[daytona9]

Due to various demands on my time I've been confined to shooting around the house lately but there's not m8uch going on bird-wise (and when something does show up the conditions run against me.) I did get this wren the other day though (I wish that old vine hadn't gotten in the way.)

Don't you just hate it when that happens? Nice shot anyway, Dave.

Cheers,
Greg.

[crewl1]

Great shots, Larry, especially #3. What bird is that, by the way?

Your granddaughter shows a lot of talent (good teacher, I suppose). Long lens technique at her age, all I can say is WOW! Some of us are still trying to get it right, and we've been practising since before she was born! She should be very proud of those shots, they are excellent. If she keeps this up, man, she is going to be one heck of a photographer!

Cheers,
Greg.

Thanks Greg! I also hope she stays interested.
She is very much into animals and wildlife and loves going to the zoo and taking pictures there.
Her little brother is into video games, on the other hand.

#3 is a Western Grebe.

[dadipentak]

there's not m8uch going on bird-wise (and when something does show up the conditions run against me.)

So here's what I'm talking about: It was overcast & rainy again today so, of course, the birds appeared. Given the lack of light, I shot with the Sigma500/4.5 & no a TC but came up short. The small birds were out of range, the larger birds were black and the sky was leaden.

Despite it's technical shortcomings , I liked this one. It seemed to me the one (lower) crow was asking the other one for food--the standard "Feed me"/"Feed your own damned self" dialogue of fledging--but it seems too early in the year for that.



The woodpeckers were around, too. This is a 100% crop--get a load of those claws!

[Pentax_family]

Hi, I am new to this forum.
Does anyone has any idea about the performance of a FA*200mm/f2.8 with a Vivitar 1.4x vs FA*300mm/f4.5? I have FA*200mm/f2.8 and the 1.4x, is it worth to buy the FA*300mm/f4.5?

[Weevil]

Hi, I am new to this forum.
Does anyone has any idea about the performance of a FA*200mm/f2.8 with a Vivitar 1.4x vs FA*300mm/f4.5? I have FA*200mm/f2.8 and the 1.4x, is it worth to buy the FA*300mm/f4.5?

Any converter will have at the least a little downside effect on sharpness... I have a K 200mm/ F2.5 + Tamron 1.4x or AFA 1.7x, and a F* 300mm F/4.5, and the 300mm is much better alone IQ wise...
but much more expensive, if you don't have the $ constraint, always go w/o converters, but however, you can achieve good/acceptable results too with a TC...
it's always a compromise.

[wkraus]

Hi, I am new to this forum.
Does anyone has any idea about the performance of a FA*200mm/f2.8 with a Vivitar 1.4x vs FA*300mm/f4.5? I have FA*200mm/f2.8 and the 1.4x, is it worth to buy the FA*300mm/f4.5?

Hi there,
I have been using what is probably the best converter option with the FA* 200mm: the Rear Converter-A 1.4x-L which was especially designed for long fast lenses and fits only these (basically the FA* 200mm and all 400+ lenses). The FA* 200mm did very badly with the normal A 1.4x-S and I suppose the Vivitar will also be sub-optimal. I have no experience with the FA* 300mm. The FA* 200mm/Rear Converter-A 1.4x-L combo worked quite well, with a little more CA and a little less sharpness than the FA* alone but no dramatic tradeoffs. However, I have since got the DA* 300mm and that is really a different world. The DA* 300mm is clearly superior to the FA* 200mm alone and more so to the converter combo. Very little CA, practically no LoCA of which the FA* has quite a bit, and magnificent contrast and resolution from wide open. If it is worth the price for you only you can decide. For me it was more than worth it.

[traderdrew]

I'm sure some of you have seen these photos. I just wanted to say it has been fun creating these images with ocean waves behind my subjects. One a good day I have had more fun at Fort Desoto creating these images than I did partying in Miami where I am from.







K-5 with the Sigma 500mm F/4.5

[Pentax_family]

Hi there,
I have been using what is probably the best converter option with the FA* 200mm: the Rear Converter-A 1.4x-L which was especially designed for long fast lenses and fits only these (basically the FA* 200mm and all 400+ lenses). The FA* 200mm did very badly with the normal A 1.4x-S and I suppose the Vivitar will also be sub-optimal. I have no experience with the FA* 300mm. The FA* 200mm/Rear Converter-A 1.4x-L combo worked quite well, with a little more CA and a little less sharpness than the FA* alone but no dramatic tradeoffs. However, I have since got the DA* 300mm and that is really a different world. The DA* 300mm is clearly superior to the FA* 200mm alone and more so to the converter combo. Very little CA, practically no LoCA of which the FA* has quite a bit, and magnificent contrast and resolution from wide open. If it is worth the price for you only you can decide. For me it was more than worth it.

Thanks for the information, wkraus and Weevil.
It comes to another question: just from the point of view of performance, how is FA*300mm/f4.5 vs DA 300mm/f4.0?

[littledrawe]

just from the point of view of performance, how is FA*300mm/f4.5 vs DA 300mm/f4.0?

@stormtech, Stan, haven't you used both?

[stormtech]

Thanks for the information, wkraus and Weevil.
It comes to another question: just from the point of view of performance, how is FA*300mm/f4.5 vs DA 300mm/f4.0?

@stormtech, Stan, haven't you used both?

Yes. As far as outright image quality, I was hard pressed to find any difference at all. Now there were some subtle differences - the newer digital type coatings on the DA* lens were noticeable to me with just a slight shift in warmth I guess.

In general - both lenses are absolutely top notch in the IQ department - where the difference lay for me was weather sealing, tripod mount, and SDM vs screw drive focusing. Also the FA* is smaller and lighter, and a 1/2 stop slower.

The only other variable is availability - DA* is a current product - FA* is discontinued and can be hard to find.

[pearsaab]

da 300 with k5...one of the few birds i have taken a picture of and thought "wow you are ugly"




IMGA8970 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[v5planet]

da 300 with k5...one of the few birds i have taken a picture of and thought "wow you are ugly"




IMGA8970 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Turkey vulture? Those things are hideous, haha.

[dadipentak]

We actually had some sun this morning.

[Pentax_family]

Yes. As far as outright image quality, I was hard pressed to find any difference at all. Now there were some subtle differences - the newer digital type coatings on the DA* lens were noticeable to me with just a slight shift in warmth I guess.

In general - both lenses are absolutely top notch in the IQ department - where the difference lay for me was weather sealing, tripod mount, and SDM vs screw drive focusing. Also the FA* is smaller and lighter, and a 1/2 stop slower.

The only other variable is availability - DA* is a current product - FA* is discontinued and can be hard to find.

Thanks a lot, stormtech and littledrawe. The information is very useful for me, but it is still a good question to determine which one to go. The DA* is weather sealing, APS-C, a bit heavier, current product but more expensive; FA* is lighter, FF, discont and hard to find, without tripod mount (hand held is good enough, I suppose).

[stormtech]

We actually had some sun this morning.

What a great shot of the Woodpecker - Pileated right?