[boriscleto]

On Sunday the robins could still find some exposed grass with the starlings, grackles and blackbirds. After 3 days of snow they are trying to find the last of the berries...

[sculptor666]

k-1 da*300 1/15 handheld

[zzeitg]

DA560

[rvannatta]

I accomplished this with the K-1 using Pentax-A 400mm f/2.8 and a Pentax 1.4L converter. it was late on a dark cloudy rainy day (today). Used 25600 ISO to close the deal.

Attached Images

 

[FreeSpirit9]

I accomplished this with the K-1 using Pentax-A 400mm f/2.8 and a Pentax 1.4L converter. it was late on a dark cloudy rainy day (today). Used 25600 ISO to close the deal.

I need to get me a K1 - with results like yours using ISO 25600; Amazing...... Nice image.

[aslyfox]

continuing the theme of birds

1 scarlet Macaw captured in the Rain Forest Exhibit in the Topeka Zoological Park

2 migratory Canada Geese in the Topeka Zoological Park (might have been posted to the forums before)

K 3 + HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW

[kengoh]

Very nice, as usual, kengoh.

Thanks onlineflyer.

Rusty Naped Pitta shot with K3 + Sigma 500 F4.5

[wtlwdwgn]

Gosh darn ravens! K-3 and Sigma 150-500 Bigmos at 500mm.

[Ducatigaz]

Male Kestrel. K-5/FA*600mmF4ED[IF]/Eckcla car window mount. Taken in low light.

[rvannatta]

I need to get me a K1 - with results like yours using ISO 25600; Amazing...... Nice image.

That's what the camera makers have been doing since they have hit the practical limits on increased pixel counts is making each generation
of sensors do better in low light. The rest of the settings were 1/100 at f/9. If I count right the ISO is 6 stops above Kodacolor 400. The approximate
exposure could have been replicated at 1/25 at f2.8. for exposure with kodacolor 400, but the cost would have been shake issues and depth of field.
The thing that makes this picture to me is the background----you usually find doves in places of really bad backgrounds--- parking lots, lawns etc. but here we have
the utter chaos of the background contrasting with the peaceful bird to make an interesting picture and without the high ISO you just can't get there.

[zzeitg]

DA560

[aslyfox]

Giant Indian Fruit Bats Pteropus giganteus a.k.a. Flying Foxes in the Rain Forest Exhibit at the Topeka Zoological Park today

Giant Indian Fruit Bat | Humanities | JAMA | The JAMA Network

K 3 + HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW

Focal Length 450.0mm (35mm equivalent: 675mm)
Exposure Time 1/500s (0.0020)
Aperture F/5.6

[Shedking]

I saw your post in the lens review section, great job with the repair. I have this lens in the manual focus and the Autofocus version. It really can be a fun lens to use. However it has it's limitations. Anything below f8 is essentially unusable. I pretty much set it a f11 and leave it there. On my K10D I rarely used it due the limitations of the K10D sensor. I rediscovered it on my K3. I just set my K3 to ISO 100-3200 and let the camera do its thing. You may want to check your camera for front/back focus issues. The lens has a hard stop focus so it can make a pop when it hits the focus limit.

One thing to remember is that it is 400mm prime. The lens is so compact you can forget that. On a APS-C camera you have 600mm field of view of a full frame camera. Hand held shots can be done but you need to be steady. For fast moving birds I try to keep my shutter speed above 1/1000s. This is a lens that needs light to really perform. Cloudy, gloomy, dull grey skies are not this lens friend. As for high ISO I feel a well exposed sharp high ISO shot is better than a blurry clean low ISO shot. Post processing software has come along way and I do not worry about high ISO so much anymore.

Many thanks to Scorpio71GR and luftfluss for the advice. I've corrected a slight front focus and, in the poor light we've been having, tested out the low-light limit. I agree that f/8 is the minimum workable aperture - not only for sharpness but also for gaining any useful DOF at near range. f/5.6 is a focusing aid....

[rkappleby]

I took this a few days ago - he was heading across a field freshly covered with snow - he really jumped out from the bleak background. Sig 500

[aslyfox]

Inspired by what I have seen from the other posters in this thread, I thought I would run over to the Topeka Zoological Park and see what I could do by fooling around with hand holding [ just bracing against my body ] the K 3 and its SR capability + the "big boy system": the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW + HD Pentax-DA 1.4x AW AF Rear Converter.

I was purposely trying to stress the system and myself.

boy did I succeed at stressing myself, heavy and very wavy, press the shutter and trust the SR

____________________________________________-

here are some results - found this big female Canada Goose nest building on the far shore and then after all that hard work, getting a drink of cool water

1 and 2 - Focal Length 630.0mm (35mm equivalent: 945mm), Exposure Time 1/640s (0.0016), Aperture F/8.0 mostly stationary target but very hard to capture reflections

3 and 4 - Focal Length 434.0mm (35mm equivalent: 651mm) Exposure Time 1/500s (0.0020) Aperture F/8.0 target closing range as it crossed the lake but easier to capture reflections