[OJGoreng]

That was quite a successfully rendered "over reaching" shot" !!

I didn't even post the one where I photographed a building 5.5 kilometres away (what's that, about three and a half miles) only to be able to confirm that the resident peregrine falcon was perching on it.

---------- Post added 05-03-2015 at 01:13 AM ----------

Oh, here's another BIF. Crop to 20% of original frame (the rest being all sky). Colours are a bit weird as I had to overexpose a lot in pp.

[derekkite]

I didn't even post the one where I photographed a building 5.5 kilometres away (what's that, about three and a half miles) only to be able to confirm that the resident peregrine falcon was perching on it.

---------- Post added 05-03-2015 at 01:13 AM ----------

Oh, here's another BIF. Crop to 20% of original frame (the rest being all sky). Colours are a bit weird as I had to overexpose a lot in pp.

Nice. Obviously you know how to handle a long lens. I'm impressed by what you are able to get.

You are shooting with the K-3 I assume. Do you have the 1.20 firmware installed?

[OJGoreng]

I near-compulsively document all my local fauna, so I tend to shoot for at least an hour each day (there's a construction site and little swamp behind my place of work, which is ideal for lunch break birding - i just realised I've uploaded close to 12,000 photos to this local biodiversity site over the years, although usually the goal is just to deliver an IDable shot rather than a pretty picture.
Yes, I've installed the new firmware. The bug doesn't really bother me all that much, although it would be good if it gets worked out in the next version.

[Stavri]

I near-compulsively document all my local fauna, so I tend to shoot for at least an hour each day (there's a construction site and little swamp behind my place of work, which is ideal for lunch break birding - i just realised I've uploaded close to 12,000 photos to this local biodiversity site over the years, although usually the goal is just to deliver an IDable shot rather than a pretty picture.
Yes, I've installed the new firmware. The bug doesn't really bother me all that much, although it would be good if it gets worked out in the next version.

Thank you for the 450mm f5.6, the performance looks outstanding, all the BIF shots were great as well.

[OJGoreng]

Thanks. Of course, for fairness's sake, it's not like the 300 +1.4x combo can't hold its own in that field. Here's a few recent ones with that combo. Of course, these were shot at reasonably close distance.






It's hard to do a fair real-life situation comparison test when you're using a lens for wildlife... keeper rate is more informative, I guess.

[jpzk]

Thanks. Of course, for fairness's sake, it's not like the 300 +1.4x combo can't hold its own in that field. Here's a few recent ones with that combo. Of course, these were shot at reasonably close distance.






It's hard to do a fair real-life situation comparison test when you're using a lens for wildlife... keeper rate is more informative, I guess.

You're obviously a better photographer than I am !
Congrats on those pics taken with the DA*300/4 and 1.4X TC!
JP

[OJGoreng]

You're obviously a better photographer than I am !
Congrats on those pics taken with the DA*300/4 and 1.4X TC!
JP

Thanks, but consider this... I got my K-3 on December 18th, 2013. The shutter count of that crow-in-flight pic from yesterday is 96,440. Now imagine how many totally unusable shots were among those 96,440....

[rawr]

Thanks, but consider this... I got my K-3 on December 18th, 2013. The shutter count of that crow-in-flight pic from yesterday is 96,440. Now imagine how many totally unusable shots were among those 96,440....

Not bad. But since you've had the K-3 for about 500 days, that's only about 200 shots a day. Light duty!

But seriously, you've managed some impressive BIF's. You've now inspired me to buy the DA 1.4 TC for my DA*300.

[wkraus]

How much was the 250-600 f5.6 when it was new?

German MRP in 2002: EUR 8999.00

[nitehntr]

I'll add to the previous, and break it down some.Growing - especially in their major market, Japan.The financial problem for Sigma is the mechanical aperture coupler, which requires a completely new mount reverse engineering job for each lens. More Pentax market share won't change thatIt would help if you would write, 'IMHO' before such assertions because you cannot have yet quantified value without lenses in-hand to test. So far it appears the sizes, MTF ratings, AF and price are in the same range as the lenses they intend to compete againstWe've been over the high-volume, low margin versus lower volume higher margin business model many times. Canon and Nikon presently have excess unused capacity dragging down their operating profit now that industry volume has declined significantly. Ricoh doesn't want Box Store buyers - they can't make enough product with their present capacity to supply that market.Agreed.Ricoh seems to believe new shooters will buy these lenses - they're just a different group of shooters than you.These arguments have been refuted many times over the last two years, Ricoh has an alternative strategy than do Canon, Nikon and Sony. It is their strategy. Of course we hope it works - but Ricoh seems to believe it will. I don't think they're misguided - in fact I believe they're every bit as informed about their target buyers as are Canon, Nikon and Sony.

When we say Ricoh wants to be an alternative to CaniKony, not just another brand that does all the same things, that might also mean they've decided no longer to serve only the market that wants bargain pricing on great lenses, but premium buyers as well. If you are in a group that refutes this strategy it could be they're abandoning many of their legacy customers, not gouging them.

well i see i have got blasted. that was not my intention at all. i have five of the DA* lenses and have been quite happy with them except for multiple problems with the SDM in four of them which seems to have been solved by a change in repair facilities. i also use an old manual 500 f4.5 an older screw drive Bigma and a old screw drive tamron 70-200 f2.8 which was a gift from my sons several years ago all of which give me high quality images. sometimes we forget that 90% of it is the eyeball behind the camera. i don't begrudge anyone making as much as they can. but i just think they are going about tall wrong if they want to gain market share. and while japan is an important market the US market is the largest and the most lucrative. and BTW i live in a area where we see a lot of tourists from japan and the vast majority of them are carrying canikon unless they are using their phones. but thats a whole other story. i guess my main point is that i don't mind spending the money but i just don't see triple value here. it just seems they are trying to see what the market will bear. and again i am fine with that but i don't know if ill be able to pull the trigger on the 70-200 at $2300.00.

[Zygonyx]

Yeah there is one other thread re. this last lens you quote...

[nitehntr]

oh and one other thing sigma doesn't seem to have a problem with making the sony mount. and compared to canikon they also have a minuscule market share. i don't see high end sony's in big box either and not jut wal mart but best buy and even some larger brick and mortar photo stores i have been to but they do have dedicated sony stores several places. the one i have been to is in aventura mall in north miami where one of my sons live. they have everything in there so you can get hands on.

[Kunzite]

And you think the problem is Pentax not selling their high-end lenses cheaper than consumer-level Sigma ones?

[boriscleto]

Those considering the price of a Nikon 7200 plus Sigma 150-600 should also think about the Nikon + Tamron 150~600, a combination that should be about the same $ as the Pentax lens alone.

If you want a lens that isn't really in the same class.

[monochrome]

Sigh.

Just more FUD spreading.