[8540tomg]

Phil,

Awesome work with that DA 560.

I'll have to get one of those.

Tom G

[vcollerp]

Phil,

Awesome work with that DA 560.

I'll have to get one of those.

Tom G

Thanks Tom

[normhead]

You planning on robbing a bank? Wait don't answer that on the internet, the police could show up at your door. They have software programs looking for phrases like "rob bank." I'm not worried because I live in Canada, we aren't that advanced.

Hmmm.. is that an RCMP cruiser in my driveway?

[KevinR]

Some more from the DA*300 straight up from Kruger National Park holiday.

1/250 f/4 iso1600



1/1000 f/5.6 iso560



1/1000 f/5.6 iso1100



---------- Post added 09-16-14 at 10:03 PM ----------

And DA*300 with DA-1.4xTC

Waterbuck 1/750 f/6.7 iso560



1/2000s f/5.6 iso560



1/2000s f/8 iso1600



---------- Post added 09-16-14 at 10:38 PM ----------

The DA*300 + DA-1.4xTC delivering sharpness beyond my expectations on
Ground Hornbill at 420mm 1/1500s f/5.6 iso800



And then some challenging birding shots
African Fish Eagle in flight 420mm 1/2000 f/8 iso400



Redbilled Oxpeckers 420mm 1/1500 f/8 iso2200 (although I think I slightly missed focus here)



Egret surfing of rump of Hippo 300mm 1/1000 f/6.7 iso280

---

Last edited by KevinR; 09-16-2014 at 01:46 PM.

[woodywesty]

Some more from the DA*300 straight up from Kruger National Park holiday.

1/250 f/4 iso1600



1/1000 f/5.6 iso560



1/1000 f/5.6 iso1100



---------- Post added 09-16-14 at 10:03 PM ----------

And DA*300 with DA-1.4xTC

Waterbuck 1/750 f/6.7 iso560



1/2000s f/5.6 iso560



1/2000s f/8 iso1600



---------- Post added 09-16-14 at 10:38 PM ----------

The DA*300 + DA-1.4xTC delivering sharpness beyond my expectations on
Ground Hornbill at 420mm 1/1500s f/5.6 iso800



And then some challenging birding shots
African Fish Eagle in flight 420mm 1/2000 f/8 iso400



Redbilled Oxpeckers 420mm 1/1500 f/8 iso2200 (although I think I slightly missed focus here)



Egret surfing of rump of Hippo 300mm 1/1000 f/6.7 iso280

WOW! those are beautiful, sharp pics with the DA*300 and TC. Can't wait till Black Friday to get mine.... ;-)

[rgknief60]

A few from the DA 560

Philip

Great job. Thanks for posting!

---------- Post added 09-16-14 at 06:05 PM ----------

Some more from the DA*300 straight up from Kruger National Park holiday.

Like your shot of those red-billed oxpeckers! Never seen those before.

[RobG]

The DA*300 sure is sharp (like the warbler? pic) Hate to hear that the new TC might compromise low light shots. Seems like being a bird photographer with Pentax/Ricoh is a bit of a compromise. I think that I'll go ahead with the plan for the DA*300 and make the best of it and start saving for the Sigma 500mm and hope that they don't dump Pentax before I save the money... ;-) Bob

I don't know how soon you're thinking of getting the DA*300 but you might want to wait to hear more about the new 100-400 zoom. Hopefully some more concrete info will come out of Photokina in the next few days. If it looks decent and semi-reasonably priced, I'll probably get one, and I already have the DA*300. If the zoom actually goes to 450mm, it will be the same length as the DA*300 with the 1.4TC.

[dane.dawg]

I don't know how soon you're thinking of getting the DA*300 but you might want to wait to hear more about the new 100-400 zoom. Hopefully some more concrete info will come out of Photokina in the next few days. If it looks decent and semi-reasonably priced, I'll probably get one, and I already have the DA*300. If the zoom actually goes to 450mm, it will be the same length as the DA*300 with the 1.4TC.

Unfortunately it will probably be a f4.5 to 5.6.

[RobG]

Unfortunately it will probably be a f4.5 to 5.6.

And the DA*300 f4 with the 1.4TC is f5.6. My DA55-300 isn't fixed aperture and I still get great photos from it.

No, they're not as good as the results from the DA*300 but then again the lens is much more portable and easier to hand hold. I'd rather have a 100-400 which I can take when I travel than a fixed aperture 400+mm prime which I need a car to transport, and costs the price of a car to buy. I understand that there's others who want that long fast lens, but they're probably better off moving to a brand that already has such a lens - unless the DA560 is a solution, and the photos posted recently from it look amazing, even with the 1.4TC on it. It all depends on what you want the long lens for and how you plan to use it. I take photos opportunistically while I'm walking. I don't generally set up in a hide and wait for hours or days. So, even though the DA560 or the long fast lenses from Canon and Nikon look impressive, they don't suit me.

Not so long ago I took some photos of a parrot which was a rare visitor to my area. Others were photographing the same birds with huge lenses and monopods, but frankly under the circumstances their results weren't significantly better than mine using the DA*300 hand held. Again, YMMV. I am interested in this new lens, even if it's not fixed aperture.

[dane.dawg]

The da*300 is an amazing lens that i find very compact.
A 100-400mm will be larger but more versatile.
I have owned Sigmas 120-400mm and 150-500mm I always prefered cropping the da*300 compared to the photos I got from the Sigmas, but who knows maybe Pentax will sprinkle a little fairy dust on the 100-400 and it will be amazing.

[woodywesty]

I don't know how soon you're thinking of getting the DA*300 but you might want to wait to hear more about the new 100-400 zoom. Hopefully some more concrete info will come out of Photokina in the next few days. If it looks decent and semi-reasonably priced, I'll probably get one, and I already have the DA*300. If the zoom actually goes to 450mm, it will be the same length as the DA*300 with the 1.4TC.

Yes, I've been waiting for months to see this new big zoom but when I saw the picture yesterday of the two empty boxes on display my heart sank. I've sort of given up on Ricoh offering any quality big lenses (bigger than the 300mm) and the DA*300 is a great lens so I'll probably learn to work within the limitations of a 420mm and make the best of it. After all...every day forum members are posting great pictures with this lens/TC combo....

[Kameko]

andddd takeoff!

[RobG]

andddd takeoff!

Beautiful shot!

[swip]

A few from the DA 560


Philip

Nice to see photos from the DA 560. All lovely shots. Where they all taken with a tripod?

[Clinton]

Who do you think he is? @Clinton?

I've got one planned for my future, but haven't made the purchase yet.

I think that any time you're shooting above 500mm, your technique is more critical to the sharpness than the lens. Over 700? The air itself is a problem. Heat or dust will soften your pictures.

Over 1000mm? DOF becomes a substantial problem. Best of luck in nailing the focus.

1200mm? Well, it's really fun.

Here's a Yellowstone brown bear eating the flowers @1200mm on the k3. This is entirely unprocessed.

---------- Post added 09-16-2014 at 09:23 PM ----------

My technique? Tripod quickly set up on mixed ground, one leg shorter than the others on pavement, with the others two in squishy gravel, at a downhill angle, with people stomping about all over the place. It was cloudy as well. Ultimately, this picture exceeded my expectations of what I thought I could pull off in this environment.