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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-24-2009, 10:38 PM
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Better support for shooting wildlife with a DA* 400mm and 500mm. Maybe a DA* 600mm but personally I would probably stop with the 500mm if it was fast enough to successfully use a new Pentax 1.4 or 1.5x TC. I would want the 400mm to be light enough to hand-hold for shooting birds in flight, so it would probably be an f5.6. Of course an f4 would be even better if it met the weight criterion. Yes, I know this sounds like a Canon kit.
Ed Hutchinson
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-12-2009, 08:17 AM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-11-2009, 05:44 PM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-11-2009, 12:54 PM
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Thanks for adding your intended use for the lens ... it makes a lot of difference for responding. I agree with Miguel, for action shots I would definitely recommend the DA* 300. I use it for birds in flight because it's relatively fast, wish it was f/2.8, but that would negate the other reason I use it for this purpose ... it's light enough to hand-hold. I have a good copy of the Bigma and recommend it for many wildlife situations. For example, the nesting birds at a Texas coast rookery that are posted on my web site were taken with the Bigma. I have also successfully used it a few times for birds in flight, but it gets fairly heavy pretty quickly. Let us know what you decide.
Ed
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-11-2009, 11:29 AM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-11-2009, 11:11 AM
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I have both of the lenses and use both a lot, primarily for shooting birds. I hand-hold the DA* 300mm on a K20D, especially for birds in flight. The Sigma 50-500mm is used primarily on a tripod with a Jobu Black Widow gimbal mount. Both lenses are very good but if I had to choose just one it would be the DA* 300mm. I took a look at your web site and nature doesn't seem to be primary subject for you, so this information may not be of much value to you.
Ed Hutchinson
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com
Pentax K10D, K20D; Pentax DA 12-24mm f/4, F 17-28mm f/3.5-4.5 Fish-eye, DA 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3, D FA Macro 100mm f/2.8, A Macro 100mm f/2.8, A* Macro 200mm f/4, DA* 200mm f/2.8, DA* 300mm f/4, 1.7x Teleconverter; Pentax AF540FTZ Flash; Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3, 180mm Macro f/3.5, 1.4x & 2.0x APO EX DG Teleconverters; Tamron 28-300 f/3.5-6.3mm; Kenko AF SHQ DG 1.5x Teleconverter; Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 tripod, 3249B monopod, 3229, 322RC2, 488RC2 ball heads; Really Right Stuff BH-55 LR ballhead; Jobu Black Widow Gimbal, FB-TM2 flash bracket; CyberSync CSR & CST Remote Controls (2 sets); RPS Studio Wireless Shutter Release
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 08:38 PM
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Thanks, Marc. The habitats will recover from Ike but it may take a lot of time. If the herons and egrets are nesting at the High Island rookery this spring, I will be sure to post some pictures. It won't be too long until I will find out. Excellent images you posted! My toughest subject? They are all a challenge for me! But, I certainly enjoy the pursuit.
Ed Hutchinson
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 07:42 PM
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Marc, in my experience there isn't a lot of difference in a bird's reaction to human intrusion between different geographical areas. It seems to depend primarily on the species and the proximity of the birds habitat to a populated area. The ones I want to photograph are always too skittish!
Yes, the Texas coast is a great place to photograph birds. Unfortunately, hurricane Ike was devastating for many of my favorite locations, especially the Bolivar Peninsula. I'm anxious to see it's affect on the High Island rookery when the birds start nesting in a few weeks.
Ed Hutchinson
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 07:09 PM
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I didn't mean to imply that I like the Bigma better than the 300mm+TC, but for some reason when wanting something in the 400-500mm range, I usually use the Bigma on a tripod. I have taken pictures with both setups and really can't tell much, if any, difference in IQ. I love the 300mm and use it almost exclusively for hand-held bird shots. The picture of a Snowy Egret was taken with the Bigma then severely cropped. And, as you said, it's sharp enough for me.
http://www.pbase.com/e_hutchinson/image/109590745 |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 06:09 PM
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Marc, I live in League City, Texas, about half way between Houston and Galveston Island. I usually don't have a problem shooting small birds while hand-holding the 300mm. See the PBase Bird Gallery (link below). The Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Killdeer, Loggerhead Shrike, Sanderling, and Mockingbird were all shot with the lens, then cropped quite a bit to obtain the posted images. Although not in the gallery, I have also shot a lot of sparrows with the 300mm.
Ed Hutchinson
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 05:45 PM
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Nice shots. I especially like the snowy owl pictures. I have the Kenko 1.5x TC too (not on the equipment list with the last post because it was recently acquired), but I prefer to use the Bigma instead of the 300mm + 1.5TC when I want something in the 400-500mm range. I wish Pentax would come out with a DA* 500mm and/or 600mm prime lens.
Ed Hutchinson
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 05:16 PM
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I agree with your assessment of the DA* 300mm and Bigma. The 300mm is of course much better in low light environments. It has become my favorite lens. As I said in the initial post, I primarily use these two lens when taking pictures of wildlife ... hand-holding the 300mm setup and using the Bigma on a tripod.
