[AdrianM]

This female and her mate are nesting along the Brisbane River and although she posed nicely for me, the male kept fidgeting.

Taken this morning at Karalee, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Pentax K5IIS, Sigma 500 f4.5 APO DG EX, Sigma APO DG EX 1.4x TC, Metz 58AF-2 Flash, Better Beamer FX-3, tripod; M mode, 1/500th, f6.3, ISO 640, flash in PTTLHSS mode at 0EV

Originally taken in landscape, crop, clipping, resize and sharpen in Photoshop CS5.

This is the first shot I have posted using Firmware 1.05 - works fine. i just love the ability of the K5IIS to autofocus in low light with a TC.

Attached Images

 

[Michaelina2]

Striped Hawk-moth

K5IIs paired with a DA*300/4, 1/1000 sec, f/8.0, iso 500. Natural light, Handheld.

WOW, these critters are fast...




Cheers...

[rawr]

Striped Hawk-moth

Wow. Great shot. And natural light and handheld.

[Michaelina2]

Wow. Great shot. And natural light and handheld.

Thanks....

Here's another of the same critter, a Striped Hawk-moth. Again, everything was in motion.

K5IIs paired to a DA*300/4 (love this kit): 1/1600 sec, f/8.0, iso 1250, Natural light, Handheld.




Cheers... M

[rawr]

Here's another of the same critter

Impressive. Compared to that, my bird shooting looks totally un-challenging

[Michaelina2]

Impressive. Compared to that, my bird shooting looks totally un-challenging

Again, thanks...

The setting was quite chaotic. In addition to its normal irregular flight behavior, the critter was constantly being dive-bombed by an irate hummingbird. The only time it seemed to hover was when it extended its proboscis into a flower. Even so, it was steady for a second, or two, then off.

Catching it was a challenge, but the K5IIs/DA*300 seemed up to it.

Cheers... M

[olypdd]

Da*60-250

Attached Images

       

[olypdd]

DA*60-250. I use LR4 and Photomatix as well with certain shots.

[ploetzlich]

These were all taken with an Angenieux 35-70mm.

[Michaelina2]

K5IIs paired to the DA*300/4: 1/800 sec, f/7.1, iso500 handheld on a breezy day.




Cheers... M

[bjdavey]

K5IIs paired to the DA*300/4: 1/800 sec, f/7.1, iso500 handheld on a breezy day

That is a fine picture under any circumstances. Considering the conditions and handheld, it's amazing.

[Michaelina2]

...Considering the conditions and handheld...

Thank you,,, The K5IIs+DA*300/4 combo is my everyday walk-around field kit.




Again, K5IIs+DA^300/4: 1/400 sec, f/5.6, iso16000 (yes, sixteen thousand ), handheld...

Cheers...

[toshiblue]

Hello everyone.

These are amazing pictures with the K-5 IIs. My question, as a complete newbie, is whether it would make sense to start out with the IIs vs. II. I'm looking for a camera for the long haul - and it seems the IIs will have me covered for most landscape, portrait, close up photos that I may take.

I've gone through all the reviews and understand the difference in IIs not having the AA filter; I'd start with the kit 18-55mm WR lens; expand from there while controlling LDA. Would this setup be effective for a new comer? Thanks for feedback and the amazing pictures you've posted.

[Gian Carlo]

The K5IIs is a great camera body, BUT there is a reason why they usually don't sell it in a kit: it is intended to replace previous camera bodies by keeping all the lens.

I recently bought the K5IIs camera body and sold my K-5 with the (never used) 18-55 kit lens. It shows the best with great lens, and unfortunately the kit lens are not great ones...

It can work well even with old great lens, so you could buy some used ones: this is a shot taken at a concert with my old Vivitar Series 1 (now you can find it on eBay for less than 200 $) @ 210 mm, f/4, 1/80", ISO 1600.

[toshiblue]

Very nice Gian. That's the perspective I was looking for - I don't mind finding/buying some quality lenses(used) to start with, and learning from there. My approach will probably be to start with a nice prime, I've read the article about the 35mm f1.4, learn it, then move on from there.

Thanks