Post your HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW pictures!

eric3929 · 12-11-2020, 07:06 AM - **9 Likes**

These may not be the pollinators we see from Erictator, but I think they perhaps appreciate the end result...

Again with the KP + 150-450mm (taken at 450mm). This one was uncomfortably close. I was shooting a bear much further away when she very quietly walked out of the brush to my right.

**Erictator** · 12-11-2020, 08:10 AM

Heh, yup, I bet it has had some free range honey in its day.

Great catch!
Eric

**Erictator** · 12-11-2020, 08:14 AM

Originally posted by luftfluss

What holds me back from buying it is the question of service should the lens fail, or if I were to have an accident with it. It seems that if anything serious were to happen, the lens would need to take a long trip to Japan.

I can't argue with you there... I got mine "pre-owned" and took my chances at the better price, figuring I could afford an eventual repair if something happens, and that is my gamble.

It is a big heavy sucker, and if you drop it, well, gravity won't be its friend. If you can snag one cheap enough though to allay your fears, I sure wouldn't pass it up.

I tend to look at the cost as years of rental fees... so the first year is the most expensive, the second year half the cost, if you make it to the 5th year without incident, it starts to look pretty reasonable, heh.

The things we tell ourselves to justify things, huh? I'm into my second year on this one, woot!

Eric

**Erictator** · 12-11-2020, 11:27 AM - **3 Likes**

Xposted from K-1 thread:

More dis and dat and even bifs...

Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso400

I almost deleted this one (maybe I still should) but thought twice because I liked the inferred motion blur into the bokeh.

Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso400

This is more like what I was after, still not 100% right, but better compared to above. A flash of course would make this easy, but I hate the look of flash in these scenarios...

Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso800

**luftfluss** · 12-11-2020, 07:46 PM

Originally posted by Erictator

I can't argue with you there... I got mine "pre-owned" and took my chances at the better price, figuring I could afford an eventual repair if something happens, and that is my gamble.

It is a big heavy sucker, and if you drop it, well, gravity won't be its friend. If you can snag one cheap enough though to allay your fears, I sure wouldn't pass it up.

I tend to look at the cost as years of rental fees... so the first year is the most expensive, the second year half the cost, if you make it to the 5th year without incident, it starts to look pretty reasonable, heh.

The things we tell ourselves to justify things, huh? I'm into my second year on this one, woot!

Eric

Heh, it's not the cost that bothers me as much as being without the lens for months, or being told it cannot be repaired. That's a big reason why I'm so comfortable with my old telephoto primes - 300/2.8, 400/4, 400/5.6, for example - is that they are less complex designs, and more repairable as long as the various lens elements are intact.

But, the 150-450 still has its siren song... I've done a lot of pixel-peeping of various tele-zooms and I haven't seen any that perform better than the Pentax.

Hopefully you will continue to have years and years of service from yours.

**Erictator** · 12-11-2020, 08:46 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by luftfluss

Heh, it's not the cost that bothers me as much as being without the lens for months, or being told it cannot be repaired. That's a big reason why I'm so comfortable with my old telephoto primes - 300/2.8, 400/4, 400/5.6, for example - is that they are less complex designs, and more repairable as long as the various lens elements are intact.

But, the 150-450 still has its siren song... I've done a lot of pixel-peeping of various tele-zooms and I haven't seen any that perform better than the Pentax.

Hopefully you will continue to have years and years of service from yours.

Thanks! I had to sell my Tamron SP 400mm F4 to afford to buy this, it was incredibly sharp even wide open, and I know my Tamron will still be going strong long after this fails, add to that I could have just bought a new adaptall mount if I wanted to change brand bodies, but I'm not getting any younger and needed the AF and the other issue with the Tamron was the 3meter min focus distance. We all have to make our own choices and live with them, so I hear what you are saying. So far I'm happy with my choice, and I'm glad you are with yours. But that wont stop me from trying to tempt people. LOL

**Erictator** · 12-14-2020, 10:57 AM - **4 Likes**

Xposted from K-1 Thread:

Some more from the gardens

Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso640

Slightly better attempt, still not 100% happy yet... working on it. Little buggers are FAST!

Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso400

Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso500

Paul the Sunman · 12-15-2020, 02:37 PM - **6 Likes**

The female was talking incessantly.

And here's the very different looking male, who didn't have much to say.

This fellow slept through it all.

