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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 13 Hours Ago  
My breakdown of Lens in the 300mm+ range for birding and wildlife
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 47
Views: 1,392
OK so I snatched 15 mins this morning and took these test pics. Nice cool sunny conditions, The Great Orme is almost 2 miles away. I did notice a bit of shimmering in live view - atmospherics are always a potential issue with long distance. Bean bags on the car, 2 secs timer, MF in 10x live view.
I just took delivery of the 50-500mm EX yesterday.
Comments: I was surprised that the later sigma was if anything outperformed by the 1st gen one, but the detailed review here on PF does comment that that lens has an issue with distant focus at 500mm. The 135-400mm showed a bit better than I thought it would, and the pentax worse!



This is the view. You can compare the crops with similar images I took with the DFA 150-450mm and sigma EX DG 150-500mm here.












Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 22 Hours Ago  
My breakdown of Lens in the 300mm+ range for birding and wildlife
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 47
Views: 1,392
In the larger scheme of things I hope to post comparison test pics for the pentax 100-300mm's, the 80-320mm and the sigmas. I can remark that of the pentaxes, the best results at 300mm (birds etc - see pics in FA unlimited thread) for me have been with the FA 100-300mm's. Both examples of the 80-320mm haven't given any advantage with that nominal extra 20mm reach - they've been distinctly softer zooming there. I can't at teh moment say how much more the sigma 135-400mm might offer over the 80-320mm. The pentaxes are good at the shorter focal lengths - see pics by @northcoastgreg - and the 80-320mm has more range in terms of FoV then the sigma 135-400mm.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 3 Days Ago  
My breakdown of Lens in the 300mm+ range for birding and wildlife
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 47
Views: 1,392
Being able to directly compare the 135-400mm with the 50-500mm I can remark the latter is by far the better lens at the long focal lengths. The 135-400mm is soft at 400mm f5.6. The conclusion I am already pencilling in for a review of the 135-400mm is that it is a good option/ higher specification alternative to the pentax F/FA 100-300mm/320mm lenses provided the price is right. I wouldn't pay more than 150-200US for one.
I'll post a quick test pic or two later.
Forum: Lens Sample Photo Archive 4 Days Ago  
Vivitar Series 1 28-90mm f2.8-3.5 Macro Focusing
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 9
Views: 229
This is one of the classic vivitars from their heyday. A metal 'n glass masterpiece from the era when they made lenses like this.
I was happy to acquire a nice PKA mount one for the collection. I haven't used it much, I can remark that one aspect of the lens is the short focus throw making manual focus ticklish - another lens to resort to live view and magnified view in an evf (if you have mirrorless), and practice to get ones eye in and familiarise with hitting focus by eye.
@stevemark did a comparison with the zeiss 28-85mm on mflenses - the vivitar compared well.

(for some reason my pic of the lens wouldn't upload, but its on the review page ).
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands 5 Days Ago  
Pentax (or other) vintage telephoto lens to adapt on m4/3
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 7
Views: 232
I would agree with luftluss that to match with M43 your best bet is a own-mount x-300mm. Particularly for an initial "have a go" enthusiasm. While there is extremely flexible mount adaptability on M43, you can mount up almost any lens with readily available cheap adapters, there is limited AF adaptability (olympus four thirds to M43; ?canon ef to M43...). If she gets serious then you can think a lot more about what camera+ lens.
Top tips: use a bean bag; use MF a lot and familiarise with focusing using magnification in the EVF/on the screen
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 5 Days Ago  
My breakdown of Lens in the 300mm+ range for birding and wildlife
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 47
Views: 1,392
Your problem really zac is being stuck down in oz, here in UK I would say hey just wait your opportunity on eg a bigma etc It'll come around keep browsing. But I would suggest keep checking whats available from Japan. I can remark I am impressed so far with my bargain recently acquired "bigma" 50-500mm f4.5-6.3 ie last model, with OS. It's better than the 150-500mm IMO.

I have seen a DAL 55-300mm or two go very cheap (<$150US) in the last few months, at that price no reason not to.
DA 300's and DFA 150-450's only crop up occasionally on the s/h market. Ditto version 3 sigma apo 400mm f5.6's. The version 2 apo's can't be found with af AFAIK, and I don't recommend the non apo AF 400mm f5.6. I don't recommend the sigma 100-300mm apo f4 for use with a tc, both examples I looked at were that bit softer at 300mm and didn't work well with a tc.

