664 Original Poster	So here is a real life picture with my new bargain second-hand Sigma 400 f5.6 AF non-APO: iso 2500 f10 1/2000 TAV mod Andras Last edited by planedriver; 02-12-2011 at 09:29 AM.

02-12-2011, 10:37 AM	#34
thomascdk Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Copenhagen Posts: 258	Geese Sigma 150-500 @ 440 - 1/1250 -f/7.1 - ISO320 Slightly cropped and sharpened.

02-12-2011, 05:56 PM	#36
Bramela Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Newcastle Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,284	Yes, I have the K5 and DA*300. Wouldn't part with either item, despite some of the reading on this Forum. Rating : Excellent + 1/20th, F13, iso400. Attached Images

10-30-2011, 03:57 AM	#40
OJGoreng Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Amsterdam Photos: Gallery Posts: 197	Just to revive the thread: here's a shot I took earlier this week with my k-5 and old Sigma 170-500 on a shoulder mount. Barely a crop (just took the edges off to make it 4:3), changed the levels a bit (image was a bit underexposed) and improved contrast and sharpness (unsharp mask with radius 0.3 and amount 50, applied once) a bit in GIMP. f/8 @ 500 mm, 1/800 s. ISO 1000. I just extracted the JPG from the RAW file without further processing in DCU4. Embedded from a Photobucket upload, which may degrade the image quality a bit. And while I'm at it, this one's from July. Crop to about 25% of original, same camera/lens combo. f/10, 1/1000, ISO 500. Somehow they really look nicer on Flickr. Last edited by OJGoreng; 10-30-2011 at 04:09 AM. Reason: added more pictures

10-31-2011, 07:07 AM	#44
Ducatigaz Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Blunsdon,Wiltshire, UK Posts: 1,504	Sigma 150-500mm The reason why I sold my Sigma 150-500mm is because it's not very good wide open,having to stop down to f8 was a pain. Now with the Sigma 300mm f2.8 I usually use it at f3.2 and the Sigma 500mm f4.5 at f5. ISO5000 1/125 f3.2 ISO1000 1/30 f3.2 Last edited by Ducatigaz; 10-31-2011 at 08:26 AM.

02-12-2011, 02:12 AM	#31
planedriver Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Velence, Hungary Posts: 664 Original Poster	overcast this morning.. still can't resist testing..so far my impression is that this lens is in the same leauge in terms of IQ as my da55-300..of course haven't got the chance to test in bright sunshine on larger birds. AF is fast it resembles to the AF in my F zooms: k-5 iso1250 f8 400mm 1/250 100%: Andras Last edited by planedriver; 02-12-2011 at 02:24 AM.

02-12-2011, 02:30 AM	#32
OJGoreng Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Amsterdam Photos: Gallery Posts: 197	Here's a few more. These have been resized to 800 x 600 pixels for web use, but on my screen they're being blown up to a larger size, which compromises the sharpness a bit compared to the original, full-sized images. Same lens combo as above: Stork: Taken in extremely low light, ISO 12800, I think. AF still worked.: Caspian Gull Pooping Herring Gull With manual focus 70s Novoflex f/8 600 mm, on shoulder stock:

02-12-2011, 03:33 PM	#35
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	I owned an older Sigma 170-500mm lens (only used it on K-7). It was a nice lens and nicely sharp at f9-f13. So that with the longniness you would need a sunny day. Used it for the swanns [YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua5mkjlwdEw[/YT] So if you buy the new version, it would be a nice toy.

02-13-2011, 07:22 AM	#37
planedriver Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Velence, Hungary Posts: 664 Original Poster	today..grey overcast..but at least it proved me that in bright Sunshine this cheap Sigma 400 AF lens will be very useable: iso 1600 f8: and in the bright evening Sunshine from yesterday still iso1600: Andras

02-13-2011, 02:09 PM	#38
thomascdk Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Copenhagen Posts: 258	Some more with the Sigma 150-500 5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM. tAV-mode works very well for me for these shots. It's nice not worrying about ISO. I didn't get the right wing tip in the frame, so I cropped the left one as well...

02-18-2011, 09:39 PM	#39
traderdrew Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Florida Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 640	I have a K-5 with a Sigma F/4.5 500mm. The lens is 6.9 lbs and I carry it around without a tripod. You can check out my flickr page. Most of my last shots including some of the butterflies were taken with this lens. You can enlarge the photos you see on flickr by clicking the photo and selecting "Actions" and the click "view all sizes". This of course will give you an idea of what the combo can do. Flickr: Andrew Dale Richardson's Photostream

10-31-2011, 05:10 AM	#41
Ducatigaz Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Blunsdon,Wiltshire, UK Posts: 1,504	I have a K-5 amd use it with a Sigma 300 2.8 EX DG, Sigma 500mmf4.5 EX DG,Sigma 400mm f5.6 APO tele macro lenses

10-31-2011, 05:37 AM	#42
garyk Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 488	Beautiful shots Ducatigaz. That fox ? I guess a fox is really sweet. Good sharp lenses.

10-31-2011, 06:25 AM	#43
MetteHHH Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,817	Hi planedriver, I also upgraded from the Pentax 55-300mm to a Sigma 150-500mm, since the ridiculous flight distances of European birds really call for long lenses! If you do settle for the Sigma 150-500mm, I can recommend all the good advice I got in this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/162258-my-sigm...ng-should.html You already stop your 55-300mm down to f8, you say, so maybe you would have figured it out quickly enough, but the Sigma 150-500mm really performs better at f8 too - so you wouldn't gain light from this switch, but you would gain reach.

10-31-2011, 04:04 PM	#45
garyk Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 488	Just had a look at your flickr site. All nice. I wish you would enable the exif view. So people like me can see you camera and lens settings. Personally I think the Fox is one of the best I have seen of him or her.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
300mm lenses vs each other VS SuperZooms	Metalwizards	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	23	01-14-2011 05:34 AM
K5 Lenses 55-300mm	Rick Clark	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	16	12-03-2010 05:09 AM
How fast focus in 55-300mm any better new lenses what reach 300mm ?	jpq	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	2	08-20-2010 07:19 PM
For Sale - Sold: Yard sale: M lenses, K 300mm, DA 14mm, ME film body, Nikkor lenses and more	Nachodog	Sold Items	24	12-26-2009 12:03 AM
New 55-300mm ? To much bodies and lenses at once?	Italian	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	0	02-05-2008 08:09 PM