Thematic The Yard Birds Thread

normhead · 03-01-2018, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by timb64

Maybe I should have stuck a converter on it

Actually it was 55-300 (at 300mm)so the extra 50mm of a135 would hardly have made any difference, but thanks for commenting

I've been thinking of picking up a copy of that lens as a lightweight hiking option, to replace lenses like my F 70-210 and Sigma 70-300 which are just not good enough..The image quality I've seen looks to be better than any of the other lightweight telephoto lenses I own. What to you think?

timb64 · 03-01-2018, 11:44 AM

Originally posted by normhead

I've been thinking of picking up a copy of that lens as a lightweight hiking option, to replace lenses like my F 70-210 and Sigma 70-300 which are just not good enough..The image quality I've seen looks to be better than any of the other lightweight telephoto lenses I own. What to you think?

The picture above isn't really representative of what it's capable of.I've put together a quick selection here

DA55-300WR | Flickr

if you're interested.The lens does tend to focus hunt on my K5ii but you'll probably find your K3 better.Also if noise is a factor the PLM version would be better.

photolady95 · 03-01-2018, 11:45 AM

Originally posted by normhead

I've been thinking of picking up a copy of that lens as a lightweight hiking option, to replace lenses like my F 70-210 and Sigma 70-300 which are just not good enough..The image quality I've seen looks to be better than any of the other lightweight telephoto lenses I own. What to you think?

The quality of images taken with this lens even astond me so, if I had the extra cash I'd buy one too. I just wonder though two things actually, how good it is with a 1.4x TC on the end, and what does B&H know that we don't?

normhead · 03-01-2018, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by photolady95

The quality of images taken with this lens even astond me so, if I had the extra cash I'd buy one too. I just wonder though two things actually, how good it is with a 1.4x TC on the end, and what does B&H know that we don't?

I don't think I'd use the TC on it. I can't use it on the 70-210 or SIgma 70-300, the lenses it would replace so that's not really an issue. I've never liked the TC on anything but DA* quality lenses.

photolady95 · 03-01-2018, 02:05 PM

Sorry I was under the impression you used them on other lenses than the DA* lenses. And don't ask me where I got that info either, I do not remember.

But 300mm isn't long enough for my backyard so I won't be buying one.

normhead · 03-01-2018, 02:19 PM

Originally posted by timb64

The picture above isn't really representative of what it's capable of.I've put together a quick selection here

DA55-300WR | Flickr

if you're interested.The lens does tend to focus hunt on my K5ii but you'll probably find your K3 better.Also if noise is a factor the PLM version would be better.

Awesome pictures Tim... as a way to reduce weight on canoe trips it certainly looks like great replacement for the 60-250 and 1.4 TC. It would save me more than pound, and possibly let me fit all my gear into one Pelican case. I looks like it has decent macro capability, or is that just heavy cropping?

**Des** · 03-01-2018, 02:44 PM

Originally posted by photolady95

The quality of images taken with this lens even astond me so, if I had the extra cash I'd buy one too. I just wonder though two things actually, how good it is with a 1.4x TC on the end, and what does B&H know that we don't?

I haven't tried my Kenko TC (with the pz contacts) on my DA-L 55-300, and only tried it as an experiment on the PLM version to see whether the AF worked (it did, quite well). I think with these lenses the difference between cropping from a 24mp capture and from a 16mp capture is going to be more significant than TC or no TC. And of course with a 1.4x TC and the lens wide open at 300mm you would be at about f8 or f9 wide open, so AF will be unreliable, and you would need really good light. And these lenses benefit from stopping down a stop or two.

Not sure what you mean about B&H? Is it that the DA 55-300 f4-5.8 WR is still listed at the bargain price of $US146.95, or that they are out of stock but "More on the way"? (Incidentally the PLM is $US371.95.) DSLR Lenses, SLR Lenses | Camera Lens | B&H The screw-drive version is pretty irresistible as a cheap option at that price, if you can live with the noisy and (relatively) slow AF. There's very little between the screw-driven and PLM versions in optical quality (I'd say the bokeh on the PLM is a little smoother) and the screw-driven version is about one-third to one-half stop faster across the range.

