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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-09-2017, 03:16 PM
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Looking good. You're on your way.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-08-2017, 06:52 AM
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If your question is does the 70-200 focus quicker, I would expect it does. How much that might improve your photography is the next question. Technique trumps, camera specs in almost every occasion faced by the average shooter.
But if you're going for latest and greatest, the 70-200 is the latest greatest. Was there really a need to ask that?
The 200 and all SDM are older and slower..... and it's been stated many times. Given your mindset, the only lenses yu should be considering would be the DFA 150-450, DFA 70-200 and DFA 28-105. They are the hotshot lenses specifically designed by Pentax to take advantage of the K-1.
Anything else is probably going to be slow compared to your 28-105, or noisy screw drive.
As for what I could accomplish with something else, you seem to think fast AF speed is the only factor in getting great images. It might be a factor on occasion. But so is having a lightweight had holdable system, giving you faster movement and response time, and the ability to carry the lens held up close to your eye without getting tired. I miss shots with my Tamron 300 because it's too heavy to take off the tripod and stalk with. I'd miss shots with the 70-200 for the same reason.
So, that would be entirely speculation. Every different direction you take has it's own compromises. Personally I bought the DA*200 for the weight. I didn't really care about AF which is unimpressive. The reviews I read before I bought, made that clear. To me, that's unimportant. But if maxing out AF speed is important to you, you have three choices. You're wasting your time with the 200.
But, the other issues which you did in fact mention, not locking on the subject etc. those are on you and your technique, not the lens. It's slow focusing, slow being a relative term, it actually is quite functional, not inoperable.
I'm also amused at your "oh , I just thought I'd point the camera out the window and take bird pictures" scenario. I spent about a year learning to take good bird pictures through a window, you greatly under-estimate the complexity of the task, you selected as your "ho hum" example.
I'm glad there wasn't a hundred meter dash or hurdles competition going on outside your window. :D
The trick is to find a test that uses skills you actually have, in the style you usually use the camera.
Then you can determine if the lens will be useful to you.
Oh and as a general rule, don't test your AF through a glass window. :D
It's also much easier to lock focus with a physically shorter and shorter focal length lens. The longer the lens, the better technique you need to lock focus. If you aren't steady enough to lock focus with a DA*200, it's quite possible you won't be steady enough with a 70-200 as well. It could happen that the extra focusing speed is made moot by the extra barrel length and more exaggerated movement of the image on the sensor.
As you get longer and longer glass, you need better and better technique. That you are able to lock focus with a 105 mm lens, doesn't make you proficient with a 200mm lens.
I taught high school photography for 15 years, but never really used lenses over 150mm. It took me a long time to figure out my Sigma 70-300, and when I did part of what I learned was it wasn't the right lens for me. Life's like that.. But I was probably an expert on what you can accomplish with a K-1000 and A-50 ƒ2. :D
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-07-2017, 06:52 PM
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AF.C is for birds in flight with a 9 point focus array, at least that's the way I use it.
I have so many DA^ feeder bird images...
By itself....
DA_200 Slideshow by Norm_Head | Photobucket
With the 1.4 TC
DA-star-200-and-1_4-TC-4-280mm Slideshow by Norm_Head | Photobucket
With the F1.7x AF adapter
DA-star-200-plus-1_7x-AF-adapter Slideshow by Norm_Head | Photobucket
With the 1.4 and 1.7 stacked...
DA-star-200-plus-1_7x-AF-adapter Slideshow by Norm_Head | Photobucket\\
Those all taken with a K-3. To my mind the 200 on a K-1 is too short for birds. To my mind my A-400 is too short for birds on a K-1. My Tamron 300 with the 1.7 on it to give me 510mm is getting close.
It's not fast focussing, but it's a lot faster than manual focus. To get fast focusing I'm guessing you have to go to the DFA 150-450. SDM just isn't lightning fast.
An image taken with my A-400 on the K-1
The original image, notice how much is cropped. The actual field of view is more like an 800mm lens.
On a K-1, 600 is a real nice size for birds.
Today with the K-1 and A-400 and 1.7x TC, for 680mm, here's a combo that can actually take advantage of the K-1s resolution. It is uncropped. But the little guy is 10 feet away. Long lens and close subject makes for good bird photos.
Some other things to consider... are you shooting at longer than the minimum focussing distance? With some lenses I had to move back from the glass.
Where are you locking focus? Consciously lock on something that will take advantage of your depth of field, but, you must keep the eye in focus, I have more ruined images because I locked focus on the shoulder and my DoF was so narrow the eye was out of focus, probably more than any other reason. Small birds are not the right shape to be easily photographed. You have to make the camera do what you want to do,
My theory is anticipate where the bird will land, then when he lands in your viewfinder, try and lock focus on or near the eye. If you try and do too much, you'll never catch small birds. The fact that you can see them doesn't mean you can follow them in the viewfinder. I always try to use a tripod. I don't lock the tripod, I want the head free to move so I can frame, but it still provides a lot of stability. Essentially, you should be using the same technique you use with your manual focus lenses and using the AF of the DA* to add the finishing touches. And I have to say, the most frustrating thing about using a K-1 for birds is the slow burst rate. Birds are often, bobbing, chewing or landing or taking off. A fast burst rate let's you capture poses you didn't actually see. That's what is frustrating about small birds with a K-1. Small buffer and slow burst. The above was a part of an 8 shot burst, one other was salvageable, the rest went straight to the trash. I bet with my K-3 I would have had 2 keepers and another 2 salvageable in the same time period.. With small birds, you really want to pile up as many exposures as you can. A lot of them are going to be garbage no matter what you do. Head turned away from the camera, butt pointed straight at the camera raised in the air, motion blur. I don't like to come in before I have 80-400 exposures.
And last but not least, shooting through windows, you have to be sure reflections aren't messing with your AF. Back when I did that, I couldn't shoot in the afternoon. The light coming through the windows reflecting all over the place was just one more thing to deal with.
SDM focus speed is pretty much the last of my worries. If you're used to catching the little guys with MF, the DA*200 is a huge improvement.
I have had absolutely no issues with AFS and single point focus. Bird movement is another issue.
I threw out 149 images today and kept 6. Don't expect too much. The odds are against you. :D
Any more discussion will require you posting photos I can analyze.
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