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04-22-2009, 02:46 AM   #46
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QuoteOriginally posted by jmbower Quote
........I have become interested in birds/bird photography. However, I also have a fairly tight budget. These things do not seem to mesh well. Other enthusiasts I have trekked about with have ridiculously large and expensive teles that I will never be able to afford.

I am not covetous of this, but it would be nice to get better long range tele performance. at 300mm, I still can't get very close to birds unless they happen to be perched quite near me. Even then, a good deal of crop is involved.

I most likely plan to upgrade to the k20d fairly soon. The extra resolution may help a bit, but I still have a 300mm cap...
in looking back at your post, one thing I missed first time round is upgrading to a K20D

while the extra MP will help, the high ISO performance may be much more important, as it could possibly eliminate the need to purchase a lens that comes with it's own car to carry.

I will go back over the posts to see if there is anything else I missed

04-23-2009, 08:24 AM   #47
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Just joined the forums and being a bird fanatic too, just saw this thread and i can sympathise with JMB.

I too am limited to cheaper MF lenses, but i at least managed to pick up a relatively ' cheap ' tele ( about $225 at todays rates )

Its the Tamron AD1 70-350mm Constant f4.5. I then use this with my Tamron SP BBar 2x Flat Field TC and if careful, can get some decent shots for a green amateur like myself

This fellow was around 60/65 ft away

04-24-2009, 08:31 PM   #48
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ron Boggs Quote
Can't tell you how many times I've been working a big raptor and then looked up over my lens only to see the bird squirt to lighten it's load and fly off. It's as if they cop an attitude--"Don't you be eyeballin' me boy!"
You're not kiddin'. That's why I've got tons of duck shots, loons, swallows, owls, even wild turkeys, but very few eagles and hawks.
04-24-2009, 08:50 PM   #49
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QuoteOriginally posted by jmbower Quote
I am down on the Texas Gulf Coast (Houston area) so have a lot of NWR's around (have already been to Anahuac, Brazoria, San Bernard, Attwater's, etc). So finding the birds hasn't been an issue... getting good shots...that's been harder
What part of Houston? I'm in Clear Lake, and love to shoot the birds outside of my office.

Adorama carries a "Pro Optic" mirror lens that's 500mm and f/6.3, for around $160. Most 500mm mirror lenses are f/8, so you'd have that going for you. Pop Photo did a review of it and gave it a nice review for the price. Same for the reviews on the Adorama site. For the price, it might be worth a look. As you've found out, 300mm just doesn't cut if for birds.

There are several of us Houstonians here on the site. Maybe it's about time to have a Pentaxian gathering somewhere. How about Armand Bayou?

04-24-2009, 10:32 PM   #50
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Maybe I didn't Google the right terms (Google is usually good to me)...is there a way to "de-mirror" the results from a mirror lens? Aside from using like a Gaussian blur for the background...any plug-ins for PhotoShop or something similar?
04-25-2009, 02:04 AM   #51
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De-mirror... do you mean the donuts ?
04-25-2009, 10:41 AM   #52
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Indeed...to erase the distracting background.

It would be nice to have a light, affordable 500mm lens and not be able to tell it was a mirror lens...I'd get one if a little post processing could take care of it.

04-25-2009, 11:25 AM   #53
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I'm with you on that - so is it not possible to PP out the donuts ?
04-25-2009, 12:20 PM   #54
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QuoteOriginally posted by Squier Quote
I'm with you on that - so is it not possible to PP out the donuts ?
There just HAS to be something out there to do it. Software can get rid of purple fringing, can de-fish fish-eye lenses, correct for barrel distortion, vignetting, etc. I'm going to do some more searching this afternoon, hopefully.


On to a different tangent...yeah, tangent Well...this is a birding thread but "wildlife" is kind of the same vein, right?

The cardinals were playing in the backyard but of course they stopped once I got the camera. But, the squirrels were out as always. My long lens, the FA 80-320, is a lens that impresses me some days but not others. Today, it impressed me.

I am not a pixel peeper by any means. I took this shot because of the pose, and it just so happened I needed to crop heavily.

100% crops...first one is ACR default sharpened, and all other defaults. Second is USM added after crop and resize to my normal taste. Not bad!

Shot details:
K10D handheld, 260mm, f/7.1, ISO 400, 1/250s, AF-C, SR enabled, Raw converted by ACR/CS3

ACR Raw sharpened only:


USM added:


Pleasing for a long, light, $150 lens This one's a keeper, even after I decide on a 300mm+ prime
04-26-2009, 06:47 PM   #55
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Tripods and monopods certainly come in handy, the in camera IS isn't as effective when the focal length gets over 200mm. also an external flash that can do high speed sync certainly comes in handy as a shadow filling light.

Pentax K10D Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG Pentax AF-540FGZ

1/250s f/11 ISO 400 - with HS sync on. - lens was at 300mm which is a 450mm equivalent on the K10D

Last edited by Digitalis; 04-25-2010 at 12:39 AM.
04-27-2009, 09:47 AM   #56
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Heron Fun

I'm new so please forgive my potential lack of edicate....

I'm blessed to live near the C&O Canal where the Herons are particuarly not shy around people. Thus, my favorite advise is find the right location. Learn it and the light well through multiple visits and then luck...

Should you be interested here are links to two recent sessions.


Chuck Durfor's Photos - Hooky for Herons | Facebook

Chuck Durfor's Photos - Hungry Heron | Facebook

K200D w/ tripod and 55-300 mm DA Pentax Lens



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