[bm75]

sell my 55-300 and look for a proper DA lens. Currently eyeing a DA*60-250 f4, DA 200 f2.8, sigma 150-500 all for less than £500. cheaper than switching to Canon and improving glass by a lot. Any money I get from selling prints I'll reinvest.

How fast your lenses have to be? Sigma 150-500 is significantly slower than DA 200. another point: DA60-250 and Sigma 150-500 are lenses that suit different purposes...In my opinion a lens like the sigma calls, ie for a sturdy tripod + head .... that could be a cost, if you don't already have got it. A good ballhead is about 150-200 Euro , not to say the gimbal ones... a good investment in tripod is about 350 Euro, at least.
Coming back to the swithching question, you exactly know what your photography is...I mean...what kind of photography you want to do and sell. So think well about the gear you need for that. If it's long zoom teles, don't expect canon neither Nikon to be cheap. Their IS/VR lenses are always in EUro XXXX (3 zeros) price target, used too. Perhaps you'll find that DA 50-135 + DA200 or DA300 with slight cropping would fit your need at an affordable price.

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Last edited by bm75; 11-14-2017 at 11:33 PM.

[biz-engineer]

How fast your lenses have to be? Sigma 150-500 is significantly slower than DA 200.

Last year I was at a wildlife event, only Canon was there with their long white lenses aligned on gimbals and all camera models show cased and for the users to try. Only Canon is there! Other brands don't even have a chance to be seen. You try the Canon camera, the Canon technical is here to answer your questions, at the end he eventually give you a voucher for a discount at a Canon dealer. It's not about gear at all. It's about how to building relationships with customers. Who care is the Canon sensor in make with a 15 years old fab line and deliver 8bits of dynamic range at ISO100. For the customer who is not into splitting hairs on technical details, the choice is easy, go Canon.

[Dan Rentea]

Who care is the Canon sensor in make with a 15 years old fab line and deliver 8bits of dynamic range at ISO100. For the customer who is not into splitting hairs on technical details, the choice is easy, go Canon.

Except 6D Mark II which is not what was supposed to be in terms of sensor performance, 80D, 1Dx mark II, 5D Mark IV have quite a good dynamic range. The difference between my 6D and my 5D Mark IV is quite evident if I want to push the shadows. But I was happy with the dynamic range of 6D because I don't like to push the shadows more than 2 stops and I'm not into landscape. Even if I were, I would use filters and bracketing to avoid pushing the shadows.

But, as I said, if the OP is thinking of buying a cheap Canon rebel camera, it's not woth the effort. Those cameras are screaming poor performance, poor build quality and poor ergonomics.

[DeadJohn]

DA60-250 and Sigma 150-500 are lenses that suit different purposes...In my opinion a lens like the sigma calls, ie for a sturdy tripod + head

I use my 50-500 handheld, and I'm not a bodybuilder. IMO it's a manageable weight for wildlife and airshows. The Sigma 150-500 weighs a fraction less than my 50-500.

To the OP, consider the 150-500 if you are most interested in taking photos of things very far away, or small things at medium distance. The Pentax 60-250 is lighter and wider aperture which can help in dim light or if you want thinner depth, but you sacrifice magnification in return.

In other words, for birding in good light I would favor the Sigma 150-500.
For indoor or night sports, I would favor the Pentax 60-250, assuming you can get reasonably close to the playing field. The 60-250 is also more of a general purpose lens if you want to do portraits.

Birding in dim light, or dim sports when you are sitting way back: Neither lens is ideal. Those are very challenging shooting conditions. That's why some people will pay $5K+ USD for a 500mm f/4. I'm not saying that to discourage you, just giving reasonable expectations. You might be able to get good results with the Sigma or the Pentax or you might not.

[Jonathan Mac]

I haven't read through the whole thread so forgive me if this has already been stated.

I would say that despite recent increases, Pentax remains at the forefront for value when it comes to both cameras and lenses. You may see them as expensive but for the most part other brands cost even more for equivalent gear.

