300mm plus Lens Club: discuss your long lenses

**Des** · 09-05-2021, 05:27 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Canada_Rockies

What a gorgeous little bird. It almost looks like his feathers are neon signs

Thanks Albert. Yes their blue is almost iridescent. Apparently it's related to their having UV vision - the blue is highly visible to prospective mates. See:
Why are so many fairy-wrens blue?
https://www.smh.com.au/education/the-bluer-bird-of-happiness-20121112-297ye.html

**Canada_Rockies** · 09-05-2021, 08:13 PM - **1 Like**

Nice link, Des

amazing_universe · 09-05-2021, 09:33 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Des

Superb Fairy-wren male in breeding plumage. KP + DA 55-300 PLM at 300mm

My favourite bird :-)

**termy** · 09-06-2021, 09:10 AM - **5 Likes**

"What'cha lookin at, mate"

(A rather commonly seen sunbird)

K33 with DFA 150-450.

Attached Images

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Aaron28 · 09-06-2021, 03:17 PM - **5 Likes**

k-3ii....sigma 150-150os

Sagitta · 09-06-2021, 06:01 PM - **4 Likes**

It's not quite a bird, but it was probably close to 500mm when I shot this...

noelpolar · 09-06-2021, 09:06 PM - **15 Likes**

The local pentax eBay seller was having a 15% off sale... so the 1.4x TC was down to $500 (aussie) so I finally bought one. So... a new FF 1.4TC should now only be weeks away....

Anyway... there is always a Newholland Honeyeater somewhere in the yard.... so first go (on K3III and DFA 150-450)... my first take out is that I will be spending most of my time searching for the bird in the tree I saw before raising the camera to my eye...... I'm thinking 450mm is the longest focal length "for dummies"... on crop anyhow.

This one isn't cropped... I went into retired old man mode (ie. didn't move for a bit)

Last edited by noelpolar; 09-07-2021 at 12:41 AM.

RobG · 09-07-2021, 12:20 AM

Originally posted by GvilleRick

A few shots of a hummingbird from this morning. K1ii and DA* 300 on a tripod near my feeder set up in the window. I sat across the room using a remote to get the shots.

Wow, that last one is amazing!

Spock · 09-07-2021, 07:57 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by MossyRocks

Not really it is dimmer but there I went from shooting at f/16 effective to f/12.6. I was still shooting at ISO 100 and 1/20s which is a fast enough shutter speed at 800mm to avoid any blur from the movement of the object across the sky. In thinking about it Saturn may be an easier object to deal with when stacking as it is mostly featureless so you don't have to worry about the object's rotation blurring surface details like with Jupiter where a long session would only be about 4 minutes from start to finish but for Saturn you can shoot away. I used the 2s mirror up delay so that vibration would die down and would reposition after about 30 shots so that I could keep them mostly in the middle 1/3rd of the frame where sharpness would be the best.

It was a clear sky tonight so I gave Saturn a go. I didn't think it would be possible but with a K3 Mk3 and a 34 year old F*300mm lens I'm amazed to have got this image - and handheld! The image is straight out of the camera, with no post processing, but heavily cropped.
1/750sec, F4.5, ISO 800

**termy** · 09-07-2021, 08:39 AM - **9 Likes**

'Katie' with DFA 150-450.

Hope you guys like it.

**MossyRocks** · 09-07-2021, 08:46 AM

Originally posted by Spock

It was a clear sky tonight so I gave Saturn a go. I didn't think it would be possible but with a K3 Mk3 and a 34 year old F*300mm lens I'm amazed to have got this image - and handheld! The image is straight out of the camera, with no post processing, but heavily cropped.
1/750sec, F4.5, ISO 800

Not bad. Saturn is rather featureless so about what I would have expected. I did jupiter with my old S-M-C 300/4 Takumar several years ago now with my K-3 and it was small in the frame and once I got a somewhat reasonable exposure you could tell there were some stripes but they were very small and I don't think much could be done with processing.

**Des** · 09-07-2021, 05:03 PM - **9 Likes**

Originally posted by noelpolar

there is always a Newholland Honeyeater somewhere in the yard.... so first go (on K3III and DFA 150-450)... my first take out is that I will be spending most of my time searching for the bird in the tree I saw before raising the camera to my eye...... I'm thinking 450mm is the longest focal length "for dummies"... on crop anyhow.

Very impressive results Noel. Great capture in the second one with a slow shutter speed. Using a TC with a lens that isn't really fast requires that it be sharp wide open - the 150-450 seems excellent in this regard.

Olive Whistler. KP + DA 55-300 f4.5-6.3 PLM at 300mm. A little fill flash in second and third shots.

Aaron28 · 09-07-2021, 06:58 PM

Originally posted by Des

Olive Whistler.

great set Des!

Aaron28 · 09-07-2021, 06:59 PM - **4 Likes**

K-3ii...sigma 150-500os....

Sagitta · 09-07-2021, 07:27 PM - **3 Likes**

Are ducks cheating? Because if so I totally cheated.

