K-1 for wildlife / birding ?

HopelessTogger · 04-02-2016, 10:05 AM

Originally posted by Fenwoodian

I'm not a brand snob, I own 3 systems currently and have owned many others over the years. I just try to use the best tool for the job. Sometimes it's a Pentax, but other times it's a Fuji X, Canon, Sony, or a Nikon.

You are the "Brand Snob Fan Boy" who probably has little or no experience with other brands.

How much money wasted over the years? I dread to add my spend up.

cleaverx · 07-04-2016, 06:35 PM

K-1 for wildlife / birding ? For sure. Does K-3 has advantage with 1.5x crop factor?. Yes it does. But K-1 has 36 MP sensor and that is 1.5 times more pixels than K-3 with 24 MP.
So any loss with crop factor could be gained with ability of the larger sensor in K-1 if shooting with full frame lenses. Crop image (36 divided by 1.5 ) on 36 MP by 1.5x and you get 24 MP. Same as K-3. Dynamic range, low light, high ISO are better in K-1.
For sure K-1 can't match 8.3 FPS of K-3.
Simply put. If you mainly shoot birds in flight than you might want to switch to Canon or Nikon, since they have better (faster) focusing system. Can you make good shots of
birds and also birds in flight with K-1..absolutely. Just percentage of keepers would be lower.
Not long time I was shooting birds in 35mm film with Pentax and pictures were pretty darn good. Can't see reason why can't be done with digital.
I am getting K-1 and already have SMC 500mm f/4.5 manual lens and just bought SMC A 400mm f/5.6 for handheld shooting and maybe later getting
Pentax HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC WR. Pentax have some awesome selection of older film era lenses very capable even today.
I will be using only full frame lenses on K-1.
Can't wait to get my K-1 and buy a nice wide angle zoom or prime lens for bird, landscaping and nature photography.
I still have my two K-50 bodies and HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR, SMC Pentax-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL WR and I am planning to use them. Just when I need that
extra resolution I'll use K-1.

Blythman · 07-05-2016, 11:03 AM - **5 Likes**

First weekend with the K-1 and very first time out with the Tamron 70-200.

Took a few birds with the K-1 the day previous. Not much happening though. Will see if I've got anything worth posting.

Rupert · 07-05-2016, 11:37 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by Fenwoodian

Sure, one can capture the occasional odd bird or two with Pentax equipment, but I know no serious birder who shoots with Pentax.

So where are your serious birdie shots!

In your album I found some serious BBQ grills, but no birdies? Maybe you can PM old Norm and tell him he is not a serious shooter with his Pentax.....or maybe you should view his many hundreds of birdie/wildlife shots before you do?

You know, I hate to be so critical, but your statement was one of the most absurd I have seen posted...and I've seen plenty of absurd postings. Are you loco or just out strolling/trolling for trouble?

Regards!

Unregistered User · 07-05-2016, 12:09 PM - **3 Likes**

Blythman · 07-05-2016, 12:46 PM - **1 Like**

Maybe not a serious birder, but an enthusiastic one. A few Pentax birds on this thread. But not shot with K-1 (K-3, I think), so I'll not share them directly https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/130-lens-sample-photo-archive/267580-hd-p...6-ed-aw-2.html

**Pål Jensen** · 07-05-2016, 01:34 PM

Originally posted by Tjompen1968

This must be a fake. Cannot be shot with a Pentax.

Someone said that they get 90% hit rate. I get that with a K-7.

Rupert · 07-05-2016, 01:49 PM - **1 Like**

Tjompen1968---It's hard for me to imagine that you are not serious with shots like those...but that's what the man said, so I guess you were just "fooling around" and accidentally got those shots on a random snap?

There are so many fantastic wildlife shots in this Forum's many locations that it would take months to view them all...and most of them were shot with a Pentax.

I'm not a serious birder, not even a serious shooter....I shoot for the fun and joy...but if I was I would not hesitate to shoot Pentax.

Even ISO 6400 works for me with Pentax.

This dove looks like a chicken to me?

Anyhow, I have a lot of fun shooting birds.... https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157651162955781

For those that are serious, I see serious Pentax shots......they are not hard to find on this site!

