Nature Pacific Black Duck

Pacific Black Duck · **1 Like**

Pacific Black Duck by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

SSGGeezer · 09-02-2018, 04:40 PM - **1 Like**

Very nice image Rob! I love that you can see the leg and foot paddling!

Dewman · 09-02-2018, 07:29 PM - **2 Likes**

Beautiful!

**Tonytee** · 09-03-2018, 01:05 AM - **1 Like**

I must agree that is a truly wonderful wildlife pic. Many thanks for uploading.

TT

RobG · 09-03-2018, 03:09 AM

Thanks everyone!

photomax7 · 09-03-2018, 04:44 AM

Very nice mix of sharp and soft elements RobG...lovely image.

SSGGeezer · 09-03-2018, 08:15 AM

I keep coming back to look again Rob. I never thought a duck could look noble!. He looks like he is planning something important!

RobG · 09-04-2018, 01:54 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by photomax7

Very nice mix of sharp and soft elements RobG...lovely image.

Thank you!

Originally posted by SSGGeezer

I keep coming back to look again Rob. I never thought a duck could look noble!. He looks like he is planning something important!

I think it was a sub-adult, so he might well have a lot of plans!

**ToddK** · 09-04-2018, 12:25 PM

This is a really nice and detailed shot! It is a beautiful duck.

RobG · 09-05-2018, 09:13 PM

Originally posted by ToddK

This is a really nice and detailed shot! It is a beautiful duck.

Thanks Todd! The clarity of the DFA150-450 is amazing, and I love the sharpness in combination with the K3.

**ToddK** · 09-06-2018, 05:17 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by RobG

The clarity of the DFA150-450 is amazing, and I love the sharpness in combination with the K3.

I have a K-3II and I have been thinking a lot about buying the DFA150-450. Your photo is going a long way to helping convince me

RobG · 09-06-2018, 01:51 PM

Originally posted by ToddK

I have a K-3II and I have been thinking a lot about buying the DFA150-450. Your photo is going a long way to helping convince me

It's a brilliant lens. Great AF behaviour, sharp and rich results. If I want a long lens which is light, I go for the 55-300 PLM.

**ToddK** · 09-06-2018, 02:28 PM

Originally posted by RobG

If I want a long lens which is light, I go for the 55-300 PLM.

I have the DA*60-250 and the HD 1.4x teleconverter, but for backyard bird photos, which I take a lot of, I find the focus breathing to be a problem. It is effectively around a 200mm lens at less than 20 feet distance from the target. How do you find the 150-400 at shorter distances? Does it suffer the same focus breathing problem?

RobG · 09-06-2018, 08:32 PM

Originally posted by ToddK

I have the DA*60-250 and the HD 1.4x teleconverter, but for backyard bird photos, which I take a lot of, I find the focus breathing to be a problem. It is effectively around a 200mm lens at less than 20 feet distance from the target. How do you find the 150-400 at shorter distances? Does it suffer the same focus breathing problem?

Hi Todd - could you please elaborate on what you mean by focus breathing? Do you mean hunting? As in the lens goes in and out of focus without achieving lock? I haven't noticed this with the DFA150-450 and the DA HD 1.4x TC. However, I haven't actually used the TC a huge amount with the lens, because 675mm is often enough focal length, and the TC adds a bit more weight as well as affecting the aperture. I haven't tried the TC with the PLM and frankly I wouldn't expect it to work. The TC works with the DA*300, but the combination does tend to hunt, and that's why I have seldom used the DA*300 since I got the DFA150-450. The DA*300 hunts even without the TC, and its painfully slow motor makes the hunting incredibly annoying.

I've taken "macro" photos of flowers with the DFA150-450 at minimum focus and don't recall having issues with hunting for focus. I recently had Fairy Wrens hopping around at my feet and it was hard to get them in the viewfinder at that angle and distance.

**ToddK** · 09-06-2018, 09:44 PM

Rob, focus breathing occurs with some lenses when focusing at closer distances where the effective focus length of the lens is reduced. I don't fully understand the mechanics of it, but my DA*60-250 when zoomed to 250mm has about the same field of view as a 135-140mm lens when focused on an object within the first 20 - 25 feet. With the teleconverter on, it increases somewhat, but it is still not even close to what the field of view should be from a 250mm lens. I have a Sigma 70-200mm lens that when zoomed to 200mm and focused an object 20 feet away, the object will appear significantly larger than my 60-250 zoomed to 250mm. This has no effect on IQ or ability to focus whatsoever. The 60-250 has had several posts about this on PF, but I have not seen anything posted about the 150-450 lens. An interesting test would be if you took your 55-300, your 150-450, and your 300, set the zooms to 300mm and take photos from each of them at an object at different distances from 10 feet - 30 feet. If the zooms have wider fields of view than the 300mm, then they have some degree of focus breathing (I assume that a fixed focal length lens is not subject to focus breathing, although I am not sure). I have to say that I was disappointed with my 60-250 when I found this out since I take a lot of photos with it within fairly short distances.

