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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-02-2024, 01:46 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-31-2024, 10:58 AM
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You get one bigma, then another one pops up.
The screw drive AF is the big difference with this one, noisy, clunking to and fro. But seems reasonably on it so far. It will take time to get a clear impression/verdict vs the HSM of the other one.
The avocets have been back at Burton Mere for a couple of weeks. I missed the ruddy shelducks, I was creeping around to get a better view through the branches when an egyptian goose took exception and chased them away.
Big ~ 1:1 crops on the avocets.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-18-2024, 01:20 PM
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Some feeder pics. Much better light this time, and much better results.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-10-2024, 07:40 AM
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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.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-04-2024, 12:57 PM
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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.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-03-2024, 12:50 PM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
01-06-2024, 07:38 AM
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Bet you haven't seen one of these before.
The listing was collection only (always a bad move), the trick is then to offer to arrange the courier, seller was obliging.
Very dusty inside - only two elements so not enclosed at the mount end - and there is a chip/crack on the edge of the glass. Like the 500mm f4.5 and 1000mm f8's the M42 mount is attached with a screw sleeve so it can be removed and easily screwed into the camera. For the 1000mm I have been cogitating over diy-ing an adaptall mount* using a cannibalised deglassed 01F 2x tc, I think something similar should be doable with this lens.
*if any of you 500mm f4.5 or 1000mm owners want to discuss this msg me. |
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Forum: Lens Clubs
12-14-2023, 11:39 AM
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I can talk about using the tamron and tokina 300mm f2.8's.
TBH I would be interested to get a perspective on whether the pentax is worth its massive price premium over those lenses. Looking at how similar the optical designs are all round I would tend to doubt it..
I just posted in pricewatch thread: tamron 60B.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-21-2023, 04:20 PM
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It's the non DG version.
I did some structured test shots against tamron 300mm f2.8's and sigma 100-300mm f4. However I wasn't really happy with the set up or the light at the time so intend to redo them. But these crops do corroborate the assessment, which I tend to agree with. I wouldn't call it mediocre, the pp'ed and resized images in my post show pretty well, but I think it's clear it's not one of sigmas best.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-21-2023, 01:42 PM
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I've been steadily getting a sense of what the sigma 135-400mm apo can do. Not bad at all ... not really great... here's a couple of pics. Jackdaw from last September, castle was catching the sun nicely today. Latter on a bean bag, manually focussed, delayed timer. See full sized jpg here.
You can see how I made a lens hood here.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-06-2023, 01:15 PM
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You can see my full review here.
 
 
 
Overall I can say there is little between these lenses.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-05-2023, 12:54 PM
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Tokina 300mm f2.8 + sigma apo 1.4x tc, f8 = f11. Crop and 1:1 pixel peep crop.
Comparison test pics agains tamron adaptall SP 300mm f2.8 360B to follow.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-03-2023, 10:12 AM
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Some more pics with the Tokina 300mm f2.8, while wandering around the pier area in Llandudno. Landscapes with bean bag, feral goats big crop, the Crystal Hut hand held, jackdaw handheld. BIF handheld, this one was the best result but I was quite pleased with results trying this lens in this mode, the light, short focus throw of the internal focus design lends to this.(update exif incorrectly says 500mm, I forgot to change it).
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-28-2023, 10:34 AM
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Note that the exif does not allow for the tc so actual f number is one stop more. Big crops.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-18-2023, 02:34 PM
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I have been buying and selling for about ten years now and this, as best as I can remember, was the first time I had seen one of these come up (here in UK - not rare in Japan). To my surprise I was the only bidder. Very pleased with its mint condition when it arrived. As you can see I have knocked up a plastic plate for balancing the lens - decided I didn't need aluminium because the plate has front and back points of support against the lens.
An excursion to a small nature reserve near Prestatyn called Big Pool Wood provided a first opportunity to try it out. First impressions: same/similar ballpark to the tamrons. Pic 2 big crop; pics 3-4: f2.8; f11
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-02-2023, 09:11 AM
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I prowl ebay looking for tidbits. This lens was listed with just a couple of pics and a short description, scheduled to end in the middle of the day on the bank holiday - bad move! There were just 2 other bidders and I won well under my bid - sub $150 equiv.
The lens arrived boxed and cased and with an expensive filter. It is the first (non DG) version. First impressions favourable. It will be interesting to do some considered comparisons with my DFA 150-450mm and injured (AF u/s) sigma 150-500mm.
