[limestonecowboy]

That 55-300 PLM should be rather nice on the K-50 (after you firmware upgrade the K-50 to support it -- one is available if you haven't already). Plus it is all electronic AFAIK so it shouldn't even need the aperture motor dealy in the body.

If you need more reach than that with your Pentax.. look at maybe a Bigma 50-500, used Sigma zoom, or go Nikon D7200/D7500 or Canon 80D and get a Sigma 100-400 or 150-600mm. But, of course, that is going to cost you.. a lot.

Also remember with those bigger focal lengths generally comes bigger size and weight.. consider all the factors.

The Sigma 'Bigma' 50-500mm and 150-500mm are both fairly heavy but I've used both handheld. I decided to keep the Bigma (f4-5.6 version) and love it on the K3 II and K1 - They were both bought 2nd hand for about £400-£500

---

Last edited by limestonecowboy; 10-19-2017 at 06:54 AM. Reason: amend text

[UncleVanya]

Confirmed K-50 firmware supports PLM 55-300: see here - Latest K-50 Firmware Update : Software Downloads | RICOH IMAGING

I just want to say that this is so much better support than Hoya ever gave. I have really been impressed by Ricoh.

[hawaza]

Why a K-3II over a K-70? Is it worth the extra cash? Let's see...
Short summary - the K-3II is a faster, more robust piece of equipment with superior AF and is highly customizable.

Thanks for the rundown of K-3ii advantages over the K-70. When put like that it does highlight its premium standing. Hopefully it comes up on offer somewhere or receives a price snip due to the announcement of its successor before i have to pull the trigger and buy. As someone else mentioned though i imagine either is a fairly big step up from a K-50.

The Sigma 'Bigma' 50-500mm and 150-500mm are both fairly heavy but I've used both handheld. I decided to keep the Bigma (f4-5.6 version) and love it on the K3 II and K1 - They were both bought 2nd hand for about £400-£500

Thats good to know, both that they can be used handheld and the potential second hand price.

Confirmed K-50 firmware supports PLM 55-300: see here - Latest K-50 Firmware Update : Software Downloads | RICOH IMAGING

This is very good to know should i manage to get the K-50 back in working order. Looks like this lense along with the "Bigmas" are the only realistic choices for this kind of tele lens, along with the far more expensive pentax 150-450. I'll do some Internet window shopping and see what prices I can find these at

[normhead]

Thanks for the rundown of K-3ii advantages over the K-70. When put like that it does highlight its premium standing. Hopefully it comes up on offer somewhere or receives a price snip due to the announcement of its successor before i have to pull the trigger and buy. As someone else mentioned though i imagine either is a fairly big step up from a K-50.



Thats good to know, both that they can be used handheld and the potential second hand price.



This is very good to know should i manage to get the K-50 back in working order. Looks like this lense along with the "Bigmas" are the only realistic choices for this kind of tele lens, along with the far more expensive pentax 150-450. I'll do some Internet window shopping and see what prices I can find these at

From a shooting perspective, the advantage to my K-3 is 8 FPS and 23 shot buffer.
The advantage with the K-70/ KP is better low light performance.
Since I shoot wildlife, mornings and evenings and shooting under the forest canopy are very important. That low light perforance makes a K-70 or K-P much more useful. I quite often stop shooting when the light reduces my ISO to 640 on a K-3. The K-70- / K-P are good to 1600ISO easily and maybe 3200 in a stretch. In many cases that's another half hour of shooting for the same travel time and expense in terms of gas and vehicle wear and tear.

The same factors are relevant to the lenses like the BIgma. The other manufacturers cap their lenses at ƒ6.3. Pentax caps their lenses at ƒ5.6. You might think it's not much difference, but when you consider AF is geared to ƒ2.8, from my perspective 5.6 is barely acceptable and ƒ6.3 is over the deep end. Simply stated, I won't willingly take even an ƒ4 lens out on shoot, and for the most part I prefer 2.8 lenses.

But even for me shooting ƒ2.8 lenses, that extra solid stop of high ISO performance would be huge. I currently take the K-3 and put it in the bag, and put the K-1 on once it starts getting dark, imagine having a caerma where I could stay with the longer reach of the K-3 for as long as i do with my K-1. It kind of makes you all tingly.

Like the K-30 coming after the K-5, there are things about the K-70 and K-P that the APS-c flagship can't currently match, although I would expect the next flagship, due out sometime in the next year, to change that.

I'm looking at an upgrade right now for my wife and I'm looking K-P or K-70. She doesn't need the burst and buffer I do, and for the average shooter, the high ISO performance of those camera is to die for. It will add a whole new dimension to your shooting.

K-P low light focussing is faster than on any other Pentax body according to the review at Imaging Resources. That in itself is just incredibly attractivel for those of us have realized, low light before it gets so dark you have to use flash, without flash is usually the best possible image.

---

Last edited by normhead; 10-19-2017 at 09:20 AM.

[BigMackCam]

I'm looking at an upgrade right now for my wife and I'm looking K-P or K-70.

Both nice cameras, but I'm not sure either is a worthy upgrade over a loving spouse...

[normhead]

Both nice cameras, but I'm not sure either is a worthy upgrade over a loving spouse...

I have to trade her in while her resale value is still high.

[jddwoods]

Confirmed K-50 firmware supports PLM 55-300: see here - Latest K-50 Firmware Update : Software Downloads | RICOH IMAGING

I just want to say that this is so much better support than Hoya ever gave. I have really been impressed by Ricoh.

I would be jumping for joy and singing my praises to Ricoh if they gave a firmware update to the K-5 series. In any case when they released the firmware update for the K-3 I expressed my appreciation by buying a new 55-300 PLM.