[mstahulak]

Mine is working fine, no pieces falling off yet. But it is a big long lens, and all handling mistakes are properly punished:
KP, 560mm, uncropped, minimal processing: by Michael Stahulak, on Flickr
KP, 560mm, cropped slightly, some blurred brine midges removed: by Michael Stahulak, on Flickr

[lbarfield9]

I just recently purchased the K1-II and have done my first couple of outings with it in my back yard and a nearby Bird Sanctuary. Very pleased with it's performance. I've had the 560 for a couple of years now and just love this lens !!

[Charlie Victor]

I just recently purchased the K1-II and have done my first couple of outings with it in my back yard and a nearby Bird Sanctuary. Very pleased with it's performance. I've had the 560 for a couple of years now and just love this lens !!

A superb set, the bird in flight the best imho. Well done!
Best.

[lbarfield9]

A superb set, the bird in flight the best imho. Well done!
Best.

Thank You Charlie !!

[luftfluss]

I just recently purchased the K1-II and have done my first couple of outings with it in my back yard and a nearby Bird Sanctuary. Very pleased with it's performance. I've had the 560 for a couple of years now and just love this lens !!

Wow. A tremendous series, very enjoyable to view. Thanks for posting these.

[lbarfield9]

Wow. A tremendous series, very enjoyable to view. Thanks for posting these.

Thank you very much !!! Glad you enjoyed them !

[lbarfield9]

Images I shot yesterday on dreary, drizzly day in my back yard. I'm so pleased with the performance of this combo in such low light conditions !

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[luftfluss]

Images I shot yesterday on dreary, drizzly day in my back yard. I'm so pleased with the performance of this combo in such low light conditions !

These seem a bit less sharp (although the cardinal looks very good) - I wonder if the tripod isn't up to the task of handling such a long and large combo with a fairly slow shutter speed.

I had to upgrade my tripod when I began shooting with the K 500/4.5 and 135-600.

[Chris Mak]

good to see some activity on this thread!

Still waiting for the Pentax new APS-C crop body to decide whether to re-purchase the DA560.
I have since used the Canon 400DOII and the Nikon 500PF, and have learned that the DA560 beats them both easily at distance shooting. There seems to be no other way to reach out to subjects a bit further away and keep detail, clarity, contrast etc. like the DA560 does, even with the 1.4TC on. Canon's and Nikon's finest excell at BIF shooting, or closer subjects in beneficial light, but when things get tough, the DA560 appears the only one that continues to perform.

I currently have settled on the Nikon D500+500PF combo, which firmly has the birders DNA, but for longer distance shooting I have realized I have only the option of the stratospheric (price-wise) Sony 600mm f4GM or the Canon or coming Nikon Z version to get the same performance that the DA560 gave me (and then of course without the (bokeh) color fringing that was my main issue with the DA560). The thing is that you have a lót of very good birding lenses currently, but they all excell at closer to medium distances. When reaching out a bit further, they all turn soft and mushy and/or succumb to atmospherics.

[angerdan]

Still waiting for the Pentax new APS-C crop body to decide whether to re-purchase the DA560. I have since used the Canon 400DOII and the Nikon 500PF, and have learned that the DA560 beats them both easily at distance shooting.
The thing is that you have a lót of very good birding lenses currently, but they all excell at closer to medium distances. When reaching out a bit further, they all turn soft and mushy and/or succumb to atmospherics.

Awesome!
How do you think about the Sigma 500mm F4 DG OS HSM | Sports ?

[termy]

good to see some activity on this thread!

the DA560 beats them both easily at distance shooting. There seems to be no other way to reach out to subjects a bit further away and keep detail, clarity, contrast etc. like the DA560 does ... when things get tough, the DA560 appears the only one that continues to perform.

The thing is that you have a lót of very good birding lenses currently, but they all excell at closer to medium distances. When reaching out a bit further, they all turn soft and mushy and/or succumb to atmospherics.

chris, am curious.

When you mention "they all excel at closer to medium distances" and in comparison, you are of the view that the DA560 will eat the others up for lunch over longer distances.

What is the range you are referring to when you say "medium distances"?

Will that be in the range where the targeted subject is perhaps 20 to 30 metres away?
Or in range of up to 30 to 40 metres etc?

Was wondering if you ever snapped (with the DA560) at targeted subject which was perhaps in range of 70 to 80 metres range or even more.