Because it's not an IF lens the screw-driven version isn't affected by focus breathing, but from my testing I don't think the difference is significant for practical purposes: 55-200, 55-200 WR, 55-300, 55-300 PLM, etc, which telezoom I should get? - PentaxForums.com The shorter MFD of the PLM (950mm v 1400mm) and its compact size when packed away count for more IMO. Whether the benefits of the PLM are worth an extra $225 is something you have to weigh up.

Originally posted by photolady95

But 300mm isn't long enough for my backyard so I won't be buying one.

Must be a big yard, or very small subjects! I find that 300mm is enough to get worthwhile shot of birds most of the time up to about 10 metres or so. Of course that depends on how much cropping you can live with.

Last edited by Des; 03-01-2018 at 03:00 PM.

timb64 · 03-01-2018, 02:49 PM

Originally posted by normhead

Awesome pictures Tim... as a way to reduce weight on canoe trips it certainly looks like great replacement for the 60-250 and 1.4 TC. It would save me more than pound, and possibly let me fit all my gear into one Pelican case. I looks like it has decent macro capability, or is that just heavy cropping?

Thanks Norm.The minimum focusing distance isn't great(over 4ft)but it will stand up to a reasonable amount of cropping.

photolady95 · 03-01-2018, 05:14 PM - **1 Like**

Des, I thought maybe B&H might drop the price on the PLM version but since I only one camera that will work with that version, I probably wouldn't buy it. As for the reach of a 300mm lens, it's too much cropping for the tiny birds I shoot, i.e., finches, and Tuffed Titmouse, and Wrens, etc. And yes, I have a large yard. That's why I shoot the Sigma 400mm.

Birds like this one:

jddwoods · 03-01-2018, 06:02 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by photolady95

The quality of images taken with this lens even astond me so, if I had the extra cash I'd buy one too. I just wonder though two things actually, how good it is with a 1.4x TC on the end, and what does B&H know that we don't?

I have three lenses that go out to 300 mm and the 1.4 TC. I tried the TC on all three and here is my experience.
1. TC on the HD DA 55-300 WR, forget it! Autofocus even slower and can't lock reliably. racks in and out noisily. Image quality not great.
2. TC on the 55-300 PLM, OK but only in lots of good bright sunlight, Autofocus still super quick and accurate but image quality no better than what I can get with crop without using the TC. I don't bother using the TC with this lens.
3. TC on the DA* 300, This is where it is worth it. gives me a sharp 420mm f5.6 lens. I also like the TC on the DFA 100 macro WR.

photolady95 · 03-01-2018, 06:07 PM

Just so you know, I have two TCs, one 1.4x and one 1.7x and neither work well on the 400mm so I leave them off. And my 400mm is MF so even if I had that 55-300mm I'd probably shoot MF with it too.

**Des** · 03-01-2018, 06:46 PM

Originally posted by photolady95

Des, I thought maybe B&H might drop the price on the PLM version but since I only one camera that will work with that version, I probably wouldn't buy it.

Fair enough, especially if 300mm isn't really long enough for you.

Seems to me that $US372 is a pretty fair price for the PLM. Maybe it will drop further eventually, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

It's a shame that Ricoh haven't released a firmware update to allow the K-5 series or the K-30 to use the PLM lens. There is a hack for the K-30 to use the K-50 firmware but that's at the user's own risk. I actually think there is more gain in using the PLM instead of the screw-driven 55-300 on cameras that don't have such a powerful screw-drive AF motor (which might be those which use the Dli 109 battery rather than the Dli 90). The K-3 definitely drives screw-driven AF lenses faster than the K-S2 does or than my K-30 used to do. With the PLM, I can't discern any difference in AF speed between the K-S2 and the K-3 (accuracy is another matter - the K-3 is superior there). Maybe the PLM chews up more battery power, but I can't say I've noticed.

timb64 · 03-02-2018, 08:56 AM

Today's visitors,the starlings make light work of the mealworms (DA55-300WR)

photolady95 · 03-02-2018, 10:48 AM - **1 Like**

I broke down and bought one anyway. If I don't like it, it would make a nice Christmas gift to my granddaughter who has my old K10D and is a member here.

**Des** · 03-02-2018, 02:48 PM

Originally posted by photolady95

I broke down and bought one anyway. If I don't like it, it would make a nice Christmas gift to my granddaughter who has my old K10D and is a member here.

Which one did you buy?

03-02-2018, 08:56 AM	#1033
timb64 Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: /Situation : Doing my best to avoid idiots! Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,510	Today's visitors,the starlings make light work of the mealworms (DA55-300WR) Last edited by timb64; 03-02-2018 at 11:25 AM.