Every so often I keep playing with one of my MF 300mm f2.8's in combo with the 1.7x AF teleconverter, but I have to say I find the focus accuracy, lack of, a bit frustrating. But I need to diligently check for front/back focus and set the adjustment on the camera.

PS you could msg this seller and ask if he'll do global shipping program to oz. That'll add about 60-80£ to the price but at this price...
Or if he won't I'm up for shipping to oz.


ebay item; 176291617676
Forum: Site Suggestions and Help 6 Days Ago  
Question Adam: Reviews updates/corrections etc
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 86
Views: 8,935
Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories 03-19-2024, 02:23 AM  
D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 Monopod setup
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 23
Views: 957
Quite frankly, any decent monopod will do. A heavier duty one will flex less which is beneficial, with a monopod it's much more about how you use it. The big choice is what head. I use a largish ballhead, for me the flexibility of ballheads work well on a monopod. And you have the option of using it "gimbal" style: lay the ballhead at right angles into the slot. This works well when you need to point the lens well up or down. Although the weight well to one side can be a bit disconcerting.
I routinely have lenses like the DFA 150-450mm on a monopod. It's easy to carry with the lens over the shoulder, and I get better shots with the monopod taking the weight even if I am rather casual in my use of it. It's just a few seconds to take the lens off to use a beanbag or handhold.

Have a browse of the webpages out there discussing the different braced positions to stabilise yourself + monopod.
Addendum thats a Calumet carbon fibre monopod with a Novo CBH-46 ballhead. I also have a slik ballhead (I like the circular quick release plate design, but the ballhead is tending to be on the small size [c 40mm] for lenses like the DFA, and as another poster mentions, an arca plate fitting feels a bit more secure).
Forum: Lens Clubs 03-18-2024, 01:20 PM  
300mm plus Lens Club: discuss your long lenses
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 40,825
Views: 4,315,732
Some feeder pics. Much better light this time, and much better results.
Forum: Lens Clubs 03-10-2024, 07:40 AM  
300mm plus Lens Club: discuss your long lenses
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 40,825
Views: 4,315,732
Good lens, mostly getting results similar to the DFA 150-450mm. The "superzoom" range does make it versatile.

U3A digital photography group trip to the Dingle, Llangefni, Anglesey. Red squirrel sanctuary - they're not shy, rather used to people and being given nuts etc. Ditto the robins. Pic 2 1:1 pixel peep crop.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 03-08-2024, 02:40 AM  
Help with manual focus pentax for glasses wearer
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 22
Views: 1,010
As I mentioned this is an example of an eye shield that can hold a lens. But I am pretty sure this one is for earlier pentaxes like spotmatic and won't fir dslr.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 03-08-2024, 02:38 AM  
USB Lens Dock
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 8
Views: 527
I recently learnt that the sigma 120-400mm needed a firmware upgrade to work on the K1, when that camera came out. Sigma won't do this any more so this usb dock is the first step in trying to hack it...
Forum: Lens Clubs 03-04-2024, 12:57 PM  
300mm plus Lens Club: discuss your long lenses
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 40,825
Views: 4,315,732
Sigma DG OS HSM 50-500mm F4.5-6.3. This was the last sigma x-500mm before abandoning pentax. These pics with OS on, camera VR off, bean bag.
Results are competitive with DFA 150-450. The wagtail pics are 1:1 crops. The feeder pic was the best of a bad lot - sun went behind clouds, shutter speeds were too slow, all the shots suffered from movement blur and focus was difficult.
Forum: Lens Clubs 03-03-2024, 03:20 PM  
The Sigma Lens Club- All lenses
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 3,224
Views: 497,588
This was the last sigma x-500mm before abandoning pentax. These pics with OS on, camera VR off.
Versatility is the USP of this superzoom.
Forum: Lens Clubs 03-03-2024, 12:50 PM  
300mm plus Lens Club: discuss your long lenses
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 40,825
Views: 4,315,732
way to go Lowell
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 03-02-2024, 10:17 AM  
SMC Pentax-F 1:1.7 50mm overexposes on auto
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 15
Views: 661
Have you set "use aperture ring" in the menu?