Ed Hutchinson
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com
Pentax K10D, K20D; Pentax DA 12-24mm f/4, F 17-28mm f/3.5-4.5 Fish-eye, DA 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3, D FA Macro 100mm f/2.8, A Macro 100mm f/2.8, A* Macro 200mm f/4, DA* 200mm f/2.8, DA* 300mm f/4, 1.7x Teleconverter; Pentax AF540FTZ Flash; Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3, 180mm Macro f/3.5, 1.4x & 2.0x APO EX DG Teleconverters; Tamron 28-300 f/3.5-6.3mm; Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 tripod, 3249B monopod, 3229, 322RC2, 488RC2 ball heads; Jobu Black Widow Gimbal; CyberSync CSR & CST Remote Controls (2 sets); RPS Studio Wireless Shutter Release
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 05:05 PM
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Thanks for your comments. A lot of the photos in my PBase galleries were shot with the 300mm (without a TC) and IMO were sharp enough to severely crop and still have a usable image. Check, for example, the Long-billed Curlew and Reddish Egret pictures and see if you agree. I have checked the lens using a 1.5x TC and thought it produced good results. The Bigma is also a sharp lens. I wouldn't want to hand-hold it very long, but it can be done. Look at the picture of the Spoonbill in flight. It was taken while hand-holding the Bigma.
Ed Hutchinson
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 04:49 PM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 02:03 PM
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I started a thread today that may be of interest to you since it addresses the Bigma as well as the Pentax DA* 300mm lenses. No feedback has been received yet so I don't know what others think about these two lenses for photographing wildlife. Copy of the post ....
Pentax DA* 300mm & Bigma Lenses
There has been a lot of discussion about the merits, or lack thereof, of the Pentax DA* 300mm and Sigma 50-500mm lenses for wildlife photography. All the pictures in the Birds Gallery on the below link were shot with these two lenses on a K10D or K20D. All the 300mm shots were made hand-held; the Bigma shots either hand-held or mounted on a Manfrotto tripod with the Jobu Black Widown gimbal. In the Critters Gallery, the alligator pictures were shot with the Bigma. I think both lenses are good for wildlife. What are your opinions?
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2009, 09:19 AM
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There has been a lot of discussion about the merits, or lack thereof, of the Pentax DA* 300mm and Sigma 50-500mm lenses for wildlife photography. All the pictures in the Birds Gallery on the below link were shot with these two lenses on a K10D or K20D. All the 300mm shots were made hand-held; the Bigma shots either hand-held or mounted on a Manfrotto tripod with the Jobu Black Widown gimbal. In the Critters Gallery, the alligator pictures were shot with the Bigma. I think both lenses are good for wildlife. What are your opinions?
Dane PhotoImagery's Photo Galleries at pbase.com
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography |
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
02-18-2009, 09:38 AM
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Paul Buff's CyberSync works well with the Pentax system.
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
www.danephoto.com |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-11-2009, 06:30 PM
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Very nice moon shot! Looks pretty sharp to me.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-11-2009, 05:43 PM
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Thanks for the information. I'm a "Tx_Gulfer." I do a lot of bird photography here along the southeastern Texas coast. In a month or two it's going to be interesting to see how my favorite rookery made it through the destruction caused by hurricane Ike. There are several pictures on my web site that were taken there last spring.
Ed
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-11-2009, 05:35 PM
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Mike ... thanks for the offer. I keep the Pentax 1.7x TC attached to my Pentax 100mm f2.8 Macro so I don't think I want to let it go.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-11-2009, 02:31 PM
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Nice photos ... thanks for sharing them. I'm anxious to get a copy of the Tamron MC-4.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-11-2009, 02:10 PM
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A change of subject, but still on teleconverters. It's my understanding from this forum that the Tamron F 1.4x Pz-AF MC4 teleconverter works well with the Pentax DA* 300mm f4 lens. Any comments on personal experience? If anyone knows where I can buy a copy of the TC I would appreciate the information.
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-11-2009, 12:19 PM
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Thanks for the information. I have tried the Sigma APO 1.4x teleconverter but apparently without using the focal length limiter on the Sigma 50-500mm lens. I will try it again (correctly) and see how it affects IQ. I have a good copy of the lens so hopefully it will give satisfactory results with post-processing in those rare occasions when I need the extra reach.
Regards,
Ed Hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-11-2009, 08:41 AM
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I'm looking for a 1.4x or 1.5x teleconverter to use with my K20D and Sigma 50-500mm lens. Does anyone have experience using a teleconverter with this SLR and lens combination that not only works but provides good performance? I have the old Pentax 1.7x and new Sigma 1.5x & 2.0x teleconverters, none of which will work.
Thanks.
e_hutchinson
Edwin D Hutchinson Nature Photography
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-26-2009, 10:14 AM
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