[Canada_Rockies]

Tawny Frogmouth

S/he's so ugly s/he's cute.

[Ron Boggs]

Before busting this kit into pieces in the marketplace I wanted a final picture of the whole set-up. We "300 plus Clubbers" may be some of the few who can appreciate the insanity! (BTW what I'm busting up is the lighting system, not body, lens or tripod.)

Originally ran this set-up in the film era when lighting presented even more problems than today...With the FA*250-600 (and it's 10 ft. minimum focus distance) this could very well have been the ultimate backyard birding semi-studio set-up. I do have slides of that rig...it was cool! This pic is with the F*300/4.5 and HD 1.4X and K3II giving me frame filling on par with what some would call 630mm on my old film rig.

What you see is an aimable RRS Flash Arm with Extender Post and Twin Flash Bar. The two flashes are my old legacy 500 FTZ's with Fresnel flash projectors. (I more commonly use a 540 and a 360 but I wanted vintage in the photo). The idea is to generate enough light and enough reach without creating eyeshine/redeye in the critter. By moving the strobes a distance off the lens centerline, eyeshine is greatly reduced and usually avoided. Same rig without the extension and just one diffused flash is the ultimate aimable telemacro light set up, and in-fact, I have another smaller Flash Arm permanently affixed to my 200 macro QD plate. The Flash Arm is quite robust and can be used as a handle to lift the whole rig onto the tripod.

Juice comes from the full-sized "shoot all weekend and next weekend too" Quantum Turbo Battery running through a splitter to the two strobes.

OK, I actually took the time to look up original costs on this whole kit...oh, never mind...I eventually got out of the straight jacket!

[ChipB]

One heck of a rig, Ron!! I bet it'll "light up the night"!!

[Canada_Rockies]

Before busting this kit into pieces in the marketplace I wanted a final picture of the whole set-up. We "300 plus Clubbers" may be some of the few who can appreciate the insanity! (BTW what I'm busting up is the lighting system, not body, lens or tripod.)

OK, I actually took the time to look up original costs on this whole kit...oh, never mind...I eventually got out of the straight jacket!

SWMBO gave you an earful did she? Nice rig.

[Ducatigaz]

K-3ii/FA*600mmF4ED[IF]/Gitzo 1348



1/50 sec

[Ron Boggs]

Nice pics Ducatigaz...just sold my FA*600/4 to a forum member in Australia. It just cleared customs and he should get it tomorrow! Several years ago when I chose to let either the 250-600 or 600/4 go, I kept the 600/4. It's the best Pentax supertelephoto period! Unless you prefer the F*600/4 with double length hood. Calling the 250-600 the ultimate backyard birding lens is not a slur on the 600! And didn't mean to bristle you. But between the shorter minimum focus and the ability to zoom as needed, the 250-600 was pretty awesome for those close quarters/yard distance opportunities. Kind of "backyard safari" setup and 5 pounds lighter than my beloved 600/4. Plus the 250-600 had a preset zoom and focus point that could be preprogrammed onto two different bird perches, and then a single or double push of a button set the lens to the presets for you...just had to point it in time! Nothing else in the industry even similar. (of course those trick zoom functions are no longer supported by our new camera bodies...only power zoom without presets.) Forum member in Canada has the zoom and a buddy in San Diego has my old F*600...

And no Canadian Rockies, no fight-back from any side whenever I've indulged myself! That's why I've owned whatever Pentax gear I've desired...no moderator! Just the bank account remorse!

[Canada_Rockies]

And no Canadian Rockies, no fight-back from any side whenever I've indulged myself! That's why I've owned whatever Pentax gear I've desired...no moderator! Just the bank account remorse!

Lucky you! Some of us aren't quite so lucky. Mind you, the budget in our house doesn't result in too much temptation in any event ...

[dadipentak]

See Here

[Ron Boggs]

Lucky you! Some of us aren't quite so lucky. Mind you, the budget in our house doesn't result in too much temptation in any event ...

Try not to have luck be a requirement to own the goodies I crave. Not always a budget issue. My business required quite a bit of photo work through the years and IRS audits agreed that I could buy photo gear for the biz (in my prior life I wrote fishing books and hundreds of magazine articles and commonly needed nice illustration images as well as those horrible victory shots of "angler holding fish"). I ain't proud, there's worse work out there! Also did lots of speaking engagements all over U.S. and Canada (more than 450 paid gigs). I made sure to have nice images flashing up there on the screen while I railed on about fishing or boating or even motivational/sport psychology (hunh? 8 years coaching a pre-Olympic wrestling program) so had to have quality photo gear. And gee, all those travel days...maybe ought to stay an extra day or two to shoot photos!

This wasn't a lucrative career, though comfortable, and certainly didn't set me up for a lush retirement. But I've always been a dream chaser and find a way to get by doing it. So wife for over 20 years didn't look over my shoulder...it was part of the business and legitimate! Though I'm glad to be divorced, she was great in that she never squelched my dreams or our son's dreams...best spousal gift ever! Been single for about 5 years so my terrible fiscal policies dictate which killer fishing reels I can find in Japan or what esoteric Pentax star lens I choose to shoot with and whether I'd rather follow a photo subject or try to catch some really fun fish. Note that all the photo gear has held value quite nicely, thank you...so what may have appeared to be a rash and childish expense was actually pretty sane. Wish I'd bought a half-dozen FA*200/4 Macro lenses! They are currently fetching 3-4 times the original new price! (and I am not selling!)

BTW this was not about me, but a cheerleading session...GO DO THE THINGS YOU LIKE DOING! I like Pentax...is that so wrong?

[zzeitg]

See Here

I regret to hear that, dadipentak. I know what I would do: plant couple of new trees (or more). That's generally what I do over the past 20 years. Just imagine there was an empty green field 20 year ago...

Nice pics Ducatigaz...just sold my FA*600/4 to a forum member in Australia. It just cleared customs and he should get it tomorrow!

Congratulation to the new owner and I hope that he'll share some of his photo work (done using this lens-gem) with us rather soon!

Wish I'd bought a half-dozen FA*200/4 Macro lenses! They are currently fetching 3-4 times the original new price! (and I am not selling!)

As long as there's no adequate modern replacement, these old lenses will pricewise reach the sky.


DA*300 @ 420mm

[normhead]

K-3 and Tamron SP AF 300 2.8 LD [IF] and HD DA 1.4 TC, 420mm ƒ4.
400 ISO, ƒ8, AV

O.K. then, I went out for a bit today, the roof is totally off my blind and it's completely ineffective... I did manage a few shots.

[pearsaab]

pentax q with sigma 500mm 4.5ex...rainy saturday

[ChipB]

K-3 and Tamron SP AF 300 2.8 LD [IF] and HD DA 1.4 TC, 420mm ƒ4.
400 ISO, ƒ8, AVO.K. then, I went out for a bit today, the roof is totally off my blind and it's completely ineffective... I did manage a few shots.

Well, the blind might be "completely ineffective", but you still got some really nice shots!!

Chip

[ChipB]

pentax q with sigma 500mm 4.5ex...rainy saturday

Might have been rainy, but you got some great shots!!

Chip

[csa]

A below zero day here, but bright & sunny, so I got out to get a few photos with my K3, Sigma 300 F4, Tamron 1.4xTC.