Set the camera on jpg - low (just for convenience). Point it at eg a whitewashed wall. Run through the f stops in both manual M using the aperture ring and changing the shutter speed to match, and aperture priority Av with the aperture ring set to "A", f stop set using the dial on the camera. What do you get?
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 03-02-2024, 07:15 AM  
Help with manual focus pentax for glasses wearer
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 22
Views: 1,010
The diopter correction lens adapters have already been mentioned. You can also get eyeshades for the viewfinder which will accept a small lens. Get your opticians to cut down the lens from one of your old spectacles to fit. Another possible option is one of the viewfinder magnifiers you can get. These (not the pentax OME53) will also allow some diopter correction (but possibly not enough). They will assist with focus but they also restrict your viewfinder view.
I oscillate between just going with my specs and dealing with it, and using a VF magnifier that gives me additional diopter correction.
Forum: General Photography 03-02-2024, 02:55 AM  
my quest for better focusing.
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 8
Views: 726
Thanks for taking the time to write this it's an important discussion.
Good AF is rather camera model dependent, and many lenses need to be checked for front or back focus as per this article:

Fixing Front and Back Focus - Introduction - In-Depth Articles

Good MF focus through an OVF begins with accurate diopter adjustment. Any softness in the viewfinder due to eyes or misadjustment will immediately handicap your ability to zero in on critical focus. The lines etc on the viewfinder screen must be sharply defined. I have to use an eyepiece magnifier as that can extend the range of adjustment (or not take my specs off).

I use LV a lot, both as the means of focus, and as a quick verification of my focusing by eye. There is a process of familiarisation with an MF lens so that you can learn what works best: focusing in or out, tending to err to one side of the appearance of the hexagon etc.
I have a decent lcd loupe to fit on the camera and I should use it more, it's a very good and accurate way to focus an MF long lens, but because it takes time to set up and use I tend not to bother. Also an important caveat for eg bird photography is the inherent slight but significant shutter delay in this mode. And you drain your battery quick. One other reason I don't use the loupe so often is my KS2 has a multiposition lcd that can be tilted easily to avoid light reflecting off it (and which faciltates use of eg a bean bag on a rock..)
One other small point re viewfinder magnifiers is that they darken the view, specifically noticeable with the 2x ones. I haven't found the 2x ones useful for general photography, due to the restricted view/vignetting, IMO they're mainly for eg macro. IMO the view is ok with 1.35x, you can see what you need to see with slight movements of your eye position.
Before LV became really good, swapping the focus screen was indeed a thing. I did that with my old K-r, and there were times when the split prism was indeed quite beneficial but overall the benefit was variable - little difference a lot of the time. Pick up a junk old pentax film camera from a garage sale then it can be an interesting option to try and see if a classic split prism/microprism helps with your lenses. As you say there's info out there on cutting the screen down, fitting and shimming etc. There is this big thread on the canon EES screen. All of this has indeed been, not negated, but alleviated by the advent of very good live view.
There's no doubt that mirrorless offers a certain advantage with in-the-evf magnification for manual focus.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 03-01-2024, 12:38 PM  
Well I’m pleased with myself
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 16
Views: 1,164
All the M and later versions fit the dslr's. The earlier ones for spotmatics etc don't - narrower fit.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 02-24-2024, 02:24 AM  
150-450 - normal?
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 15
Views: 837
No that's not normal there is a reason for this. What was the camera model? Were you hand holding?
Cormorant looks mainly OOF.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-21-2024, 10:02 AM  
Pentax 300mm/f4.0 A* with 1.4x TC on K20D - focusing
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 22
Views: 1,106
Nice job there Lowell - love it.
If you want to go down that road Blackwing1 then I can suggest the easiest way to go is to use a longish arca plate as a base and then shape a piece to support the lens barrel - wood or perspex are good materials - topped with sticky back felt to make a nice surface for the barrel to sit/move against. Thats what I am going to do for my sigma 135-400mm (pic). And that will also set you up to use bean bags more easily, keeping the focus movement clear of the bean bag.
Several have mentioned swapping the focus screen. I did that with my old K-r (also no good live view), and there were times when the split prism was indeed quite beneficial but overall the benefit was variable - little difference a lot of the time. If you pick up a junk old pentax film camera from a garage sale then by all means give it a go. There's info out there on cutting the screen down etc. There is this big thread on the canon EES screen but that is oriented to the use of fast lenses: f1.x nifty fifty's etc. The point was/is the standard screen is optimised for the slow kit lens, f4-5.6. All of this has been, not negated, but alleviated by the advent of very good live view.

