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04-30-2021, 12:44 PM   #1
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Pentax and wildlife

Hi.
I currently have k70 and kr.
I have a cheap sigma 150-500 and get into bird taking photography

It seems like i need better af.
Should i go for k1/k1ii or other???

Is pentax any good for bird in flight?

Same price i cam get a nikon or sony??

04-30-2021, 12:55 PM   #2
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K1 / K1II is a field camera per Pentax. Not really designed for bird in flight. You can do it but I doubt the results would be any better than the K-70.

If you are serious the camera you want is the K-3III which from early reviews looks to be excellent at birds in flight.

QuoteOriginally posted by 4Vn_Shotter Quote
Same price i cam get a nikon or sony??
Probably, but it would not be a Pentax
Also note that Birds in flight is one of the hardest subjects to shoot with any camera. It takes a lot of practice to get good at it.
04-30-2021, 02:09 PM   #3
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I use a K-5 IIs on my Sigma 150-500 DG OS to shoot birds in flight. It does well. I have the K-1 II and I use it on my Pentax 70-200, and the results are amazing. The reason I use my K-5 IIs on my Sigma 150-500 is because it is APS-C. The K-1 II is full frame which for me is more suited for the shooting closer subjects, while the APS-C camera is more suited for super telephoto such as the Sigma 150-500. Shooting birds in flight is a matter of tracking the subject and getting the shot using the correct settings, which is performed by the user operation of the camera/lens. If you are interested in shooting birds in flight and other wildlife using your 150-500, the new K-3 III may be the most effective Pentax APS-C product to use, being that it will have the most updated features aside from lacking the self contained GPS for astrophotography, but a Pentax GPS unit which sits in the flash shoe is available if you ever need that. I found that when using the GPS found internally on my K-3 II that the power from the battery was used at a quite steady pace, so maybe the external GPS unit may be a good thing in some instances. I would basically recommend the new K-3 III for your super telephoto needs. It also has a top lcd screen to view your settings, which comes in very handy for me during shooting.

Good luck with your decision.
04-30-2021, 02:49 PM   #4
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You should look at the K3-III. Supposedly much improved AF, and higher pixel density.

04-30-2021, 03:13 PM   #5
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I used my K-70 for over a year with my Sigma 150-500mm, mostly for wild birds … apart from the birds in flight limitations imposed by the small number of a/f points, (a distant bird can "fall between" the points), it's a perfectly adequate combination. Just need to refine one's panning technique to keep the subject under the a/f point
A year or so ago I upgraded to a KP, for the extra a/f points, and it is somewhat better, seemingly even more so now the firmware has been upgraded (just recently)
This last week I took delivery of a K-3iii and this is "in a whole different ballpark" … dozens of very sensitive a/f points configurable in multiple ways … you really do need to spend a couple of hours with the manual to even start to get to grips with the functionality of this thing!
As to whether the price differential is worthwhile? That'll depend entirely on your skill set and your requirements.
What ever you do, don't write off the K-70 " 'cos it's the base model" … it's a lot more sophisticated than many other "base models", and only when you start to get to the limits of it's capabilities will you see any advantage from a "better" camera. For a static or slow-moving subject at a reasonable distance, you'll not see any difference in image quality from any of these cameras when using your Sigma lens!
04-30-2021, 05:32 PM   #6
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I do not think the K1II is better than the KP for what you describe.
I've tried my 50-500 sigma on both and find the KP "better" for focusing or at least the same. JMHO
04-30-2021, 06:15 PM - 1 Like   #7
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Capturing birds in flight or any kind of moving wildlife is more about knowledge and technical skills than the camera you use. Wonderful fast moving wildlife photos were created for years using manual focus, single shot film cameras. Today, I use a K70 with the DA* 300mm and the DA 55-300mm plm quite successfully for wildlife photography. You have to really know your camera and lens and what it can and cannot do. It helps a lot to understand your subjects' behavior and try to anticipate where it's moving to. Master the technique of panning.

04-30-2021, 08:30 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by DWS1 Quote
Capturing birds in flight or any kind of moving wildlife is more about knowledge and technical skills than the camera you use. Wonderful fast moving wildlife photos were created for years using manual focus, single shot film cameras. Today, I use a K70 with the DA* 300mm and the DA 55-300mm plm quite successfully for wildlife photography. You have to really know your camera and lens and what it can and cannot do. It helps a lot to understand your subjects' behavior and try to anticipate where it's moving to. Master the technique of panning.
I agree totally with tihs post.

However, if you want the combination that is best for BIF, then you probably want a K3iii and a DA 300mm F4 combo. You can add a 1.4X teleconverter for more reach.

