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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-20-2015, 04:17 PM
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Rather ambitious, but good luck to him. He was probably encouraged by a recent sale on ebay where a copy went for $US674 (albeit with a 77mm Tiffen CP-L).
The greater mystery to me is how the FA*400 f5.6 still commands $US2000-$2500. For that money you could get:
- a new DA*300 f4 and HD DA 1.4x TC, and change, or
- Sigma 150-500 with an good tripod and head, and still have change; or
- go a long way towards a DFA 150-450 ($2500 at B&H).
Looks much better value than the FA*400 if the IQ is as good. Heavier, but more versatile, AW and quiet DC AF is a big advantage for wildlife.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-16-2015, 05:57 AM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-15-2015, 09:17 PM
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Others to be slotted into the list include the F*300 f4.5 and FA*300 f4.5 - each very highly rated by users and less than $1,000.
There are several other more expensive AF lenses, e.g.:
- FA*400 f5.6 (about $2500)
- FA*250-600 f5.6
- F*/FA*600 f4
- DA 560
- DFA 150-450
- Sigma 500 f4.5 (two versions)
Of these, each has screw-drive AF, except the new DFA 150-450 and the DA 560.
(And of course there are various manual focus lenses.)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-14-2015, 05:41 AM
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Such excellent results with the 55-300, the DA*300 will sing for you.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-12-2015, 05:42 PM
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According to the reviews the Tokina is an internal focus lens: Tokina 400mm f5.6 ATX AF Lens Reviews - Tokina Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database But does it matter? I'd be surprised if internal focus is inherently faster. From my own experience comparing say the 55-300 (non-internal-focus) with the Tamron 18-250 (IF) I wouldn't say the 55-300 is slower; in fact it's probably faster.
Nor is screw-drive AF inherently slower than SDM. In this PF comparison, the (screw-driven) 55-300 came out way ahead of the (SDM) DA*60-250 for AF with moving subjects: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR Review - Autofocus vs DA* 60-250 | PentaxForums.com Reviews
The trouble is that the AF in screw driven lenses (particularly larger telephotos lenses) tends to be so noisy that is seems slower.
But I agree with @mechmike10's main point. For birds and wildlife the quiet of SDM AF would be worth paying considerably extra for (even if AF is a bit slower). Noisy AF can drive the critters away. I've had that experience with three 300mm+ lenses.
The slower maximum aperture of the Tokina (and smaller front element?) might also mean that the DA*300 would focus more reliably in marginal light. (This is an educated guess - I have no experience of either lens; I'm just basing this on comparing my own lenses.)
The other factor not mentioned so far is that the DA*300 is WR. That's a big advantage too.
While the DA*300 is more expensive, it is a premium lens and likely to hold its value. The sample shots are impressive: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/130-lens-sample-photo-archive/164077-pent...m-samples.html. If you got it, you'd probably never think, "I wish I'd saved some money and got the Tokina." (That is, unless the SDM dies.)
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