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Hi guys,

Just trying to get a few opinions on gear for this coming winter (In Australia). I have had some discussions with a couple of sports photographers. (One was a pro: Matt Cohen). See a couple of the tips he gave here:
Matt Cohen (matthewcohen) | Formspring

The gear; I need some opinions on (I have read the reviews but none really indicate practical use for snow sports.)
-Pentax FA* 80-200mm F2.8
-Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 Ex DG HSM
-Sigma 10mm F2.8 EX DC Fisheye HSM (Nowhere seems to indicate weather proofing)
-How many batteries would i require for a couple of days shooting (300-500 shot estimated) batteries will be kept in an internal jacket pocket with a gel heat pack to (hopefully) prevent too much depletion.

Any suggestions on strong lightweight/mobile mono-pods?

And finally any further gear that i might require, feel free to included.

Thanks in advance guys.

Matt mentioned a 300mm lens, what about the Pentax 55-300? That would cover two of the lenses you have listed. You haven't mentioned the Pentax 300mm either. Do you need a super fast lens in the snow?

For a fish-eye what about the Pentax Fish-eye zoom:

SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF] Lens Reviews - Pentax Lens Reviews & Pentax Lens Database

Maybe have a look at the Pentax lens range and consider what would give you the best value and coverage.

I have had a look at the pentax DA 55-300 but I felt that if I were to do any other sports photography, like catching a couple of mates at basketball or football and such. I would be kicking myself for not getting a faster aperture.
I had looked at the DA* 200mm F2.8 but I felt it lacked the flexibility of the zoom. so in answer to needing a super fast lens for the snow. I highly doubt it, but it adds versatility that I will probably need down the track.

And again I did look very long and hard at the DA 10-17 fisheye but reading lot of reviews Purple fringing seems to be a weak point, and I have been told it is amplified in bright contrasty conditions ie snow. But it was very appealing before I came across that.

If i am wrong with any of the above I will happily be corrected as I am only a beginner and I make most of my decisions from the good ol' web which is full of opinions rather than fact.

As usual, I would recommend the Tamron 70-200/2.8 Macro, which according to reviewers is more than a bit better than Sigma's equivalent. And much cheaper than the Pentax offering.

The Tamron lens is totally devoid of intelligence (no electronics included), so it is a safe bet that it will keep its value on the market, while what will happen with the electronic generation (O.I.S.) of lenses we simply don't know! Probably have a useful life of ten years, before the electronics starts to act up, or more likely, the acutators pack in.

As you probably have figured out, I do have a Tamron 70-200/2.8 Macro, and it is better sharpness-wise than any other of my longer lenses (Sigma 120-400 and Pentax 400), except maybe the Tamron 90 Macro. Very durable, too! And not very expensive! Optical quality is close to the far more expensive Nikon equivalent, and close to Canon's.

Will you be shooting daytime winter sports or nighttime? I live in Canada and in the middle of our winter now. We've had lots of snow, but not too cold. (-10C- -20C)
I use my DA 55-300 outdoors a lot and love it. One thing I might suggest is a good sling-bag (I've yet to find a really god one...) If you are changing lenses on the fly, with blowing snow and cold, it's good to do the lens changing in a bag!

Brighter lenses are out of my reach just now, so higher ISO seems to help me get the most out of my 5.6 Zoom. (daytime. Low light is too noisy with the K7)

I have looked at this lense in the comparison:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/Sigma_Tamron_Pentax_70-200mm.php
And the auto focus I would have thought, to be highly important for sports with the fast movements. Although I guess not many auto focus systems work exceptionally well in fast approaching subjects and you need manual with focus zone technique. but then the sigma has quick shift to counter.

To be honest I really am in a pickle!


Mostly daytime (unless I come into some serious money and buy generators and high power light systems ) And I'd say Australian snow conditions are somewhat like shooting in the tropics. -2C to 0C (maybe if its really cold -5C to -8) Its rather pathetic. Although i do plan to head over the river to New Zealand for a few days this winter.
I dunno if you read matt's post but he recommends these:
Sling-O-Matic 20 Sling Camera Bag
I am not entirely sold on them due to size and i'm unsure of stability whilst in transit on a snowboard

And you do bring another valid point on needing the faster lens with the noise from the k-7 which I find sometimes troublesome above 400 if I need to enlarge and a problem above 800. But I guess a few years ago 800 ISO was all they had (k10D) And they managed

You'll do better if you keep to fast lenses :-)!

If you can find a cheap K-x it can be an excellent compliment, as you then can mimimize switching lenses! Hope you earn a bundle, so you can upgrade your kit soon!