Regards!

cleaverx · 07-05-2016, 06:46 PM

Originally posted by Rupert

Tjompen1968---It's hard for me to imagine that you are not serious with shots like those...but that's what the man said, so I guess you were just "fooling around" and accidentally got those shots on a random snap?

There are so many fantastic wildlife shots in this Forum's many locations that it would take months to view them all...and most of them were shot with a Pentax.

I'm not a serious birder, not even a serious shooter....I shoot for the fun and joy...but if I was I would not hesitate to shoot Pentax.

Even ISO 6400 works for me with Pentax.

This dove looks like a chicken to me?

Anyhow, I have a lot of fun shooting birds.... https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157651162955781

For those that are serious, I see serious Pentax shots......they are not hard to find on this site!

Regards!

Rupert,
Nice photos. I did check your Flickr album...really nice work. Love the title of the album "...shots from my office window" You are the luckiest
guy shooting birds with camera thru office window :-)). Love the Blue Jays photos. Where I live we don't have them.
What lens are you using on the shots where metadata shows "500mm" in lens info?

Thanks for sharing photos.

Rupert · 07-05-2016, 07:26 PM

Originally posted by cleaverx

Rupert,
Nice photos. I did check your Flickr album...really nice work. Love the title of the album "...shots from my office window" You are the luckiest
guy shooting birds with camera thru office window :-)). Love the Blue Jays photos. Where I live we don't have them.
What lens are you using on the shots where metadata shows "500mm" in lens info?

Thanks for sharing photos.

Thank you!

I shoot with the Bigma 50-500...a fairly decent lens for wildlife, but certainly not a pro lens. For the price it is amazingly good, but not perfect.

I shoot 99% through my home office windows. I have toms of wildlife here, I feed the birds and squirrels and raccoons and such. It is fun stuff!

You might like these....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157651153186152

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157652688726548

Mostly I just shoot for the fun and joy of it. I let the Pros do the heavy work!

One I shot late this afternoon....lots of doves around here!

These are Spanish doves.

Best Regards!

PENFRED · 07-05-2016, 07:54 PM - **1 Like**

Here's my contribution: K1 + DFA 28-105 at 105 + two very entertaining birds.

cleaverx · 07-05-2016, 08:06 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by Fenwoodian

Sure, one can capture the occasional odd bird or two with Pentax equipment, but I know no serious birder who shoots with Pentax.

Are you kidding me?? I have seen so many awesome shots shot with Pentax gear.
SMC-Pentax-FA-Star-600mm-F4-Lens with K-1 or K-3 would make a good run for the money for ANY Canon or Nikon. Truth is that Canon and Nikon has more advanced autofocusing systems, but that doesn't mean you can't make a nice shots with Pentax gear.
I am just an amateur who enjoy to shoot birds with Pentax gear.
Here are some samples. Top 3 shots of Bald Eagle with Pentax K-50 and SMC 500mm f/4.5 (30+ years old manual lens)
and 4th and the Black-capped Chickadee was with K-50 and DA 55-300 WR.
I can't wait for my K-1 to use with some nice older film era lenses.

Just keep shooting with Pentax fellas serious or not.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/87461220@N07/albums

cleaverx · 07-05-2016, 09:06 PM

Originally posted by PENFRED

Here's my contribution: K1 + DFA 28-105 at 105 + two very entertaining birds.

Nice pictures. Love the colors of the Barn Swallows.

---------- Post added 07-05-16 at 09:19 PM ----------

Originally posted by Rupert

You might like these....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157651153186152

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157652688726548

Love the album "Army of Otis" I noticed that somewhere in the album you switched to K-1. Nice prime lens like DA *300mm f/4 with that K-1 would make some awesome combo.

**tduell** · 07-05-2016, 11:43 PM

Originally posted by cleaverx

Crop image (36 divided by 1.5 ) on 36 MP by 1.5x and you get 24 MP. Same as K-3.

I think it is 36 / 1.5**2 (i.e. 1.5 squared) which is ~16 MP.

Cheers,
Terry

Rupert · 07-06-2016, 04:31 AM

Originally posted by cleaverx

Love the album "Army of Otis" I noticed that somewhere in the album you switched to K-1. Nice prime lens like DA *300mm f/4 with that K-1 would make some awesome combo.

