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10-27-2016, 03:33 PM - 8 Likes   #1
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Polar Bear Shot K3 and 55-300 HD

I took 1300 photos of polar bears recently. This is but one. Needless to say the 55-300 was at 300. No, I wasn't running. Hand held, no tripod. SR off. All shot raw. Back button focus, AF 9 pattern CAF. This is cropped and sharpened for print (not web). 1600 ISO f10, 1/1000 +.07 Exposure.
For a consumer lens the 55-300 works well for me.
If you want to know more about the where and when of the photo email me.
Jim aka "Fauxton".

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10-27-2016, 03:38 PM   #2
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Amazing photograph. Great job!
10-27-2016, 03:53 PM   #3
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The 55-300mm is surprisingly good. Its probably because we never have high expectations of a 'consumer' lens? It's very robust and handle the wet weather wondefully. great shots mate!
10-27-2016, 04:04 PM - 4 Likes   #4
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Okay so its official Polar Bear kiss too

K3 with 55-300 @300 f 7.1 1/640 hand held no SR +1.3 ISO 800. Sharpened for print.

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10-27-2016, 04:44 PM   #5
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Great photos Jim! I also have the 55-300 HD, I agree, really nice lens.
10-27-2016, 05:39 PM   #6
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Why would you not have SR on at such focal lengths?
10-27-2016, 06:13 PM - 1 Like   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by FantasticMrFox Quote
Why would you not have SR on at such focal lengths?
The question really should be why should you? Given my technique I'm over the point where SR (shutter speed wise) would add anything. Why would I want to knowingly introduce an uncontrollable variable? If you want more discourse on this go ahead and email me.

10-27-2016, 06:20 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Fauxton Quote
The question really should be why should you? Given my technique I'm over the point where SR (shutter speed wise) would add anything. Why would I want to knowingly introduce an uncontrollable variable?
In your first image you could have brought the shutter speed down to 1/500th and halved the ISO to 800 for a cleaner image.

I am just wondering, by the way, not meaning to criticise. Your images are excellent.
10-27-2016, 06:25 PM - 1 Like   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by FantasticMrFox Quote
In your first image you could have brought the shutter speed down to 1/500th and halved the ISO to 800 for a cleaner image.

I am just wondering, by the way, not meaning to criticise. Your images are excellent.
Sometimes you just have to take the photo with the settings you have. I pre selected the settings and adjusted as I could.
10-27-2016, 06:41 PM   #10
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Great shots you have here !
And may I ask where these were taken ?
10-27-2016, 07:52 PM   #11
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Nice shots James, looks like the 55-300 is a pretty good lens choice. I'm curious, were you in manual mode shooting these? Looking at the EXIF file I'm a bit puzzled as it shows the exposure mode as manual and the Exposure as Program (auto)? If you were in manual mode why did you bias the exposure 1.30. I can understand the exposure bias if you were in aperture priority or shutter priority just curious about the EXIF data.


QuoteOriginally posted by Fauxton Quote
I took 1300 photos of polar bears recently. This is but one. Needless to say the 55-300 was at 300. No, I wasn't running. Hand held, no tripod. SR off. All shot raw. Back button focus, AF 9 pattern CAF. This is cropped and sharpened for print (not web). 1600 ISO f10, 1/1000 +.07 Exposure.
For a consumer lens the 55-300 works well for me.
If you want to know more about the where and when of the photo email me.
Jim aka "Fauxton".

Last edited by Larrymc; 10-27-2016 at 08:00 PM.
10-28-2016, 12:29 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Freddie Quote
The 55-300mm is surprisingly good. Its probably because we never have high expectations of a 'consumer' lens? It's very robust and handle the wet weather wondefully. great shots mate!
I agree that it is exceptionally good for the price. However, I wouldnʻt consider any lens with WR nor one with an extra low dispersion glass element to be considered "consumer" grade. The plastic fantastic Pentax 35mm DA L f/2.4 AL and 50mm DA f/1.8 are consumer lenses that has IQ that meets or exceeds their price points.
10-28-2016, 05:17 AM - 1 Like   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by jpzk Quote
Great shots you have here !
And may I ask where these were taken ?
The shots were taken in Churchill Manitoba Canada.

---------- Post added 10-28-16 at 09:25 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Larrymc Quote
Nice shots James, looks like the 55-300 is a pretty good lens choice. I'm curious, were you in manual mode shooting these? Looking at the EXIF file I'm a bit puzzled as it shows the exposure mode as manual and the Exposure as Program (auto)? If you were in manual mode why did you bias the exposure 1.30. I can understand the exposure bias if you were in aperture priority or shutter priority just curious about the EXIF data.
Set in Program but I dial in the fstop or shutter speed - one or the other depending on what I want - so the camera is in HyperProgram. The bias is needed to ensure I get a proper exposure shooting in snow and with a white subject. Other things I do is that when using CAF I shut off anything I'm not using or not needed like the rear LCD and SR for example. Seems to work well for me.

---------- Post added 10-28-16 at 09:44 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Alex645 Quote
I agree that it is exceptionally good for the price. However, I wouldnʻt consider any lens with WR nor one with an extra low dispersion glass element to be considered "consumer" grade. The plastic fantastic Pentax 35mm DA L f/2.4 AL and 50mm DA f/1.8 are consumer lenses that has IQ that meets or exceeds their price points.
This site regards it as a consumer zoom. See the review HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews
10-28-2016, 09:01 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Fauxton Quote
This site regards it as a consumer zoom. See the review HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews
The review on that site opens with "The first and so far only consumer weather sealed telephoto zoom" which makes me wonder how they categorized it this way if it is the only lens with those features. To me the only reason to call it consumer grade may be its affordable price or arguably the speed of the AF and f/4-5.8 aperture.
10-28-2016, 04:53 PM - 1 Like   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Alex645 Quote
The review on that site opens with "The first and so far only consumer weather sealed telephoto zoom" which makes me wonder how they categorized it this way if it is the only lens with those features. To me the only reason to call it consumer grade may be its affordable price or arguably the speed of the AF and f/4-5.8 aperture.
It depends how you define 'consumer'. Mostly gear is split into consumer, professional, and stuff that's somewhere in between. But the HD DA 55-300 WR is definitely not a professional lens. No constant aperture, extremely slow and noisy autofocus. Not very sharp wide open at the long end, should be stopped down to f/8 for good sharpness.

Yes, it is a very good lens for the price, but it is not a professional grade lens. The HD DFA 150-450 is. From a professional grade lens one expects impeccable build quality, very high image quality wide open, snappy AF etc. The HD DA 55-300 WR is a very, very good consumer lens.
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