Egrets etc at the bird reserve, cropped and resized; 1:1 crop.
PS I am now convinced that my smc 1000mm has an optical problem, aberrations indicative of eg one of the correcting elements the wrong way round. I need to disassemble and look see..
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Forum: Lens Clubs
05-27-2023, 01:23 PM
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Hi Henrico thanks for your interest. So far I've had a couple of ad hoc goes at the bird reserve, mainly using a bean bag. Results really have been a bit disappointing, but that's probably mainly me...although I have to say the visual impression using my pentax eye piece adapter is that this lens is not that sharp, I was expecting a better visual result. That is 50x mag of course, but usual rule of thumb is that mag up to the objective diameter in mm (this is ~5"/125mm) is a typical limit.
I am trying to fix my big tripod at the mo, and stitch up a carry bag, but will keep ypu all posted.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
05-20-2023, 04:15 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-28-2023, 10:38 AM
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That 250-600mm is one helluva lens @weevil.
Bag for the 1000mm f8 arrived from China. It's a good size. Padding is a bit thin, I was expecting that, I need to unpick the stitching to insert more. That will also allow me to reinforce all the strap attachment points.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-23-2023, 09:07 AM
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I have now made a new bigger plate to go on the tripod ring. The balance point otherwise is front heavy with the existing attachment screw points. And this will now sit firmly on a bean bag. Without a camera it's still front heavy on a tripod so I'll add another screw point a bit further forward.
Waiting on a sizeable tripod/flashlight stand bag, which should serve to carry it in with some enhancements. The aluminium case is wholly impractical.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-11-2023, 06:46 AM
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Da Daaaa.
Still with plastic wrap and dessicants - NOS.
The acquisition followed a twisted path. When I saw the listing I knew I was going to chip in a bid, its never going to come up for auction again. The listing only said it was acquired from an old s/h shop that closed down. But it looked good. Now - how much?
The auction ended my snipe fired in - and I was the underbidder. Oh well.
But then it was relisted.
So I bid again, same amount.
Same result.
Oh well.
Then shortly after that auction ended, my watch list updated and it was relisted again. With a BIN. That was ~ 50 less than my bid. So I clicked...fast.
So I have acquired one of the classic legacy lenses, and as I see it a 5" refractor for a bit of stargazing etc - I knew I picked up that Pentax monocular converter for a reason.
I have already noticed some idiosyncracies. As noted in one of the reviews, there are no aperture connections, no levers on the mount. Not so much of a handicap IMO, you're pretty much only using 2 stops, f8 or f11. Also, the whole mount detaches, revealing the 52mm filter (so not a drop in, as per description). This is good actually, gives more options for figuring out eyepiece attachment.
Anyway I'm looking forward to checking this out, as and when the weather alows eg a trip to take some long range pics of the Glaslyn Ospreys...
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-09-2023, 08:51 AM
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That's the way it goes - large jumps in cost for incremental gains in iq.... but yes, I think the sigma is very good value if you can pick up a s/h one for a good price (like I did, although, bummer., af has stopped working).
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-09-2023, 02:47 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-24-2023, 04:08 PM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-22-2023, 03:18 PM
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I have acquired another 1960's piece of ironmongery.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/data/85/large/dollands500-2k.JPG
These are quite rare actually. I have had my eye out for one for ages, and got lucky with a listing for "M42 mount telephoto lens" that turned out to be this. Just did a quick world wide search, only turned up one, in the USA. That one in the most common incarnation, a vivitar.
It's a solid beast alright, unscrews into sections, big pristine achromat objective, single telephoto rear element/group, length is still 41cm odd. I am going to need to make a plate to balance the lens and provide a platform for resting on a bean bag (the button fitting on the tripod ring is a joke for this size of lens) , and a hood, 92mm fitting hoods noticeable mainly by their absence on ebay. The focus is basically an extension tube in front of the mount, the CFD is typically unfriendly at 10m. Double helicoid means neither lens nor camera rotates and actually I quite like this it's easier to use than reaching way forward.
First efforts show some promise. I think a comparison with the tamron 500mm mirror would be interesting, and with the pentacon 500mm f5.6. These are just quickly resized and sharpened in faststone, LR would do better I think. The 1:1 crop of the robin indicates sharpness at f11 (not very).
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