**tmlawes** · 12-17-2020, 08:15 PM - **3 Likes**

Came across some images I took a couple of years ago in Hawaii while going through my photo files. The 150-450 is great for large birds.

eric3929 · 12-17-2020, 08:50 PM - **9 Likes**

Originally posted by tmlawes

The 150-450 is great for large birds.

I certainly agree with you. Nice pics!
This is a crosspost from a month or two ago in the kp forum

**steamloco76** · 12-18-2020, 06:15 AM - **4 Likes**

Male house finch. 410mm @ f6.3 1/80th (!!!) ISO 400, Handheld on my K-3. I was using flash and the unit hadn’t recycled when I pressed the shutter. Pentax image stabilization and my steadiness worked quite well together!

**steamloco76** · 12-18-2020, 08:50 AM - **6 Likes**

Female white breasted nuthatch taken this morning. About a 75 percent crop. 450mm @ f5.6

eric3929 · 12-19-2020, 06:30 PM - **5 Likes**

Here's two from a walk today, both taken on the KP (and crossposted there).

Northern Mockingbird

and Mallard

---------- Post added 12-19-20 at 06:33 PM ----------

This is off topic, but I feel like my images look a little soft here. I'm copy/pasting the BBCode from Flickr, Large (2048 x 1362)
Are others using this same method? Thanks!

Charlie Victor · 12-20-2020, 01:06 AM

Originally posted by eric3929

Here's two from a walk today, both taken on the KP (and crossposted there).

Northern Mockingbird

and Mallard

---------- Post added 12-19-20 at 06:33 PM ----------

This is off topic, but I feel like my images look a little soft here. I'm copy/pasting the BBCode from Flickr, Large (2048 x 1362)
Are others using this same method? Thanks!

Lovely images! It might be the size limitation on this forum causing some "softness".
Best.

**luftfluss** · 12-20-2020, 07:06 PM

Originally posted by eric3929

Here's two from a walk today, both taken on the KP (and crossposted there).

Northern Mockingbird

and Mallard

---------- Post added 12-19-20 at 06:33 PM ----------

This is off topic, but I feel like my images look a little soft here. I'm copy/pasting the BBCode from Flickr, Large (2048 x 1362)
Are others using this same method? Thanks!

They don't seem soft to me, but by pasting the "Large" image from Flickr I think you have the forum software doing the downsizing for the viewing size here.

12-15-2020, 02:37 PM - 6 Likes	#2408
Paul the Sunman Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,843	Yellow-tailed black cockatoo (female) and very sleepy koala The female was talking incessantly. And here's the very different looking male, who didn't have much to say. This fellow slept through it all.

12-18-2020, 06:15 AM - 4 Likes	#2411
steamloco76 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,710	Male house finch. 410mm @ f6.3 1/80th (!!!) ISO 400, Handheld on my K-3. I was using flash and the unit hadn’t recycled when I pressed the shutter. Pentax image stabilization and my steadiness worked quite well together! Attached Images

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12-11-2020, 07:06 AM - 9 Likes	#2401
eric3929 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 106	These may not be the pollinators we see from Erictator, but I think they perhaps appreciate the end result... Again with the KP + 150-450mm (taken at 450mm). This one was uncomfortably close. I was shooting a bear much further away when she very quietly walked out of the brush to my right.

12-11-2020, 08:10 AM	#2402
Erictator Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,344	Heh, yup, I bet it has had some free range honey in its day. Great catch! Eric

12-11-2020, 08:14 AM	#2403
Erictator Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,344	Originally posted by luftfluss What holds me back from buying it is the question of service should the lens fail, or if I were to have an accident with it. It seems that if anything serious were to happen, the lens would need to take a long trip to Japan. I can't argue with you there... I got mine "pre-owned" and took my chances at the better price, figuring I could afford an eventual repair if something happens, and that is my gamble. It is a big heavy sucker, and if you drop it, well, gravity won't be its friend. If you can snag one cheap enough though to allay your fears, I sure wouldn't pass it up. I tend to look at the cost as years of rental fees... so the first year is the most expensive, the second year half the cost, if you make it to the 5th year without incident, it starts to look pretty reasonable, heh. The things we tell ourselves to justify things, huh? I'm into my second year on this one, woot! Eric

12-11-2020, 11:27 AM - 3 Likes	#2404
Erictator Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,344	Xposted from K-1 thread: More dis and dat and even bifs... Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso400 I almost deleted this one (maybe I still should) but thought twice because I liked the inferred motion blur into the bokeh. Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso400 This is more like what I was after, still not 100% right, but better compared to above. A flash of course would make this easy, but I hate the look of flash in these scenarios... Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso800