I lived in the UK and now in Madrid and the UK market is much larger than the Spanish one, which means prices are lower and gear is easier to come by. For new stuff try SRS microsystems, Park Cameras or Clifton Cameras, all of which have good online presence. They also have used gear, some of which is sold through their ebay shop.

The UK forum, though less active than this one, is also a good place to buy used gear at better prices. It can be found at the link below.

Pentax User

[following.eric]

I have had problems with my DA* 50-135 SDM (repaired four times). In my opinion, any lens that needs to 'wake up' after sitting for a while is cause for concern and should be avoided.

Regards,

- Craig

thats my thinking, if it was a steal on the others that I knew I could convert it would be different. 50-135 would be fine, although I think I would prefer more reach like the Da 300mm. I know it's only f4, but at the moment I have to shoot at f13 with my 55-300 to get anything sharp, is will be a faser lens for me even at f4, and about the same price second hand

---------- Post added 11-15-17 at 01:15 AM ----------

I haven't heard of the 60-250 having a "wake up" issue without the SDM going bad. I bought my 50-135 and the seller told me he had to let it wake up after sitting a while, honestly it's not something I've noticed using the lens, but maybe I use it more than he did. I can say, the 50-135 and the DA*200 make an amazing duo with pro-grade glass, and if your budget can allow it, I'd take a serious look at acquiring both lenses.

currently watching all of the above and see what I can. Will try and sell my DA 10-17 to at least start a fund towards something new as I decide

---------- Post added 11-15-17 at 01:26 AM ----------

How fast your lenses have to be? Sigma 150-500 is significantly slower than DA 200. another point: DA60-250 and Sigma 150-500 are lenses that suit different purposes...In my opinion a lens like the sigma calls, ie for a sturdy tripod + head .... that could be a cost, if you don't already have got it. A good ballhead is about 150-200 Euro , not to say the gimbal ones... a good investment in tripod is about 350 Euro, at least.
Coming back to the swithching question, you exactly know what your photography is...I mean...what kind of photography you want to do and sell. So think well about the gear you need for that. If it's long zoom teles, don't expect canon neither Nikon to be cheap. Their IS/VR lenses are always in EUro XXXX (3 zeros) price target, used too. Perhaps you'll find that DA 50-135 + DA200 or DA300 with slight cropping would fit your need at an affordable price.

Thanks for the advice, i think the more I talk about and the more I think about, switching or invest is pointless if I am not sure where I am going. At the moment more of a hobbyist than anything, selling the odd print to friends and family. Since moving to the UK and not having has close access to bigger landscapes at the moment I feel like my photography is in flux. a bit stagnant. been playing with more macro since I have a lot more flowers around, although now thats its winter I'll shift indoor for that.

I think i do need to think hard about what it is I want going forward and how much I'm willing to invest to get that. I think at this point I want to replace/upgrade my 55-300mm because I am simply not happy with it. I have to stop down to f13 to get anything sharp, which pretty much means I need perfect light and lots of it. So If I could replace that with a much better and faster lens then my kit would be a bit more elevated. I dont use the 10-17 so i'll sell that. I picked up some extension tubes for my Pentax M 50mm macro, im satisfied with the sigma 17-50 as it is good value for quality and the 16-50 from Pentax is a bit too expensive at the moment. I'm thinking 50-135. And down the road if I have made a bit more money from prints and I am still interested in more reach then I can look at the DA 300mm area. but for now focus on having good quality from 17 to 135 mm and work with that.

[Dan Rentea]

And except for the *istDS and the DA 21mm Limited - bought ages ago - I got all my Pentax gear from my country (RO). It wasn't that difficult walking into a store and buying things... well, beside parting with my money (but the joy of having new "toys" compensated for that).

When I vote with my wallet, I want to know where my money are going. Luckily for me, the DA* 60-250mm f4 lens wasn't in stock for quite a long period and in the meantime I found someone who had a DA* 60-250mm f4 and I was able to test it. I would have lost 1.650$ if would have bought that lens. Despite its very good optics, it is slow and it has focus breathing. And not to mention that it has SDM problems. And lucky me, I was able to test a DA21mm limited and also a DA 70mm limited, lenses I owned and I was pleased with. But if you don't have contacts to help you test gear, buying lenses based on reviews sometimes it's not a wise decision.