Super Cosina 100-500mm @ 500, 1/500 sec (thank you IBIS), ISO 800, K-70

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09-05-2021, 05:27 PM - 1 Like	#36841
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,423	Originally posted by Canada_Rockies What a gorgeous little bird. It almost looks like his feathers are neon signs Thanks Albert. Yes their blue is almost iridescent. Apparently it's related to their having UV vision - the blue is highly visible to prospective mates. See: Why are so many fairy-wrens blue? https://www.smh.com.au/education/the-bluer-bird-of-happiness-20121112-297ye.html

09-05-2021, 08:13 PM - 1 Like	#36842
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Nice link, Des

09-05-2021, 09:33 PM - 1 Like	#36843
amazing_universe Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 58	Originally posted by Des Superb Fairy-wren male in breeding plumage. KP + DA 55-300 PLM at 300mm My favourite bird :-)

09-06-2021, 03:17 PM - 5 Likes	#36845
Aaron28 Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,131	k-3ii....sigma 150-150os

09-06-2021, 06:01 PM - 4 Likes	#36846
Sagitta Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,081	It's not quite a bird, but it was probably close to 500mm when I shot this...

09-06-2021, 09:06 PM - 15 Likes	#36847
noelpolar Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Goolwa, SA Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,310	The local pentax eBay seller was having a 15% off sale... so the 1.4x TC was down to $500 (aussie) so I finally bought one. So... a new FF 1.4TC should now only be weeks away.... Anyway... there is always a Newholland Honeyeater somewhere in the yard.... so first go (on K3III and DFA 150-450)... my first take out is that I will be spending most of my time searching for the bird in the tree I saw before raising the camera to my eye...... I'm thinking 450mm is the longest focal length "for dummies"... on crop anyhow. This one isn't cropped... I went into retired old man mode (ie. didn't move for a bit) Last edited by noelpolar; 09-07-2021 at 12:41 AM.

09-07-2021, 12:20 AM	#36848
RobG Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Canberra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,891	Originally posted by GvilleRick A few shots of a hummingbird from this morning. K1ii and DA* 300 on a tripod near my feeder set up in the window. I sat across the room using a remote to get the shots. Wow, that last one is amazing!

09-07-2021, 07:57 AM - 1 Like	#36849
Spock Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 674	Originally posted by MossyRocks Not really it is dimmer but there I went from shooting at f/16 effective to f/12.6. I was still shooting at ISO 100 and 1/20s which is a fast enough shutter speed at 800mm to avoid any blur from the movement of the object across the sky. In thinking about it Saturn may be an easier object to deal with when stacking as it is mostly featureless so you don't have to worry about the object's rotation blurring surface details like with Jupiter where a long session would only be about 4 minutes from start to finish but for Saturn you can shoot away. I used the 2s mirror up delay so that vibration would die down and would reposition after about 30 shots so that I could keep them mostly in the middle 1/3rd of the frame where sharpness would be the best. It was a clear sky tonight so I gave Saturn a go. I didn't think it would be possible but with a K3 Mk3 and a 34 year old F*300mm lens I'm amazed to have got this image - and handheld! The image is straight out of the camera, with no post processing, but heavily cropped. 1/750sec, F4.5, ISO 800

09-07-2021, 08:46 AM	#36851
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982	Originally posted by Spock It was a clear sky tonight so I gave Saturn a go. I didn't think it would be possible but with a K3 Mk3 and a 34 year old F*300mm lens I'm amazed to have got this image - and handheld! The image is straight out of the camera, with no post processing, but heavily cropped. 1/750sec, F4.5, ISO 800 Not bad. Saturn is rather featureless so about what I would have expected. I did jupiter with my old S-M-C 300/4 Takumar several years ago now with my K-3 and it was small in the frame and once I got a somewhat reasonable exposure you could tell there were some stripes but they were very small and I don't think much could be done with processing.

09-07-2021, 05:03 PM - 9 Likes	#36852
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,423	Originally posted by noelpolar there is always a Newholland Honeyeater somewhere in the yard.... so first go (on K3III and DFA 150-450)... my first take out is that I will be spending most of my time searching for the bird in the tree I saw before raising the camera to my eye...... I'm thinking 450mm is the longest focal length "for dummies"... on crop anyhow. Very impressive results Noel. Great capture in the second one with a slow shutter speed. Using a TC with a lens that isn't really fast requires that it be sharp wide open - the 150-450 seems excellent in this regard. Olive Whistler. KP + DA 55-300 f4.5-6.3 PLM at 300mm. A little fill flash in second and third shots.

09-07-2021, 06:58 PM	#36853
Aaron28 Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,131	Originally posted by Des Olive Whistler. great set Des!

09-07-2021, 06:59 PM - 4 Likes	#36854
Aaron28 Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,131	K-3ii...sigma 150-500os....

09-07-2021, 07:27 PM - 3 Likes	#36855
Sagitta Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,081	Are ducks cheating? Because if so I totally cheated. Super Cosina 100-500mm @ 500, 1/500 sec (thank you IBIS), ISO 800, K-70