12-11-2020, 07:46 PM	#2405
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Originally posted by Erictator I can't argue with you there... I got mine "pre-owned" and took my chances at the better price, figuring I could afford an eventual repair if something happens, and that is my gamble. It is a big heavy sucker, and if you drop it, well, gravity won't be its friend. If you can snag one cheap enough though to allay your fears, I sure wouldn't pass it up. I tend to look at the cost as years of rental fees... so the first year is the most expensive, the second year half the cost, if you make it to the 5th year without incident, it starts to look pretty reasonable, heh. The things we tell ourselves to justify things, huh? I'm into my second year on this one, woot! Eric Heh, it's not the cost that bothers me as much as being without the lens for months, or being told it cannot be repaired. That's a big reason why I'm so comfortable with my old telephoto primes - 300/2.8, 400/4, 400/5.6, for example - is that they are less complex designs, and more repairable as long as the various lens elements are intact. But, the 150-450 still has its siren song... I've done a lot of pixel-peeping of various tele-zooms and I haven't seen any that perform better than the Pentax. Hopefully you will continue to have years and years of service from yours.

12-11-2020, 08:46 PM - 1 Like	#2406
Erictator Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,344	Originally posted by luftfluss Heh, it's not the cost that bothers me as much as being without the lens for months, or being told it cannot be repaired. That's a big reason why I'm so comfortable with my old telephoto primes - 300/2.8, 400/4, 400/5.6, for example - is that they are less complex designs, and more repairable as long as the various lens elements are intact. But, the 150-450 still has its siren song... I've done a lot of pixel-peeping of various tele-zooms and I haven't seen any that perform better than the Pentax. Hopefully you will continue to have years and years of service from yours. Thanks! I had to sell my Tamron SP 400mm F4 to afford to buy this, it was incredibly sharp even wide open, and I know my Tamron will still be going strong long after this fails, add to that I could have just bought a new adaptall mount if I wanted to change brand bodies, but I'm not getting any younger and needed the AF and the other issue with the Tamron was the 3meter min focus distance. We all have to make our own choices and live with them, so I hear what you are saying. So far I'm happy with my choice, and I'm glad you are with yours. But that wont stop me from trying to tempt people. LOL

12-14-2020, 10:57 AM - 4 Likes	#2407
Erictator Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,344	Xposted from K-1 Thread: Some more from the gardens Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso640 Slightly better attempt, still not 100% happy yet... working on it. Little buggers are FAST! Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso400 Pentax K-1 HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW ƒ/7.1 450.0 mm 1/1600 iso500

12-17-2020, 08:50 PM - 9 Likes	#2410
eric3929 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 106	Originally posted by tmlawes The 150-450 is great for large birds. I certainly agree with you. Nice pics! This is a crosspost from a month or two ago in the kp forum

12-19-2020, 06:30 PM - 5 Likes	#2413
eric3929 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 106	Here's two from a walk today, both taken on the KP (and crossposted there). Northern Mockingbird and Mallard ---------- Post added 12-19-20 at 06:33 PM ---------- This is off topic, but I feel like my images look a little soft here. I'm copy/pasting the BBCode from Flickr, Large (2048 x 1362) Are others using this same method? Thanks!

12-20-2020, 01:06 AM	#2414
Charlie Victor Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Durban Photos: Albums Posts: 1,227	Originally posted by eric3929 Here's two from a walk today, both taken on the KP (and crossposted there). Northern Mockingbird and Mallard ---------- Post added 12-19-20 at 06:33 PM ---------- This is off topic, but I feel like my images look a little soft here. I'm copy/pasting the BBCode from Flickr, Large (2048 x 1362) Are others using this same method? Thanks! Lovely images! It might be the size limitation on this forum causing some "softness". Best.

12-20-2020, 07:06 PM	#2415
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Originally posted by eric3929 Here's two from a walk today, both taken on the KP (and crossposted there). Northern Mockingbird and Mallard ---------- Post added 12-19-20 at 06:33 PM ---------- This is off topic, but I feel like my images look a little soft here. I'm copy/pasting the BBCode from Flickr, Large (2048 x 1362) Are others using this same method? Thanks! They don't seem soft to me, but by pasting the "Large" image from Flickr I think you have the forum software doing the downsizing for the viewing size here.