[barondla]

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Have to admit I am doing what Art recommended with Olympus E300/330 and older OM lenses. Not by choice since Oly changed the OM system to 4/3. Was stuck with expensive lenses like OM 180 f2, 350 2.8, etc.
There are some disadvantages.
1. Just because the lenses have the same fov doesn't make them look the same in other ways. The dof field is different between a 600 on the pentax and a 450 on 4/3. The backgrounds don't look the same. You don't get the same perspective either. Oly won't have as much of the depth compression.

2. The 4/3 has a different aspect ratio vs. 3:2. For most things I like 3:2 better.

3. Using the older OM lenses requires an adapter. This is constantly being moved from lens to teleconverter and back when on digital bodies. Newer E lenses would get rid of this but mean no using the beautiful OM 4Ti film bodies. With Pentax they all work seamlessly. Film or digital.

4. There is no Olympus with enough Megapixels to match K20D. Find cropping is often as good or better quality than using a 1.5 teleconverter. Do that on K20D and pixel resolution would about match E3.

5. Untill recently, Oly never made a good teleconverter over 1.5X for their large "pro" lenses. The 2x OM was a "consumer quality" unit. This may have changed with the new E 2x.

6. Olympus does not allow you to use two lens accessories at the same time! No 1.5X converter and extension tube to get a foot or two closer to a birds nest. Stupid, stupid, stupid Olympus. You call that professional? Can't use two teleconverters together at the same time nor more than 1 extension tube for macro. Used both 1.4 matched and Vivitar 2x on 350. Won't happen on E series digitals. Have bitched to them so much it might happen some day.

7. A bigma is not even in the same league as a high quality 30 2.8/600 4 lens. As much difference as comparing a 18-55 kit lens to a Limited.

8. If we save that much by going to 4:3 why not just buy Oly's prosumer bridge camera with 18X lens? Same size as K200D (approx) with 18-55. Quality suffers. Dynamic range, noise etc. Oly dslr may be even in noise vs K20D (haven't shot one) but they don't likely match it in dynamic range.

thanks
barondla (still wanting big Pentax lens)

Check out POINT & SHOOT CONTEST #9 in P&S forum. Enter #10. Any type camera except slr. Any brand. Any subject. Enter now.

[Art Vandelay II]

Good enough answers for me. And for the record, I didn't mean to suggest the bigma was in the same league as a $6,000 600mm f/4 prime, I was just curious about the mindset one must reach to *need* a $6000, 15lb lens (unless you work for sports illustrated or national geographic). I guess that's where I differ from high end users; at some point I say to hell with it once a lens passes a certain cost and size. I then go in search for a cheaper alternative that will server a similar function then just fix what it's shortcomings in post processing. That way I can use that extra $3,000 towards another hobby

[eurostar]

Well, many:

1) have the money to pay for it

2) hope to get published on magazines

[sir_bazz]

canon is the king of long glass. let's say i wanted 600mm glass right now ... i go to B&H and lookie here, In Stock. no jumping through hoops, no special orders, no mythical supply channels.

Due to slow turnover of 600mm lenses, not many stores keep them on hand.

Yes you could buy that one now but you'd hope it's not someones return that the store is now stuck with.

Special orders from the manufacturer are only a 3-4 week turn around.

bazz.

[hrishi]

If you want to get more extreme telephoto effects, using K10, K200 or K20, simply crop the image. There is more than enough detail in there. The K10 full image can easily be printed to 24 x 36 inches with an in focus and properly exposed image. Cropping the image to the same size as the 4/3 system would use about 3/4 of the APS-C image. Using the K200 or K10, you would still have a 7.65 Mp image (1.5/2 * 10.2). This is more than adequate for an 11x14 inch print. A good 6 Mp image is easily printed to magazine cover size. (Check with the pros that have had magazine covers that size - I am quoting George Lepp on the 6 Mp)

Interesting comment, had never thought that way..

But wouldn't a 10 + MP Oly be cropped to 6MP and produce more magnification than the Pentax 10+ MP cropped to 6 MP?

[Blue]

New in the box from Japan, 3 available with 3 year warranty. NEW PENTAX SMC FA 600mm F4 ED [IF] Telephoto Lens - eBay (item 370071309832 end time Aug-21-08 11:49:39 PDT)

[mhertel]

New in the box from Japan, 3 available with 3 year warranty. NEW PENTAX SMC FA 600mm F4 ED [IF] Telephoto Lens - eBay (item 370071309832 end time Aug-21-08 11:49:39 PDT)

Thats insane...

[Cambo]

Indeed, if you have to much money and you want a lens were you can hide an
RPG in the big C is your choise. Just look at it:

I was going to get one of these babies:



Till I found out it was only f4 - I'm holding out for f2.8 PRO version.

Cheers,
Cameron

[Blue]

Thats insane...

I won't argue with you there but have you looked at the prices of Canon in equivalent focal lengths? Insane prices kind of go hand in hand with 600mm and fast.