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03-01-2018, 10:50 AM	#1021
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,450	Originally posted by timb64 Maybe I should have stuck a converter on it Actually it was 55-300 (at 300mm)so the extra 50mm of a135 would hardly have made any difference, but thanks for commenting I've been thinking of picking up a copy of that lens as a lightweight hiking option, to replace lenses like my F 70-210 and Sigma 70-300 which are just not good enough..The image quality I've seen looks to be better than any of the other lightweight telephoto lenses I own. What to you think?

03-01-2018, 11:44 AM	#1022
timb64 Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: /Situation : Doing my best to avoid idiots! Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,510	Originally posted by normhead I've been thinking of picking up a copy of that lens as a lightweight hiking option, to replace lenses like my F 70-210 and Sigma 70-300 which are just not good enough..The image quality I've seen looks to be better than any of the other lightweight telephoto lenses I own. What to you think? The picture above isn't really representative of what it's capable of.I've put together a quick selection here DA55-300WR \| Flickr if you're interested.The lens does tend to focus hunt on my K5ii but you'll probably find your K3 better.Also if noise is a factor the PLM version would be better.

03-01-2018, 11:45 AM	#1023
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Originally posted by normhead I've been thinking of picking up a copy of that lens as a lightweight hiking option, to replace lenses like my F 70-210 and Sigma 70-300 which are just not good enough..The image quality I've seen looks to be better than any of the other lightweight telephoto lenses I own. What to you think? The quality of images taken with this lens even astond me so, if I had the extra cash I'd buy one too. I just wonder though two things actually, how good it is with a 1.4x TC on the end, and what does B&H know that we don't?

03-01-2018, 01:44 PM	#1024
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,450	Originally posted by photolady95 The quality of images taken with this lens even astond me so, if I had the extra cash I'd buy one too. I just wonder though two things actually, how good it is with a 1.4x TC on the end, and what does B&H know that we don't? I don't think I'd use the TC on it. I can't use it on the 70-210 or SIgma 70-300, the lenses it would replace so that's not really an issue. I've never liked the TC on anything but DA* quality lenses.

03-01-2018, 02:05 PM	#1025
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Sorry I was under the impression you used them on other lenses than the DA* lenses. And don't ask me where I got that info either, I do not remember. But 300mm isn't long enough for my backyard so I won't be buying one.

03-01-2018, 02:19 PM	#1026
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,450	Originally posted by timb64 The picture above isn't really representative of what it's capable of.I've put together a quick selection here DA55-300WR \| Flickr if you're interested.The lens does tend to focus hunt on my K5ii but you'll probably find your K3 better.Also if noise is a factor the PLM version would be better. Awesome pictures Tim... as a way to reduce weight on canoe trips it certainly looks like great replacement for the 60-250 and 1.4 TC. It would save me more than pound, and possibly let me fit all my gear into one Pelican case. I looks like it has decent macro capability, or is that just heavy cropping?

03-01-2018, 02:44 PM	#1027
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,421	Originally posted by photolady95 The quality of images taken with this lens even astond me so, if I had the extra cash I'd buy one too. I just wonder though two things actually, how good it is with a 1.4x TC on the end, and what does B&H know that we don't? I haven't tried my Kenko TC (with the pz contacts) on my DA-L 55-300, and only tried it as an experiment on the PLM version to see whether the AF worked (it did, quite well). I think with these lenses the difference between cropping from a 24mp capture and from a 16mp capture is going to be more significant than TC or no TC. And of course with a 1.4x TC and the lens wide open at 300mm you would be at about f8 or f9 wide open, so AF will be unreliable, and you would need really good light. And these lenses benefit from stopping down a stop or two. Not sure what you mean about B&H? Is it that the DA 55-300 f4-5.8 WR is still listed at the bargain price of $US146.95, or that they are out of stock but "More on the way"? (Incidentally the PLM is $US371.95.) DSLR Lenses, SLR Lenses \| Camera Lens \| B&H The screw-drive version is pretty irresistible as a cheap option at that price, if you can live with the noisy and (relatively) slow AF. There's very little between the screw-driven and PLM versions in optical quality (I'd say the bokeh on the PLM is a little smoother) and the screw-driven version is about one-third to one-half stop faster across the range. Because it's not an IF lens the screw-driven version isn't affected by focus breathing, but from my testing I don't think the difference is significant for practical purposes: 55-200, 55-200 WR, 55-300, 55-300 PLM, etc, which telezoom I should get? - PentaxForums.com The shorter MFD of the PLM (950mm v 1400mm) and its compact size when packed away count for more IMO. Whether the benefits of the PLM are worth an extra $225 is something you have to weigh up. Originally posted by photolady95 But 300mm isn't long enough for my backyard so I won't be buying one. Must be a big yard, or very small subjects! I find that 300mm is enough to get worthwhile shot of birds most of the time up to about 10 metres or so. Of course that depends on how much cropping you can live with. Last edited by Des; 03-01-2018 at 03:00 PM.

