[noelpolar]

I'm affraid the second way, just because the problem doesn't appear necessarily straight from the first use.

I wouldn't assume so..... o rings etc become a bit less grippy over time.....

[carolina_sky]

My copy goes back to 150 with no sign of blocking.
Could we share serial numbers of our units, those working properly and those having this 180mm problem to figure out whether there is a possible batch issue ? (thinking about the K5 oily sensor for instance)

4416735

Had mine since May, my most used lens. It has not had the issue so far (knock on wood). I can hear an audible "click" when I zoom in below 200, so that is probably the weather seal moving, but hasn't locked up so far.

[garywakeling]

mine locked at 180 as well, quick repair and back under warranty , now all fine
love this lens on k3 and k1

[fsge]

Got a new copy after 1 month of waiting, no issue with the latter

[clickclick]

I haven't had any issues with my 150-450, but my daughter's DA 16-85 locked up and wouldn't zoom out past about 37mm. If you flipped the lens around, you could here a click and then get it to zoom all the way out to 85, but then after retracting, it would do the same thing over. Wondering if there is something similar in the design of these two lenses that is causing this? Any ties to the DC drive in them? Did get the 16-85 repaired under warranty, but Precision had to send it back to the Pentax factory to get it fixed. Just find it odd that both of these lenses were locking up in the lower half of the zoom range.

[nitehntr]

I know everyone is excited about this, but what I'm scratching my head about is a DC motor? Really? Even in the 70-200 2.8? Tamron even makes an SDM 70-200mm lens with ring drive.


In 2015 Ricoh can't get ring drive ultra sonic motors out the door that work so they are still going with DC motors? Canon has had USM drive lenses since the 1990's.


Just sayin'


(PS, all my lenses for my K-3 and K5IIs are screw drive, so I guess a DC motor is an improvement...oops, I'm wrong! My Sigma FE and 8-16 are SDM. My bad.)

my 150-450 is fast and quiet especially on my K1 but that being said a lot of my friends shoot canon needless to say and they have had the same problems with the USM that we had with the SDM. the big difference from small samplings in my personal circle is that canon acknowledged the problems and pentax under hoya again in my personal experience had to be forced to on a case by case basis. my 16-50 failed 4 times was repaired twice under warranty and once pentax ate the repairs and after the last time i had it converted to screw drive and also have had the 50-135 converted after the 2nd failure. both focus very quickly on my K3 i can just hear it now.

[GlassJunkie]

Had it since preordered, Cold, Ice, Heat, Jungle rain, not a hitch. I shipped it to LensHood and they made a cover (now you can get them direct).... All is good. Hope I didn't jinx it...

[jpzk]

From the beautiful photos I see in this thread ....

" I gotta get me one of these! "

[pete-tarmigan]

I wouldn't assume so..... o rings etc become a bit less grippy over time.....

I hadn't thought of this. Come to think of it, what you say has been reflected my experience (although not with a lens). This is encouraging. Maybe the o-ring on this lens tends to be less likely to jam after a "break-in" period. Makes me want this lens even more!

[Franc]

mine is still working fine without any hassle (except for the glue drop on the lock button)

[GlassJunkie]

Two Galinule males having a mating (who gets to date the prom queen) chat...

[siva.ss.kumar]

Looking good shot with 150-450.
After many years with my Sigma 50-500, I am thinking to upgrade (Bigma still works great).
So, which one would you suggest (DA300 with 1.4xTC or 150-450). I shoot mostly birds. And small ones at that. Thanks.

-Siva

[GlassJunkie]

Looking good shot with 150-450.
After many years with my Sigma 50-500, I am thinking to upgrade (Bigma still works great).
So, which one would you suggest (DA300 with 1.4xTC or 150-450). I shoot mostly birds. And small ones at that. Thanks.

-Siva

Hi Siva,

I like small birds, particularly small terns like the Fortsers and the Lesser Terns. Fast, and they change directions like WWII fighters.

I have become very pleased with the 150-450. Albeit a bit heavy, it is not unmanageably so, and when hand held, it does take out some wobble like a "bull" barrel on a target handgun. With some birds in flight, the zoom helps since the little gems often enough come in my direction, and face shots are a premium. The 300 F4 DA* and the 1.4 HDTC is a good combo, have it available, but the 150-400 appeared to outperform it (see my lens test of 2015).

I originally bought the 150-450 for my wife who wanted more reach than her Siggy 120-400. Too beefy, so I scoured the planet and found a Siggy 150-500 GEN2 (important for that one). Better fit and finish and onboard IS, which is rarely used, but sometimes helps. Some folks have posted the use or not in differing circumstances.

If you can cope with the Price/ weight, I'd buy the 150-450 DFA. If weight is an issue, the Siggy 150-500 Gen2. If you have the DA* 300F4 and TC it will work, but lose flexibility and light.

One thing I have done for "quick use" of the 150-450 and longer, is mounted Arca Swiss plates and use a light BENRO Carbon monopod with the little blue "3 legged foot". Good on wet surfaces, rinses off. As a head, I use an odd head, built out of a 360 degree swiveling bowl shaped leveler and an arca plate attached. Perfect when sitting down in a chair or on a rock wall, and needing to move fast for the flyers.... Good Luck...

[siva.ss.kumar]

Thanks for the detailed answer. Can you please send the link to the lens test? I love my 50-500 (non-OS). But it seems to have a front focusing issue that seems to change. I mean, I calculate the amount of AFA while mounted on a tripod. After some time I see that number changed.
I did notice there is a small play in the mount when Sigma is mounted. May be this is the reason for the changing AFA adjustments?
BTW. I agree with the difficulty in shooting terns. I have given up taking the smaller ones (like smaller terns, swallows, ...) and shoot flying gulls

[GlassJunkie]

I checked my album, closed out the test images, too many, too big...I'll see if I have them on the servers here...

On Barrel Wobble distortion, It's an issue with the 16-50 (small but depends on the copy and wear), but with longer lengths could be worse, providing some distortion like a perspective "v" shape in the opposite direction of the lens barrel wobble (shift down left, perspective distortion wide up right, etc). maybe it's just a repair at Sigma. I just sent my wife's 150-500g2 to Sigma to have the K-1 mod done (not that we plan to fo ff), but to get the free service, firmware and calibration. They nailed it. Perfect operation and no backfocus.