[ferals_m38]

Hi all..

Ive just stepped up from a K100D to a K-7 and im looking at upgrading from my Tokina SZ-X 60-300 Zoom to something reasonably priced before Avalon airshow next year..ive got a few shots from the K-7 at Brisbane's Riverfire that are what id consider keepers considering i spent the evening blundering about with a Push-Pull manual focus lens that had to be chopped up a lil so the P/R mount would work on my K100d and the K-7..

heres an example or three..(clickable thumbs, blackhawk is full sized, the other two are crops)







But i would like something within a similar focal length that works as an AF lens at a reasonable price (the Tokina only cost me $36AUD and serves me well except it is soft at 300mm when shooting distant aircraft) and i know that i wont match the value for money my SZ-X has given me... especially its sturdy all metal construction!

any help or suggestions would be great, thanks..however due to my not so good experiences with the sigma 18-50 kit Lens from the K100d..id sooner take a slight step back from that brand..

[opiet70]

The 60-250 is pretty decent at 250, although I don't think it's quite as good as a prime. I live by an airbase and have been lusting after (LBA in full...) the Pentax A* 600mm F5.6. IMO that's much better than the DA* 300 with an extender (about 2.4 stops better) and it's a pretty good quality lens. It is, however, about twice the price.

What I found at last year's air show is I needed something that'd go very long quickly just because of their routines. The primes I was trying to use really didn't work for the closer shots. As such, I picked up a Vivitar 100-500 that is decent, but not close to the quality of the DA60-250 or a prime. However, for the shots I missed, it might be a good tradeoff

Just my 2c...

[captmacq]

da 55-300 will do you fine for an air show if you put yourself any where near show center. You wont need 300 that mutch and will spend most of your time at 150 / 200

[SpecialK]

da 55-300 will do you fine for an air show if you put yourself any where near show center. You wont need 300 that mutch and will spend most of your time at 150 / 200

Just the opposite thought here. 300 will barely be enough for individual planes.

But in the "xx-300 and relatively inexpensive" category, the Pentax 55-300 is an excellent choice.

[captmacq]

where you are is every thing
150mm

[ginglesair]

da 55-300 will do you fine for an air show if you put yourself any where near show center. You wont need 300 that mutch and will spend most of your time at 150 / 200

I am currently shooting with a 100-300 and I find myself wishing that I had more lense because a lot of the good shots are not at show center where they are close.

[captmacq]

I have been there with a 400mm prime and at that range if its up close your screwed and you caint change lenses fast enuff. So un less you want to spring $1000. for a big ma 100- 500( probably a very good choice but price was a big point in this question. ) your best bet is the 55-300 at $350. less if you go used.

[Toshi]

I think 300mm is enough but it really does depend on the airshow, the show flight path, and your location.

Shot with the DA* 300mm f/4 :



More shots can be seen here --> flickR set. All shot with the DA* 300mm. A zoom that goes to 300mm is perfect IMO.

Like the guys above have said, it all depends on the airshow. For example, here is a picture I took using a $18 70-210 sigma lens I got on ebay. Manual focus, but just set it on infinity and never needed to change it. Took some fantastic pictures, for my standards.

[opfor]

As others have said, it is a matter of 'where' you are compared to 'where' they are flying. Location, location, location.
I prefer my manual 200, but if I have to switch to a zoom I try to stay at one setting and wait till they fly into the right distance for the shot I want to try to get. The easier that you make it for yourself, the more time you will have to concentrate on your shots. I find AV mode works for me, that way it is just a matter of focus and shoot.

[seachunk2]

Opfor, great shots!

[opfor]

Opfor, great shots!

Thanks, I got lucky. Two days of cloudy air show with about 2-3 hours of nice sky on the Sunday.

More pics in the Aviation group.
Riat 2010 - Aviation! - PentaxForums.com

[ferals_m38]

beautiful shots, all of them, and thankyou for all the replys...well..ive had a last minute change of plan myself and im off to The RAAF Airshow this coming weekend..the last chance to get the F-111 before the December 3rd fair-well flyovers and retirement..

Royal Australian Air Force Air Shows : Royal Australian Air Force

Im gunna have to go with the SZ-X mentioned above and also the 18-55 WR kit lens...

ill see if i do any better..with better light and more practice with a new camera!

im going to have 10gigs of media on me...im just wondering if the battery will hold out that long!

how many shots will the standard K-7 battery deliver?

[Jodokast96]

Can't comment on the K-7, but I've gone through an entire day and probably nearly 2,000 shots (20+ gb) on my K10D and two batteries.

[Eric Seavey]

Bigma (sigma 50-500mm) is a really nice lens. For about $1000 you can get a pentax mount. It is the equivalent of having two lenses in one.