[jquill]

Here is one I shot the other day with the K1-Mark II and DA*300. It was a shot from my porch and was basically at the limit for the 300 before starting to lose image quality (~100% crop). I was very pleased as it was a spur of the moment shot.

Take Off version 2

[clackers]

Here is one I shot the other day with the K1-Mark II and DA*300. It was a shot from my porch and was basically at the limit for the 300 before starting to lose image quality (~100% crop). I was very pleased as it was a spur of the moment shot.

Take Off version 2

Your porch?!

Do you have to fight off alligators to collect the morning paper, Jquill?

Lovely shot, BTW!

[jquill]

Your porch?!

Do you have to fight off alligators to collect the morning paper, Jquill?

Lovely shot, BTW!

Thanks.

No gators (that I know of) but we do have some snapping turtles. We have a small irrigation pond right behind my unit. The cat tails took over last fall and they have not done any pond cleaning yet this year. It makes for great pictures if you crop the shots tight enough. Here is the uncropped view:



If you are interested, here is a link for this afternoon's shots of a visiting egret - Evening Visitor | Flickr

[GRB]

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

Beautiful work.

[pts1958]

K1 / 150-450 is efficient... waiting for the new apsc and a new 1.4 converter and all will be TOP !

[cmohr]

[cmohr]

[cmohr]

[devouges]

Hi All,
I started with the K10d and I do mostly birding. Upgraded to the K5iis then later to the K3ii. I eventually got the 300mm F4 and THAT was a game changer,

I find that bird pictures depends on patience, waiting for the right moment, a bit of luck, and always be prepared for that 3-8 seconds when the "scene" is "picturable".

I got the K1ii recently and I doubt if I will use it much for birding., It will be mostly for landscapes/urban/animals.

When I upgraded from K5ii to K3ii, I really enjoyed the 3 USER modes on the wheel. When out the and someone shouts "XXX in flight", I quickly just turn the knob to USER 3 and I am ready to start following the bird. I was not able to do this with the K5ii, it was in the menus,

Shared album - Gary Devouges - Google Photos

Gary

[cmohr]

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[cmohr]

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[normhead]

I probably have a thousand bird images just posted here on the forum, although not so much in the last year. If you are used to the 8 FPS-23 shot buffer of the K-3 then the K-1 can be really irritating. The buffer fills to quickly and the time it takes to clear the buffer and get the camera back on line is too long. The K-3 is a much more satisfying camera for that purpose. Not to mention that you get better detail in the crop area with a K-3 if you end up just using crop.

In terms of IQ, I did a few shots at some point to see if people could tell the difference between K-1 images and K-3 images... they couldn't.

There are times I go out and use the K-1 in the blind, just because I can. But it is often an unsatisfactory experience.

Hey, there are 497 images in this folder... but hey, I'm not a serious bird photographer. Also check out Kengoh's work. And https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/55946-300mm-plus-lens-clu...ng-lenses.html


Top of the list here.


So nothing wrong with the K-1 as a birding camera, but ti's a pretty straight trade off, it takes a little more skill and with the slow frame rate, probably less chance of getting exactly the pose you wish, but, it's a better image if you get it. And I find absolute quality in terms of resolution and DR are rarely issues in birding.

A K-3 image


A K-1 image


A K-3 image


You can get the job done with either. It's easier with a k-3. But, I use both depending on my mood. Sometimes I need the low light performance of the K-1, and I feel lucky.
Just clicking through my images, and without quantifying them, my feeling is most ( but definitely not all) of the shots that stand out since I bought the K-1 have been K-1 images, even though I have a lot more K-3 images.

The detail difference between the two Dark Eyed Junco images is pretty representative. But a bit misleading in that the K-3 Junco is twice the distance away, and for detail, closer is always better.

In conclusion , K-1 for birding is not the best capture option, but, it's a very good IQ option if you're skilled enough to capture with it.


For wildlife, it's a wonderful camera.



Especially for images like this where you want detail on the subject, but some context as to the environmental living conditions of the animal.














You do however have to invest in longer glass...

I bought my Tamron 300 2.8 and TCs to increase my reach with the K-1. But guess what happened, I still get even more reach with my K-3 using the same combos. It quickly became my goto birding lens on both cameras.

[cmohr]

Buffer.... I never needed a buffer, probably because I don't ever just spray and hope I have a photo. I take photos, the photos I mean to take. I never have had to hope that luck played a part. Apparently, others think that's the process. I pity that line of sight. I've taken many photos over the years, when I have only taken a single frame.
If you take 300 photos and get one you think is good, is that more successful than taking 20 and being happy with each that you captured what you set out to see?

[normhead]

Buffer.... I never needed a buffer, probably because I don't ever just spray and hope I have a photo. I take photos, the photos I mean to take. I never have had to hope that luck played a part. Apparently, others think that's the process. I pity that line of sight. I've taken many photos over the years, when I have only taken a single frame.
If you take 300 photos and get one you think is good, is that more successful than taking 20 and being happy with each that you captured what you set out to see?

That is a workable arrangement for landscape and macro, where I never use burst. There are other types of photography where it's not really the best strategy. But it is quite possible you don't shoot small birds or moving critters that don't pose. I'm not sure whether you're saying you only do photography that you can set up for a single shot, or that you limit yourself when a burst would be more appropriate.

You'd have to prove to me that sitting a blind you could nail the shot you want. I do exactly what you do, wait compose hit the shutter button, but then I keep the shutter going until the bird changes position. It's very rare that the first frame, the only frame you'd have is the one I choose. Its not about getting one good one, it's about having 6 or 7 excellent images, and being able to choose your favourite pose from the group. With small critters, your reflexes aren't fast enough to catch the preferred pose. All you're saying to me is you shoot less demanding subjects than I do.

[devouges]

That is a workable arrangement for landscape and macro, where I never use burst. There are other types of photography where it's not really the best strategy. But it is quite possible you don't shoot small birds or moving critters that don't pose. I'm not sure whether you're saying you only do photography the you can set up for a single shot, or that you limit yourself when a burst would be more appropriate.

You'd have to prove to me that sitting a bland you could nail the shot you want. I do exactly what you do, wait compose hit the shutter button, but then I keep the shutter going until the bird changes position. It's very rare that the first frame, the only frame you'd have is the one I choose. Its not about getting one good one, it's about having 6 or 7 excellent images, and being able to choose your favourite pose from the group. With small critters, your reflexes aren't fast enough to cath the preferred pose. All you're saying to me is you shoot less demanding subjects than I do.

normhead….. I agree so much. I often have just a few seconds and all I get is the branch where the bird was