Yes, I am going to get the 150-450 sometime sooner than later...or the 300 f4 +TC. You might like this album too...all K1 shots.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157668217340465

Regards!

07-04-2016, 06:35 PM	#32
cleaverx Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Washington Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 267	K-1 for wildlife / birding ? For sure. Does K-3 has advantage with 1.5x crop factor?. Yes it does. But K-1 has 36 MP sensor and that is 1.5 times more pixels than K-3 with 24 MP. So any loss with crop factor could be gained with ability of the larger sensor in K-1 if shooting with full frame lenses. Crop image (36 divided by 1.5 ) on 36 MP by 1.5x and you get 24 MP. Same as K-3. Dynamic range, low light, high ISO are better in K-1. For sure K-1 can't match 8.3 FPS of K-3. Simply put. If you mainly shoot birds in flight than you might want to switch to Canon or Nikon, since they have better (faster) focusing system. Can you make good shots of birds and also birds in flight with K-1..absolutely. Just percentage of keepers would be lower. Not long time I was shooting birds in 35mm film with Pentax and pictures were pretty darn good. Can't see reason why can't be done with digital. I am getting K-1 and already have SMC 500mm f/4.5 manual lens and just bought SMC A 400mm f/5.6 for handheld shooting and maybe later getting Pentax HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC WR. Pentax have some awesome selection of older film era lenses very capable even today. I will be using only full frame lenses on K-1. Can't wait to get my K-1 and buy a nice wide angle zoom or prime lens for bird, landscaping and nature photography. I still have my two K-50 bodies and HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR, SMC Pentax-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL WR and I am planning to use them. Just when I need that extra resolution I'll use K-1. Last edited by cleaverx; 07-05-2016 at 10:13 AM.

07-05-2016, 11:03 AM - 5 Likes	#33
Blythman Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Blyth, Northumberland Posts: 66	First weekend with the K-1 and very first time out with the Tamron 70-200. Took a few birds with the K-1 the day previous. Not much happening though. Will see if I've got anything worth posting. Attached Images

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Flash options for Birding/Wildlife	UserAccessDenied	Pentax Camera and Field Accessories	15	02-06-2016 05:33 AM
Will Pentax K-1 good for sports/wildlife? or Just a studio camera?	enyceckk	Pentax Full Frame	58	12-31-2015 05:16 PM
Hi all..is K5 a good choice for wildlife/birding work	Shanti	Welcomes and Introductions	22	07-20-2012 01:16 AM
Recommended Lens For Birding & Wildlife?	seachunk2	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	55	07-22-2011 05:35 AM
Lens for birding/wildlife	OrenMc	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	111	06-01-2008 07:15 PM

04-02-2016, 10:05 AM	#31
HopelessTogger Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Roi-et, Thailand Posts: 773	Originally posted by Fenwoodian I'm not a brand snob, I own 3 systems currently and have owned many others over the years. I just try to use the best tool for the job. Sometimes it's a Pentax, but other times it's a Fuji X, Canon, Sony, or a Nikon. You are the "Brand Snob Fan Boy" who probably has little or no experience with other brands. How much money wasted over the years? I dread to add my spend up.

07-05-2016, 11:37 AM - 2 Likes	#34
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Originally posted by Fenwoodian Sure, one can capture the occasional odd bird or two with Pentax equipment, but I know no serious birder who shoots with Pentax. So where are your serious birdie shots! In your album I found some serious BBQ grills, but no birdies? Maybe you can PM old Norm and tell him he is not a serious shooter with his Pentax.....or maybe you should view his many hundreds of birdie/wildlife shots before you do? You know, I hate to be so critical, but your statement was one of the most absurd I have seen posted...and I've seen plenty of absurd postings. Are you loco or just out strolling/trolling for trouble? Regards!

07-05-2016, 12:09 PM - 3 Likes	#35
Unregistered User Guest

07-05-2016, 12:46 PM - 1 Like	#36
Blythman Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Blyth, Northumberland Posts: 66	Maybe not a serious birder, but an enthusiastic one. A few Pentax birds on this thread. But not shot with K-1 (K-3, I think), so I'll not share them directly https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/130-lens-sample-photo-archive/267580-hd-p...6-ed-aw-2.html

07-05-2016, 01:34 PM	#37
Pål Jensen Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Norway Photos: Albums Posts: 4,371	Originally posted by Tjompen1968 This must be a fake. Cannot be shot with a Pentax. Someone said that they get 90% hit rate. I get that with a K-7.