I mostly shoot with the K1/ Da300mm/ 1.4X tele combo. I am seriously thinking about getting the K3iii
04-30-2021, 11:44 PM - 1 Like   #9
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BIF relies much more on very good technique particularly with Pentax ( not tried a K3iii yet ) back button focusing ( BBF ) works for me
05-01-2021, 01:12 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by kypfer Quote
What ever you do, don't write off the K-70 " 'cos it's the base model" … it's a lot more sophisticated than many other "base models", and only when you start to get to the limits of it's capabilities will you see any advantage from a "better" camera. For a static or slow-moving subject at a reasonable distance, you'll not see any difference in image quality from any of these cameras when using your Sigma lens!
one development decision I really don't like about k-70 vs KP is the screen rotation type. To me KP is all about the extra dial and handling experience, would love to have at least 2 axis swivel of the screen (for both portrait and landscape)
05-01-2021, 01:43 AM - 1 Like   #11
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I've had plenty of success with wildlife using K5, K3 and K1, though none of those cameras is specialised for it. The K3iii will be a different story.

Ultimately, patience and photographic technique is more important than choice of camera for wildlife.


Last edited by Paul the Sunman; 05-01-2021 at 01:51 AM.
05-01-2021, 03:53 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by 4Vn_Shotter Quote
Hi.
I currently have k70 and kr.
I have a cheap sigma 150-500 and get into bird taking photography

It seems like i need better af.
Should i go for k1/k1ii or other???

Is pentax any good for bird in flight?

Same price i cam get a nikon or sony??
"Same price i cam get a nikon or sony??" For the same price you can get any of the brands you mention, but it will not be as full featured as a Pentax! That is the strong point of this brand, Ricoh/Pentax always offer more than the others.
05-01-2021, 04:22 AM   #13
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I’ve been at photographing birds for almost as long as I have been shooting with an SLR/DSLR. Birds, notably ducks and gees are some of the first subjects almost everyone takes a photo of.

Over that time I have learned a lot, and the biggest issue is that for birds in flight, luck and technique iare the champs.

Equipment can help somewhat, longer lenses, more AF points, but that only helps not makes the shot.

One of my favourite BIF shots was shot using a Pentax PZ-1 with a K300/4 MF lens and the Pentax 1.7x AF adaptor.




BIF is largely in my opinion luck, or in some cases technique with a fixed location (bird feeder) and flash. Check out this post, and others by this forum member, they are excellent examples of birds in flight, at a feeder.

Blue Jay in Flight (Vintage Glass) - PentaxForums.com

My experience is the keeper rate at BIF is very low, maybe 1%

If you have a specific bird you want, I recommend learning it’s habitat and behaviour, because that may help you get shots. Some birds, (osprey, kestrels, etc) can hover before diving at their prey. If you recognize they are hunting, you can track and wait for them to hover, then luck and timing can get a great pose

But nothing equipment will give you, except AF will ultimately help, the rest you need to learn on your own
05-01-2021, 04:38 AM   #14
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Wo thank you all. It is great to hear your sharing.

I have to say it is a bit confusing for me as this will be a big purchase.

At the beginning, i was impressed by advertising in mirrorless camera tracking system.
But then some say the dslr tracking actually work the same in high end camera.

I see that camera does not matter... But i have to say sometimes, i wish i have the af a bit faster to get a moment right. Or just more frame per second.

About the k3iii, it is a bit over budget as i plan to stay under £1k for used body. But it is manageable of i keep the old 150-500 sigma lens.

Uhm, shouls i upgrade lens or camera body? I also hear that the sigma 60-600 is not available in Pentax 📸😭
05-01-2021, 04:47 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by 4Vn_Shotter Quote
Wo thank you all. It is great to hear your sharing.

I have to say it is a bit confusing for me as this will be a big purchase.

At the beginning, i was impressed by advertising in mirrorless camera tracking system.
But then some say the dslr tracking actually work the same in high end camera.

I see that camera does not matter... But i have to say sometimes, i wish i have the af a bit faster to get a moment right.
faster AF cant hurrt
QuoteQuote:
Or just more frame per second.
ahh. The spray and prey principle
QuoteQuote:


About the k3iii, it is a bit over budget as i plan to stay under £1k for used body. But it is manageable of i keep the old 150-500 sigma lens.
is the lens screw drive? You may find a little hesitation as the af hunts around the ideal focus point with micro adjustments. I find that with my APO70-200/2.8 EX and 2X TC but that may just be the extra backlash in the combination of TC and lens
QuoteQuote:

Uhm, shouls i upgrade lens or camera body? I also hear that the sigma 60-600 is not available in Pentax 📸😭
It is true that sigma no longer supports k mount at all, but 600 mm over your present 500 mm is really a matter of feet. Getting your feet to move 6 feet closer on a bird 60 feet away.

As to upgrades, I would go body first, you win with not just AF improvements but also probably also low light performance which may be more important than anything else.
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