RobG
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09-02-2018, 04:40 PM - 1 Like	#2
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	Very nice image Rob! I love that you can see the leg and foot paddling!

09-02-2018, 07:29 PM - 2 Likes	#3
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492	Beautiful!

09-03-2018, 01:05 AM - 1 Like	#4
Tonytee Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 21,461	I must agree that is a truly wonderful wildlife pic. Many thanks for uploading. TT

09-03-2018, 03:09 AM	#5
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,891 Original Poster	Thanks everyone!

09-03-2018, 04:44 AM	#6
photomax7 Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,841	Very nice mix of sharp and soft elements RobG...lovely image.

09-03-2018, 08:15 AM	#7
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	I keep coming back to look again Rob. I never thought a duck could look noble!. He looks like he is planning something important!

09-04-2018, 01:54 AM - 1 Like	#8
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,891 Original Poster	Originally posted by photomax7 Very nice mix of sharp and soft elements RobG...lovely image. Thank you! Originally posted by SSGGeezer I keep coming back to look again Rob. I never thought a duck could look noble!. He looks like he is planning something important! I think it was a sub-adult, so he might well have a lot of plans!

09-04-2018, 12:25 PM	#9
ToddK Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,532	This is a really nice and detailed shot! It is a beautiful duck.

09-05-2018, 09:13 PM	#10
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,891 Original Poster	Originally posted by ToddK This is a really nice and detailed shot! It is a beautiful duck. Thanks Todd! The clarity of the DFA150-450 is amazing, and I love the sharpness in combination with the K3.

09-06-2018, 05:17 AM - 1 Like	#11
ToddK Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,532	Originally posted by RobG The clarity of the DFA150-450 is amazing, and I love the sharpness in combination with the K3. I have a K-3II and I have been thinking a lot about buying the DFA150-450. Your photo is going a long way to helping convince me

09-06-2018, 01:51 PM	#12
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,891 Original Poster	Originally posted by ToddK I have a K-3II and I have been thinking a lot about buying the DFA150-450. Your photo is going a long way to helping convince me It's a brilliant lens. Great AF behaviour, sharp and rich results. If I want a long lens which is light, I go for the 55-300 PLM.

09-06-2018, 02:28 PM	#13
ToddK Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,532	Originally posted by RobG If I want a long lens which is light, I go for the 55-300 PLM. I have the DA*60-250 and the HD 1.4x teleconverter, but for backyard bird photos, which I take a lot of, I find the focus breathing to be a problem. It is effectively around a 200mm lens at less than 20 feet distance from the target. How do you find the 150-400 at shorter distances? Does it suffer the same focus breathing problem?

09-06-2018, 08:32 PM	#14
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,891 Original Poster	Originally posted by ToddK I have the DA60-250 and the HD 1.4x teleconverter, but for backyard bird photos, which I take a lot of, I find the focus breathing to be a problem. It is effectively around a 200mm lens at less than 20 feet distance from the target. How do you find the 150-400 at shorter distances? Does it suffer the same focus breathing problem? Hi Todd - could you please elaborate on what you mean by focus breathing? Do you mean hunting? As in the lens goes in and out of focus without achieving lock? I haven't noticed this with the DFA150-450 and the DA HD 1.4x TC. However, I haven't actually used the TC a huge amount with the lens, because 675mm is often enough focal length, and the TC adds a bit more weight as well as affecting the aperture. I haven't tried the TC with the PLM and frankly I wouldn't expect it to work. The TC works with the DA300, but the combination does tend to hunt, and that's why I have seldom used the DA300 since I got the DFA150-450. The DA300 hunts even without the TC, and its painfully slow motor makes the hunting incredibly annoying. I've taken "macro" photos of flowers with the DFA150-450 at minimum focus and don't recall having issues with hunting for focus. I recently had Fairy Wrens hopping around at my feet and it was hard to get them in the viewfinder at that angle and distance.

09-06-2018, 09:44 PM	#15
ToddK Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,532	Rob, focus breathing occurs with some lenses when focusing at closer distances where the effective focus length of the lens is reduced. I don't fully understand the mechanics of it, but my DA*60-250 when zoomed to 250mm has about the same field of view as a 135-140mm lens when focused on an object within the first 20 - 25 feet. With the teleconverter on, it increases somewhat, but it is still not even close to what the field of view should be from a 250mm lens. I have a Sigma 70-200mm lens that when zoomed to 200mm and focused an object 20 feet away, the object will appear significantly larger than my 60-250 zoomed to 250mm. This has no effect on IQ or ability to focus whatsoever. The 60-250 has had several posts about this on PF, but I have not seen anything posted about the 150-450 lens. An interesting test would be if you took your 55-300, your 150-450, and your 300, set the zooms to 300mm and take photos from each of them at an object at different distances from 10 feet - 30 feet. If the zooms have wider fields of view than the 300mm, then they have some degree of focus breathing (I assume that a fixed focal length lens is not subject to focus breathing, although I am not sure). I have to say that I was disappointed with my 60-250 when I found this out since I take a lot of photos with it within fairly short distances.