[bertwert]

I'd recommend it--I find CIF very useful when using MF lenses.

Hmm. alright then, I'll give it another go.

I think part of the reason I didn't like it was that when the focus confirmation and CiF thought it was in focus was actually slightly off. I've never used any AF fine tune stuff, as all my AF lenses seem to focus fine. Am I correct in thinking that if I apply a "global" setting for using the A 400, I'd have then go and set individual settings of zero for all my AF lenses (or take my time and actually check if they should be zero or not...)? Also, I really don't understand how different lenses can need different settings, I can see how there might need to an adjustment for the AF sensor and imaging sensor, but wouldn't that affect all lenses equally? Meh, that's another discussion altogether...

[luftfluss]

I was going to ask, are you going off the AF indicator or your eyes for focus? If the former I'd guess it's a front/back focus issue...

Generally I just go off my eyes these days, but more the range that things are in focus is pretty small, confined with the long throw gives me lots of second guessing too...




I've never got the hang of using catch in focus, I don't like the shutter not firing when I hit it... maybe I should give it another go

The problem however is the AF fine adjust, for manual lenses you'd have to set the global setting, and change it every time you change lenses... a fair bit of work...

I generally eyeball it when shooting MF long lenses. The AF indicator is premature with my A400/5.6, but works well with wide angle up to short tele.

Really it boils down to knowing one's gear, and reminding oneself of specific foibles. Same as it ever was, I guess.

[bertwert]

I generally eyeball it when shooting MF long lenses. The AF indicator is premature with my A400/5.6, but works well with wide angle up to short tele.

Really it boils down to knowing one's gear, and reminding oneself of specific foibles. Same as it ever was, I guess.

Yeah for sure... I just had another thought, you wouldn't happen to use a magnifying viewfinder, like the O-ME53? Wonder if that would be helpful focusing...

[luftfluss]

Yeah for sure... I just had another thought, you wouldn't happen to use a magnifying viewfinder, like the O-ME53? Wonder if that would be helpful focusing...

Yup, using the O-ME53.

I really should do a focus confirmation test with my various long lenses just to get an idea of its effectiveness, but that seems like a lot of work with 6 lenses + 5 TC's, and I'm kinda lazy...

[jacamar]

We have thousands of these Red-necked Grebes passing through at the moment. Most are headed much further north but a few stay here to nest.





I have previously posted pics of a Snowy Owl and a Canvasback sitting on this same raft, but I'm pretty sure it was it was put there for the grebes.

[Pentikonian]

White-winged Dove in the tree yesterday. K-1 + DA*300, slight crop.

[Lowell Goudge]

We have thousands of these Red-necked Grebes passing through at the moment. Most are headed much further north but a few stay here to nest.





I have previously posted pics of a Snowy Owl and a Canvasback sitting on this same raft, but I'm pretty sure it was it was put there for the grebes.

somewhere i have photos of grebes with babies on the same raft. i will look for them and post if i can find them

[dadipentak]

I'm kinda lazy...

Me, too (and also intimidated by technology)--which is why, at a certain point, I give up on obsessing about ultra-maximum sharpness. At a certain point, I just dust off the front element and go out shooting. This btw, is reason #7 (of 512) why I am not a professional photographer.

[Lowell Goudge]

somewhere i have photos of grebes with babies on the same raft. i will look for them and post if i can find them

as promised, K1 with Sigma APO 70-200/2.8 EX (first generation from 1999) with Sigma APO EX 2X TC

[jacamar]

as promised, K1 with Sigma APO 70-200/2.8 EX (first generation from 1999) with Sigma APO EX 2X TC

Thanks Lowell - it's a busy little spot to be sure! It's a shame about those metal hoops, not sure why they are there. I suppose some people might have edited them out.

[scc]

Taken last Saturday with my newly repaired A*300 mm f/2.8 ED IF with the 1.4x TC:

[rod_grant]

it was it was put there for the grebes.

but obviously with insufficient bedding, judging by the new incoming delivery.

[redpit]

Thanks!

I went out again in the evening light, got a more environmental shot of some whitetail dear. Being roughly 300m away, sneaking up skills were not required

K-50 and A 400/5.6, right on f/9.5 where it seems to perform its best.

Wonderful image!I love the framing and ratio you chose to crop.

[Lowell Goudge]

Snip.....


I have been using the 1.7x pentax tc with my tamron 300mm f2.8's. Results, I have to say, are mixed. It sounds good, the tc adding Af capability, but focus at 510mm f4.7 is so ticklish that missing it, for what ever reasons, is only too easy.

I used the 1.7x AF converter for years on my K300/4 generally the results were good, with some caveats.

- Distant focus / resolution was poor, the combo did much better on smaller birds at less than 20-30 meters
- fringing and longitudinal CA. The K300 has longitudinal CA and this is amplified by the AF adaptor which cannot fully compensate for all combinations of focus error of the MF lens and focus compensation with the moveable lens set of the converter.

Purple fringing in high contrast is some times possible, (very lens dependant) and is the principal reason I don’t have a tamron 300/2.8. Many years ago, I had a local camera store owned by a camera repair tech. He specialized in used gear and repairs, and would let you bring what ever you had in to the shop and try out lenses he had. I tried out the Tammy with my 1.7x converter, (I forget which body I brought) and focused on near and far subjects on a bright sunny day. The combo produced such bad purple fringing, I said no thanks on the lens. My K300/4 produced much better results, so I accepted to give up a stop

As for distant focus and resolution on distant subjects, I have recently been spoiled. After years of sitting on the fence of a fast high quality 500mm+ lens for birding, I bought the DA560. For birding, especially subjects at a distance, it does far better than any other option I have. The only drawback, and it had me thinking for years about how to get reach, is the minimum focus distance. I often thought about either the FA 300/2.8 or Sigma 300/2.8 and the sigma 2x TC. Slight loss in resolution for sure but about a 50% reduction in minimum focus distance. For a warbler, or other small song birds that can be a difference.

---------- Post added 04-23-21 at 06:56 AM ----------

Thanks Lowell - it's a busy little spot to be sure! It's a shame about those metal hoops, not sure why they are there. I suppose some people might have edited them out.

My patience at editing is limited to slight adjustments in exposure/contrast, and cropping.

I work usually in JPEG on the principle of WYSIWYG.

[K2 to K50]

as promised, K1 with Sigma APO 70-200/2.8 EX (first generation from 1999) with Sigma APO EX 2X TC

That is very cute - a good pic showing a very moving side of nature at work.