[Biff]

CNS = Crosby, Nash, Stills?

Yeah. I was too lazy to switch the second two letters.

[Marcel K]

Howdy-

I'll start by saying I like my Pentax gear very much, now shooting with a KP.

I've been thinking about getting more into wildlife photography, 150-450 purchase etc., but I can't seem to find much about Pentax and wildlife. Everything is seems to be along the lines of "Pentax can do wildlife OK, but if you really want to get serious about it you should really shoot X, Y or Z."

I wonder if I should buy something like a used Nikon D500 and wildlife lens(es), and keep that dedicated to wildlife work. Keep my Pentax for other day to day.

Anyone done something similar, or have you found Pentax excellent for long term wildlife work? I was thinking of KP/150-450/battery grip, until I came upon this dilemna.

Thanks in advance.

There’s an 18 page thread on this subject K3ii to D500 with lots of useful considerations. You also can skip to the last page for the OP ‘field experience’ 🤓😊

---------- Post added 02-21-21 at 09:46 AM ----------

K-3ii to D500... Is this the right move? - PentaxForums.com

[Biff]

There’s an 18 page thread on this subject K3ii to D500 with lots of useful considerations. You also can skip to the last page for the OP ‘field experience’ 🤓😊

---------- Post added 02-21-21 at 09:46 AM ----------

K-3ii to D500... Is this the right move? - PentaxForums.com

Thanks, that was the most thorough discussion on the topic I've seen. Appreciate you sending it.

I think it comes down to for me is how serious I am with birds versus other photography and wildlife. BIF adds another dimension, but maybe for me PLM then 150-450 may be all I need, and not have to switch. Form factor, interface and IQ with Pentax is hard to beat, at least for me. I started with old Nikon gear for years so have a soft spot for them too, but even with my K200D Pentax really impressed. I'll switch if it becomes really necessary, at this point will practice, hope K3 III isn't too long delayed. If I see a crazy deal on a D500 I my try it, but don't want to sell Pentax gear to do it.

[lesmore49]

I don't pretend to be an expert photographer, but I've generally been happy with my wildlife photos, mostly of birds...bigger birds such as owls, American White Pelicans, etc. I generally use my old Pentax K5 and my almost as old, Sigma 150-500. This equipment wouldn't be regarded either as top wildlife equipment or the latest technology, by a long shot.

But I'm used, to it, I know what the strengths and weaknesses are and can usually compensate for the weaknesses. I am a fair weather nature photographer, mostly I go out during the day, when there is a lot of sunlight. I'm conscious of good shutter speed, given the fact that I handhold and that a 150-500mm lens is a long , heavy lens. I don't shy away from using 800-1600 ISO, think the pix are very good and I never enlarge beyond 11 X 14.

I practice a lot with my equipment. Before I took pix of Owls and Pelicans...larger , slow moving birds, I parked myself out at a bird feeder, with a bench to sit down on and learned, through experience to take pix of fast moving small birds like Chickadees.

This experience in capturing the small and fast, helped me to take pix of the large and lumbering.

So there you go. My wildlife photos standards may not be up to others in this thread. I dunno.

But I'm happy with them, and so are the few people that have seen my 'work'.

Oh yeah, don't be afraid of 800-1600 ISO on a modern DSLR, set your F stop at around F 10...plus/minus, on something like my Sigma 150-500 @ 500mm. Keep your shutter speed over 1/1000th of a second, I like 1/1500th or faster , shoot in good sun light and try your darndest to focus on the eye of the wildlife. Use the Pentax shake reduction setting, when hand holding.

Practice, practice and practice. Then practice some more. I've found with me, learning and doing anything, the more I do something, eventually the better I seem to get. Maybe this is a rule of the thumb or something.

[Biff]

I don't pretend to be an expert photographer, but I've generally been happy with my wildlife photos, mostly of birds...bigger birds such as owls, American White Pelicans, etc. I generally use my old Pentax K5 and my almost as old, Sigma 150-500. This equipment wouldn't be regarded either as top wildlife equipment or the latest technology, by a long shot.

But I'm used, to it, I know what the strengths and weaknesses are and can usually compensate for the weaknesses. I am a fair weather nature photographer, mostly I go out during the day, when there is a lot of sunlight. I'm conscious of good shutter speed, given the fact that I handhold and that a 150-500mm lens is a long , heavy lens. I don't shy away from using 800-1600 ISO, think the pix are very good and I never enlarge beyond 11 X 14.

I practice a lot with my equipment. Before I took pix of Owls and Pelicans...larger , slow moving birds, I parked myself out at a bird feeder, with a bench to sit down on and learned, through experience to take pix of fast moving small birds like Chickadees.

This experience in capturing the small and fast, helped me to take pix of the large and lumbering.

So there you go. My wildlife photos standards may not be up to others in this thread. I dunno.

But I'm happy with them, and so are the few people that have seen my 'work'.

Oh yeah, don't be afraid of 800-1600 ISO on a modern DSLR, set your F stop at around F 10...plus/minus, on something like my Sigma 150-500 @ 500mm. Keep your shutter speed over 1/1000th of a second, I like 1/1500th or faster , shoot in good sun light and try your darndest to focus on the eye of the wildlife. Use the Pentax shake reduction setting, when hand holding.

Practice, practice and practice. Then practice some more. I've found with me, learning and doing anything, the more I do something, eventually the better I seem to get. Maybe this is a rule of the thumb or something.

Thanks, that's spot on what I need to do.