That's why I recommend testing the gear before buying it. Even if the OP can't find stores that rent Pentax, there must be some Pentaxians where he live to contact them and try to test some lenses. Coming from a 55-300mm lens, the 60-250mm lens may be for him the best thing who could happen in terms of lens performance. It's all depending on needs and expectations.

To the OP. Maybe there is something wrong with your lens? At f13 diffraction must be quite visible on a crop camera. At f7.1- f8 your lens should have had the best results.

[richard0170]

thats my thinking, if it was a steal on the others that I knew I could convert it would be different. 50-135 would be fine, although I think I would prefer more reach like the Da 300mm. I know it's only f4, but at the moment I have to shoot at f13 with my 55-300 to get anything sharp, is will be a faser lens for me even at f4, and about the same price second hand

---------- Post added 11-15-17 at 01:15 AM ----------



currently watching all of the above and see what I can. Will try and sell my DA 10-17 to at least start a fund towards something new as I decide

---------- Post added 11-15-17 at 01:26 AM ----------



Thanks for the advice, i think the more I talk about and the more I think about, switching or invest is pointless if I am not sure where I am going. At the moment more of a hobbyist than anything, selling the odd print to friends and family. Since moving to the UK and not having has close access to bigger landscapes at the moment I feel like my photography is in flux. a bit stagnant. been playing with more macro since I have a lot more flowers around, although now thats its winter I'll shift indoor for that.

I think i do need to think hard about what it is I want going forward and how much I'm willing to invest to get that. I think at this point I want to replace/upgrade my 55-300mm because I am simply not happy with it. I have to stop down to f13 to get anything sharp, which pretty much means I need perfect light and lots of it. So If I could replace that with a much better and faster lens then my kit would be a bit more elevated. I dont use the 10-17 so i'll sell that. I picked up some extension tubes for my Pentax M 50mm macro, im satisfied with the sigma 17-50 as it is good value for quality and the 16-50 from Pentax is a bit too expensive at the moment. I'm thinking 50-135. And down the road if I have made a bit more money from prints and I am still interested in more reach then I can look at the DA 300mm area. but for now focus on having good quality from 17 to 135 mm and work with that.

If you are interested in exploring macro further, the extension tubes with the M50 will not be that useful, as you will lose a lot of light due to the change in aperture, and you will be too close to the subject for comfort. Its worth using them with a short telephoto in the range of 90 - 135mm or even 200mm. You should be able to pick one up at a very reasonable cost. EG Tamron 90mm f2.5 sp macro c£100-130, Pentax M 135 f3.5 around £40, around £200 for a 2.8. £50 a Pentax M 200 f4. If you want larger apertures you will of course pay considerably more, but for macro work you don't need them. I use a Pentax A 50mm f2.8, the Tamron 90mm f2.5 and a Tamron SP 300mm f5.6 for all my macro and close up work. The most I paid was £100 for the Pentax A 50. The 300 is very good for butterflies and bees, I paid about £60, the 90mm was somewhere in between. The good thing about the Tamrons is that if you ever change to Nikon, you will still be able to use them on the D7000, D7100, D7200, not the D7500, and all their FF and pro APCs models, so there will never be a need to replace your glass.

[Kunzite]

When I vote with my wallet, I want to know where my money are going. Luckily for me, the DA* 60-250mm f4 lens wasn't in stock for quite a long period and in the meantime I found someone who had a DA* 60-250mm f4 and I was able to test it. I would have lost 1.650$ if would have bought that lens. Despite its very good optics, it is slow and it has focus breathing. And not to mention that it has SDM problems. And lucky me, I was able to test a DA21mm limited and also a DA 70mm limited, lenses I owned and I was pleased with. But if you don't have contacts to help you test gear, buying lenses based on reviews sometimes it's not a wise decision.