[redpit]

good to see some activity on this thread!

Still waiting for the Pentax new APS-C crop body to decide whether to re-purchase the DA560.
I have since used the Canon 400DOII and the Nikon 500PF, and have learned that the DA560 beats them both easily at distance shooting. There seems to be no other way to reach out to subjects a bit further away and keep detail, clarity, contrast etc. like the DA560 does, even with the 1.4TC on. Canon's and Nikon's finest excell at BIF shooting, or closer subjects in beneficial light, but when things get tough, the DA560 appears the only one that continues to perform.

I currently have settled on the Nikon D500+500PF combo, which firmly has the birders DNA, but for longer distance shooting I have realized I have only the option of the stratospheric (price-wise) Sony 600mm f4GM or the Canon or coming Nikon Z version to get the same performance that the DA560 gave me (and then of course without the (bokeh) color fringing that was my main issue with the DA560). The thing is that you have a lót of very good birding lenses currently, but they all excell at closer to medium distances. When reaching out a bit further, they all turn soft and mushy and/or succumb to atmospherics.

Thank you for your valuable feedback Chris! I have used the D500 and the 7DII but only with the Sigma 150-600S and I doubt if I ever have the chance to try them with a tele prime of the categories you are using! I love my DA 560 and I also believe (and hope) that the K-3III might be the best power up for such a lens!

[angerdan]

What is the range you are referring to when you say "medium distances"?
Was wondering if you ever snapped (with the DA560) at targeted subject which was perhaps in range of 70 to 80 metres range or even more.

The Hyperfocal and DoF distances of the DA560 are quite impressive:

1848.47 m - Hyperfocal distance
0924.23 m - Hyperfocal near limit
0685.19 m - DoF far limit
0393.62 m - DoF near limit
0291.57 m - Depth of field

My opinion about the far distance resolution of the DA560 is quite positive (distance 6/10 km):


Black forest fog by cs.ph0t0, auf Flickr

[Chris Mak]

Awesome!
How do you think about the Sigma 500mm F4 DG OS HSM | Sports ?

I have thought long and hard over which lens to get to pair with the featherweight Nikon 500PF, and which can give me the distance performance of the DA560. The Sigma 500f4S was high on my list because I already have the Nikon D500 and Z7. I know that conventional super telelenses will do better in ultimate IQ than the specialty lenses like the Nikon 500PF and Canon 400DOII, but the Canon and Nikon affair has taught me a thing or two, and true focal length can not easily be replaced with a TC when it comes to the ultimate lens test: distance rendering. TC's work great at close to medium distance, merely to get more pixels on your subject, but are a lousy proposition if more reach is what you want, unless you are already filling enough of the frame without TC and want the extra pixels. In general though: cropping the bare lens often beats using a TC when shooting distant subjects.
it is important to get close enough, reach out far enough, to let the camera do its work, AF wise, and have the neccessary subject isolation and distinction from the surroundings. This is especially true in daylight over longer distances.
So while I came close to going for the Sigma 500mmf4S or the Nikon 500mm f4E FL, I decided that I still will not be able to get DA560 performance over distance, simply because of losing the crucial 60mm of the bare lens.
I decided to save up longer and go for a 600mm f4 ór return to the DA560 when the new K aps-c body has top IQ.
The weakest point of the DA560 though, is its AF motor, which practically limits it to static shooting, and the pronounced color fringing which tends to add magenta and green stripes to water surfaces outside the plane of focus. But then again, the cause of that weakness: very few lens elements, is also the reason why the DA560 has immense clarity and is capable of very high detail without resorting to elaborate sharpening, and iso tends to stay low due to very high transmission for a f5. 6 lens.
A modern 600mm f4 lens will have all that the DA560 has, plus cutting edge AF and no color fringing, but my goodness, the prices for these lenses are sky high. The weight though of the Sony 600mm f4GM is identical to that of the DA560, so it is a tough choice. Nikon is set (rumored) to release its Z600mm f4 before the end of 2021, and having the Z7 already for all general shooting, would be somewhat more affordable.

[lbarfield9]

This is why I love this forum !! Great practical and useful information regarding real experience with these lenses. I am not an expert or professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination. I just enjoy photographing birds and wildlife around me. Just a big hobby for me but am always looking for ways, beit with technique or equipment, to improve my images, so thank you all for sharing your knowledge and expertise !

Laura
Texas, USA