03-01-2018, 02:49 PM	#1028
timb64 Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: /Situation : Doing my best to avoid idiots! Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,510	Originally posted by normhead Awesome pictures Tim... as a way to reduce weight on canoe trips it certainly looks like great replacement for the 60-250 and 1.4 TC. It would save me more than pound, and possibly let me fit all my gear into one Pelican case. I looks like it has decent macro capability, or is that just heavy cropping? Thanks Norm.The minimum focusing distance isn't great(over 4ft)but it will stand up to a reasonable amount of cropping.

03-01-2018, 05:14 PM - 1 Like	#1029
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Des, I thought maybe B&H might drop the price on the PLM version but since I only one camera that will work with that version, I probably wouldn't buy it. As for the reach of a 300mm lens, it's too much cropping for the tiny birds I shoot, i.e., finches, and Tuffed Titmouse, and Wrens, etc. And yes, I have a large yard. That's why I shoot the Sigma 400mm. Birds like this one:

03-01-2018, 06:02 PM - 1 Like	#1030
jddwoods Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,035	Originally posted by photolady95 The quality of images taken with this lens even astond me so, if I had the extra cash I'd buy one too. I just wonder though two things actually, how good it is with a 1.4x TC on the end, and what does B&H know that we don't? I have three lenses that go out to 300 mm and the 1.4 TC. I tried the TC on all three and here is my experience. 1. TC on the HD DA 55-300 WR, forget it! Autofocus even slower and can't lock reliably. racks in and out noisily. Image quality not great. 2. TC on the 55-300 PLM, OK but only in lots of good bright sunlight, Autofocus still super quick and accurate but image quality no better than what I can get with crop without using the TC. I don't bother using the TC with this lens. 3. TC on the DA* 300, This is where it is worth it. gives me a sharp 420mm f5.6 lens. I also like the TC on the DFA 100 macro WR.

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03-01-2018, 06:07 PM	#1031
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Just so you know, I have two TCs, one 1.4x and one 1.7x and neither work well on the 400mm so I leave them off. And my 400mm is MF so even if I had that 55-300mm I'd probably shoot MF with it too.

03-01-2018, 06:46 PM	#1032
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,421	Originally posted by photolady95 Des, I thought maybe B&H might drop the price on the PLM version but since I only one camera that will work with that version, I probably wouldn't buy it. Fair enough, especially if 300mm isn't really long enough for you. Seems to me that $US372 is a pretty fair price for the PLM. Maybe it will drop further eventually, but I wouldn't hold my breath. It's a shame that Ricoh haven't released a firmware update to allow the K-5 series or the K-30 to use the PLM lens. There is a hack for the K-30 to use the K-50 firmware but that's at the user's own risk. I actually think there is more gain in using the PLM instead of the screw-driven 55-300 on cameras that don't have such a powerful screw-drive AF motor (which might be those which use the Dli 109 battery rather than the Dli 90). The K-3 definitely drives screw-driven AF lenses faster than the K-S2 does or than my K-30 used to do. With the PLM, I can't discern any difference in AF speed between the K-S2 and the K-3 (accuracy is another matter - the K-3 is superior there). Maybe the PLM chews up more battery power, but I can't say I've noticed.

03-02-2018, 10:48 AM - 1 Like	#1034
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	I broke down and bought one anyway. If I don't like it, it would make a nice Christmas gift to my granddaughter who has my old K10D and is a member here.

03-02-2018, 02:48 PM	#1035
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,421	Originally posted by photolady95 I broke down and bought one anyway. If I don't like it, it would make a nice Christmas gift to my granddaughter who has my old K10D and is a member here. Which one did you buy?