That's why I recommend testing the gear before buying it. Even if the OP can't find stores that rent Pentax, there must be some Pentaxians where he live to contact them and try to test some lenses. Coming from a 55-300mm lens, the 60-250mm lens may be for him the best thing who could happen in terms of lens performance. It's all depending on needs and expectations.

Where your money are going? TVA, taxes, to the dealer, Ricoh Imaging Europe, logistic company, Ricoh Imaging Japan...

I found the DA* 60-250mm in stock, and actually was able to choose between 2 of them. I found the D FA 150-450 in stock, tested it and bought it. I could go and buy the D FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 right now, it's on stock (and subject of the cashback campaign).
It's not like you have to buy from another country (you can do that if you choose, but you're not forced to as it was implied).

Yes, the DA* 60-250 is slow, you don't have to explain that to me; SDM issues are rare, probably not above the normal for this type of motor (mine had no issue for as long as I had it).

[bm75]

It's about how to building relationships with customers.

We were talking about tech differences and why swithcing from Pentax. Obviously this was not a thread intended to anwer how to start a business. But in short: Yes, the OP , as everyone else could be perfectly OK with Canon gear, because a pro knows exactly how to use the gear for its best , no matter what brand. But we were talking about DA 55-300 , low-end Canon gear and medium-level lenses, not exactly the expensive ones you for sure have seen in that wildlfe events. So, if the OP is going to be a pro shooting sports, wildlife (means birds in fly) , obvously Canon AF (1dx something) and expensive teles are for sure good gear, but not on a small budget.

[MJKoski]

All my wishes for better FF system died after purchasing Intrepid 4x5 camera in May after selling K-1 kit with some quality glass. It was a brutal hit on the head with heavy hammer after realizing that FF feels like cheap mobile phone camera for DoF control compared to 15 times bigger "sensor". And the movements...it is a totally different world. Intrepid did cost 250 euros new and about 300 euros for normal and wide angle lens. So, nothing compared to basic FF kit. Now I have crop sensor digital kit to be able to do something during dark periods of the winter and no real urge to get a D850 ASAP. Maybe after inhaling the fumes from film chemicals for long enough I may consider digital as primary kit again, but that has not yet happened.

[Dan Rentea]

I found the D FA 150-450 in stock, tested it and bought it.

It depends on what you refer to when you said you tested it. Unboxing the lens, put it on the camera and take 5-10 shots for me it's not enough, at least not when it comes to spend more than 1000$.

Speaking of availability of lenses, If I go today on the Pentax official dealer shop and if I want to buy:
- DA* 200mm f2.8
- DA* 300mm f4
- DA* 55mm f1.4
- FA 31mm f1.8
- DFA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6
- DA* 50-135mm F2.8
- DA* 16-50mm F2.8
- DA 12-24mm F4
- DA 20-40mm F3.5-5.6
- FA 43mm F1.9
- DA 21mm F3.2
- DA 15mm F4

I can't because these lenses are available only on order. Like I said, maybe people buy gear based on internet reviews. I'm not among those people. If a lens costs less than 300$, then I don't care because it's not an important lens. But when it comes to lenses that costs serious money, then I want to be able to test it in real shooting condition, not playing 10 minutes with it in the store.

[Kunzite]

Dan, as usual you're deviating the discussion to your favorite subjects.
This was about Hatti's "need" to buy from outside, either by himself or through his friends. I don't think that enabled him to test those lenses for several days.

Besides, what's your point? That we all should give up on Pentax, because you cannot test Pentax products to your liking?

[normhead]

I've had my 60-250 for 5 years. I also have the DA*200 and Tamron 300 2.8 for birding and I often go a month at time without touching the 60-250, I've never had this problem.

[bm75]

I use my 50-500 handheld, and I'm not a bodybuilder. IMO it's a manageable weight for wildlife and airshows. The Sigma 150-500 weighs a fraction less than my 50-500.

Yes, but until you heavily rely on SR, 500 mm FL on APSC calls for 1/800 at least of safety shutter time so you have to crank up the ISO...