[rvannatta]

I'd personally rent the DFA 150-450 based on the testing I've seen posted here, but buying is always the more fun option! Bring the 1.4x too, assuming it's compatible, and use the saved space for lots and lots of bug dope.

Unless you're coming for fishing too, try to avoid the start of King Salmon season, or any of the starts of the salmon runs honestly, and start thinking about booking rooms now.

don't have a clue about fishing season, but the airline will haul me up there on 3 jun and back on 10 june and they are non-refundable tickets, I've got the car reserved and have
in-laws at Anchor Point -- a ways north of Homer ----but then almost all of Alaska that you can drive to is north of Homer.

I've been to AK 2 or 3 times before, but always the easy way---via a big bird. My grandfather's method of visiting was more difficult. He strolled over Chilkoot pass around 1900 and in
the course of 5 years worked and walked to Fairbanks, where he took a riverboat down the river and ultimately a boat to seattle.

[skierd]

Only reason I was saying to try to avoid fishing season openings is everyone up here goes down there to fill their freezers.

Your grandpa definitely had an adventure! I have a friend that's hiked Chilkoot pass a few years ago and I've been on parts of that trail... Gold sure does funny things to people when that hike seems like a good idea! My own travels to AK weren't that harsh, hard to believe Its been almost 4 years now since I rode my dirt bike up from Maryland in March 2012.

[JML69]

Hey Otis, this Female wants to know if there something on Her Face?

[WPRESTO]

Yes. A quick dip like this will clean you up.

---

Last edited by WPRESTO; 01-29-2016 at 12:33 PM.

[Rupert]

Hey Otis, this Female wants to know if there something on Her Face?

Otis said she needs to smear some lipstick over those grains and he'll pick her up at 8pm! Candy apple red is his favorite shade......

Regards!

[rvannatta]

Only reason I was saying to try to avoid fishing season openings is everyone up here goes down there to fill their freezers.

Your grandpa definitely had an adventure! I have a friend that's hiked Chilkoot pass a few years ago and I've been on parts of that trail... Gold sure does funny things to people when that hike seems like a good idea! My own travels to AK weren't that harsh, hard to believe Its been almost 4 years now since I rode my dirt bike up from Maryland in March 2012.

Yep, and the diet was difficult. Fresh meat was Ptarmigan and imported food was lard. Supplies got into the Klondike by being packed over the Chilkoot pass or via pack strings from Fairbanks.

I've been to Fairbanks a couple times but it's been a while. the first time about 4 years ago. the first oil when the pipeline a few daly after I was there.

[lukulele]

Jack London's famous "To Build a Fire" and mention of the Chilkoot Pass was a favorite of my students. The Orson Welles narration of the film version made an indelible impression on 8th graders of Man vs. -75F below, poor preparation, and drifting into frozen perpetuity. Your Grandpa must have seen it all.

[rvannatta]

Jack London's famous "To Build a Fire" and mention of the Chilkoot Pass was a favorite of my students. The Orson Welles narration of the film version made an indelible impression on 8th graders of Man vs. -75F below, poor preparation, and drifting into frozen perpetuity. Your Grandpa must have seen it all.

I'm sure he did. but he made the trip pay. He didn't stake a claim, but rather worked for wages which were high by the standards of the time and avoided the excesses of time (opportunities for
friviolus spending) He came back with enough money to start a fresh milk dairy farm, where he milked the cows, chilled out the milk, bottled it up and delivered it on a retail route around a town near
the dairy farm.

[lukulele]

Searching and waiting ………..A/400

[Quartermaster James]

Well, I've got some qualifying lenses to try out for this forum now: a Super-Takumar 300 1:4 , and a Sigma DL 75-300 1:4-5.6. Now I'm just waiting for some light to shoot! I really enjoying following what y'all are posting here. Looking forward to having something to contribute in, oh, about 6-8 weeks or so!