07-05-2016, 01:49 PM - 1 Like	#38
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Tjompen1968---It's hard for me to imagine that you are not serious with shots like those...but that's what the man said, so I guess you were just "fooling around" and accidentally got those shots on a random snap? There are so many fantastic wildlife shots in this Forum's many locations that it would take months to view them all...and most of them were shot with a Pentax. I'm not a serious birder, not even a serious shooter....I shoot for the fun and joy...but if I was I would not hesitate to shoot Pentax. Even ISO 6400 works for me with Pentax. This dove looks like a chicken to me? Anyhow, I have a lot of fun shooting birds.... https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157651162955781 For those that are serious, I see serious Pentax shots......they are not hard to find on this site! Regards!

07-05-2016, 06:46 PM	#39
cleaverx Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Washington Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 267	Originally posted by Rupert Tjompen1968---It's hard for me to imagine that you are not serious with shots like those...but that's what the man said, so I guess you were just "fooling around" and accidentally got those shots on a random snap? There are so many fantastic wildlife shots in this Forum's many locations that it would take months to view them all...and most of them were shot with a Pentax. I'm not a serious birder, not even a serious shooter....I shoot for the fun and joy...but if I was I would not hesitate to shoot Pentax. Even ISO 6400 works for me with Pentax. This dove looks like a chicken to me? Anyhow, I have a lot of fun shooting birds.... https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157651162955781 For those that are serious, I see serious Pentax shots......they are not hard to find on this site! Regards! Rupert, Nice photos. I did check your Flickr album...really nice work. Love the title of the album "...shots from my office window" You are the luckiest guy shooting birds with camera thru office window :-)). Love the Blue Jays photos. Where I live we don't have them. What lens are you using on the shots where metadata shows "500mm" in lens info? Thanks for sharing photos.

07-05-2016, 07:26 PM	#40
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Originally posted by cleaverx Rupert, Nice photos. I did check your Flickr album...really nice work. Love the title of the album "...shots from my office window" You are the luckiest guy shooting birds with camera thru office window :-)). Love the Blue Jays photos. Where I live we don't have them. What lens are you using on the shots where metadata shows "500mm" in lens info? Thanks for sharing photos. Thank you! I shoot with the Bigma 50-500...a fairly decent lens for wildlife, but certainly not a pro lens. For the price it is amazingly good, but not perfect. I shoot 99% through my home office windows. I have toms of wildlife here, I feed the birds and squirrels and raccoons and such. It is fun stuff! You might like these.... https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157651153186152 https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157652688726548 Mostly I just shoot for the fun and joy of it. I let the Pros do the heavy work! One I shot late this afternoon....lots of doves around here! These are Spanish doves. Best Regards!

07-05-2016, 09:06 PM	#43
cleaverx Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Washington Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 267	Originally posted by PENFRED Here's my contribution: K1 + DFA 28-105 at 105 + two very entertaining birds. Nice pictures. Love the colors of the Barn Swallows. ---------- Post added 07-05-16 at 09:19 PM ---------- Originally posted by Rupert You might like these.... https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157651153186152 https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157652688726548 Love the album "Army of Otis" I noticed that somewhere in the album you switched to K-1. Nice prime lens like DA *300mm f/4 with that K-1 would make some awesome combo.

07-05-2016, 11:43 PM	#44
tduell Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,514	Originally posted by cleaverx Crop image (36 divided by 1.5 ) on 36 MP by 1.5x and you get 24 MP. Same as K-3. I think it is 36 / 1.5**2 (i.e. 1.5 squared) which is ~16 MP. Cheers, Terry

07-06-2016, 04:31 AM	#45
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Originally posted by cleaverx Love the album "Army of Otis" I noticed that somewhere in the album you switched to K-1. Nice prime lens like DA *300mm f/4 with that K-1 would make some awesome combo. Yes, I am going to get the 150-450 sometime sooner than later...or the 300 f4 +TC. You might like this album too...all K1 shots. https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/albums/72157668217340465 Regards!