We can discuss some more focusing by eye. Can I assume you have diligently adjusted the diopter setting for the OVF on the camera? Any slight discrepancy from best position for your eyes (the framing marks etc in the viewfinder are at their sharpest) will immediately compromise your focusing. Using an OVF magnifier has already been suggested and I am a regular user of one. However I have a particular reason for doing so. My myopia is so strong the on camera diopter adjusment isn't sufficient. Magnifiers like this one allow me to fix that. but in any case an OVF magnifier is an immediate aid to focus and you should certainly think about trying one. The third party ones are good enough and I recommend an eye shade, which the pentax O-ME53 doesn't have. Approx 1.3/1.4x magnification is a reasonable compromise between zooming in and keeping an almost complete view of the viewfinder. Going to 2x you lose that view of the perimeter of the viewfinder, and, something that tends not to be mentioned, things get a lot darker. The right angle magnifiers are aimed at macro etc, get a straight one, the magnifier FB is the one, the earlier ones have a very small exit pupil and are of little use IMO.
And more on technique. With familiarity you can identify whether you get better results focusing from infinity, or to infinity, with a particular lens + camera combo; where to tend to when to-and-froing through the focus position to zero in on best focus, and how well some focus bracketing works.
Based on my experiences with the 1.7x tc with my 300mm f2.8's I think that might be a ticklish/difficult to get good results combo with the 300mm f4. But I have yet to really set up the lens + tc combo carefully ie focus adjust to maximise results.

PS one small detail with the arca plate. I have removed the stop screws at each end of the plate and parked them in new threaded holes on the ends. For me its more importnt the lens + plate can sit flat on a surface.
Forum: Photographic Technique 02-21-2024, 02:28 AM  
How to create the optimum bean bag!
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 20
Views: 827
Marginal to the point of irrelevance in most circumstances biz. Though when I was taking test pics with my 1000mm f8, I used two sandfilled bags: one for the lens to sit on and one on top!
Forum: Photographic Technique 02-20-2024, 02:44 PM  
How to create the optimum bean bag!
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 20
Views: 827
If you want to lean your novoflex on a bean bag out of the car window, thats how you have to do it :)
(just the first pic I found of one of my bean bags with a quick trawl)
Forum: Photographic Technique 02-20-2024, 11:45 AM  
How to create the optimum bean bag!
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 20
Views: 827
I make bean bags. For me they are an essential piece of kit, one lives permanently in the bag. The approx 6"/15cm dia x 2"/5cm height size is based on a commercial one and I find that's pretty fine for general purpose use - both for resting a camera + smaller lens on, or a long lens resting on its tripod mount (though often I have to make/use a larger or wider foot extension). I used to add both a grippy rubberised cloth on one side and a loop that would hook over the tripod mount foot so you could lift both lens and bean bag in one go. However I found I rarely used the latter so dispensed with it. Having a grippy side is however recommended.

Lots of things can be used as fillers but for me smooth roundish "nurdles" (raw plastic pellets, I get them for free from a local factory) are ideal.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-19-2024, 03:29 PM  
Pentax 300mm/f4.0 A* with 1.4x TC on K20D - focusing
Posted By marcusBMG
Replies: 22
Views: 1,106
I wouldn't ever bother with legs on a monopod - use a proper tripod if legs is what you need. The point of a monopod is it can be almost as quick and flexible as hand holding if you are slick with it. There are numerous online "how to use a monopod" eg


https://photographylife.com/how-to-use-a-monopod

Note the braced positions.
I carry the lens+ monopod over the shoulder, usually shortening the pole one section.

I concur with previous comments that in poor light you are better off without the tc.
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