[rvannatta]

Well, I've got some qualifying lenses to try out for this forum now: a Super-Takumar 300 1:4 , and a Sigma DL 75-300 1:4-5.6. Now I'm just waiting for some light to shoot! I really enjoying following what y'all are posting here. Looking forward to having something to contribute in, oh, about 6-8 weeks or so!

why don't you take a few photos of Russia, at least from Wasilla all you need to do is look out your back window... (grin)

Seriously--- welcome and look forward to your postings

[swip]

I've got a serious question that I would like some thoughts on. Come June, I'm headed to Alaska for a week---Will fly up there and rent a car for a week.... I'm going to spend most of the time on the Kenai pennsula. I'm hoping
to collect some bird photos, but the real issue that I have is trying to decide What equipment to take.

I own a laundry list of equipment conductive to bird photography including:

F* 300 f/4 ------- 880 grams--- easily fit in camera bag
FA300 f/2.8 --- 2495 grams ---- comes in soft bag-- could stick in carry on suit case
A-400 f/2.8 --- 6600 grams ---- comes in trunk -- small enough to carry on
FA-600 f/4 --- 6830 grams --- comes in trunk too large to carry on airplane.

I also own several useful TC's including the new DA 1.4x, and the classic 1.4x-L and 2x-L and the 1.7X adapter all of which are usable on the last three of the lenses.

I'm a bit flustered because obviously the best bird lens in the FA-600. the logistics of getting it to Alaska and back safely seem daunting. IT seems a bit valuable to dump it in checked baggage for a $25.00 fee
and I'm not eager to but a ticket for it to fly in the seat beside me. IT is also most challenging to use without a heavy tripod. It would work well with any of the TC's although the DA 1.4x would maintain the Auto
focus function.--and you can get half baked AF with the 1.7x. adapater

I could get the classic A-400 f/2.8 to alaska either with it's carry on trunk as one of my carry on items, or out of its truck and in my carry on suit case if I don't mind leaving quite a few of my clothing items that
;my wife will want me to take (like clean underware), and I have owned this lens quite a few years, and though really heavy, I can get decent results with a monopod, and this lens is very happy with the 2x-L converter
or even stacked converters.... but it will be mostly manual focus except to the extent that use the 1.7x AF Adapter but hand hand holding and manually focusing, even when leaning on a tree can be a challenge.

A for the FA 300 f/2.8 --- it will go in the carry on suit case -- with a few more pairs of clean shorts than the 400.--- and is much more nimble but still on the heavy side It is really happy with the DA 1.4x TC which
fully protect the auto focus function.

As for the F* 4.5 --- It's gonna go anyway in my carry on Camera Bag and the DA 1.4x TC will be there as well.

Or a wild card---- leave it all home and go buy a DFA 150-450

Any thoughts or wisdom of what should go and what should stay home......

If it is up to me, I will take the FA 300/2.8 with the 1.7 AF TC. This way, the weight will be manageable and I still have the long reach with the TC. I have used the A*300/2.8 with the 1.7x TC for a couple of years and it served me well.

[rvannatta]

If it is up to me, I will take the FA 300/2.8 with the 1.7 AF TC. This way, the weight will be manageable and I still have the long reach with the TC. I have used the A*300/2.8 with the 1.7x TC for a couple of years and it served me well.

I used to own an A 300 f/2.8. I loved it, but sold it after I got the FA 300/2.8 because I couldn't think of a lot of reasons why I would use the A instead of the FA as the FA has a slip joint to make it
manual focus anyway. the A did come in a trunk like the bigger Pentax glass but the FA comes in a bag.... It is much more conducive to being hand held....I'll take all 4 of my good TC's along in any
even s they will fit in my camera bag, and since I'm not going hiking hauling them around won't be a burden. A lot of folks have never encountered the dash-L TC's as they only work on the
exotic long pentax glass (The have an optical piece that actually sticks into the back of the lens.

I've not gott 2 suggestions---- one for the 150-40 zoom, and yours for the fa300 2.8 -- I appreciate the advise of both. now to wait a few days and see what else comes in. apparently a clear
consensus is not likely.

[r0ckstarr]

[Ducatigaz]

Love the bathing bird shots

A few more from my car with a K-5/FA*600mm ED[IF]










And this one is a 60% crop