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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-14-2012, 06:28 AM
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You can't "like" the same person's posts twice in a row. The next one you give a thumbs up to has to be a different poster than the last one.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-08-2012, 12:35 PM
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Nice hawk photos dadipentak. It's tough getting close enough to shoot them. They're always more interesting if they're doing something like hunting
I know what you mean. Several of the bird species at the Salton Sea I was seeing for the first time, including both kinds of egrets, green herons, stilts, white pelican and others I haven't identified yet. I was able to identify most on the spot from photos I've seen posted here.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-08-2012, 07:37 AM
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I'm not a good bird watcher. I was looking at the neck in the photo of the Great White Egrets, thinking it was too long and smooth for an Egret. I never thought to look at the colour of the legs. :o
Not a juvenile Black Winged, actually a mature Black-necked Stilt. I wonder where they got their name. :lol:
Maybe they should have been called Black-necked Needle-beaked Stilt.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-08-2012, 07:17 AM
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I only had a few hours. I spent most of my time walking along the shore to the north and south of the main park office. There were also a couple of trails in the woods beside the shore. I'll have to count how many species I photographed one of these days, but I'd say it was more than two dozen.
I also stopped at the northeast corner for the dead tree full of cormorants that you often see. Unfortunately the light wasn't favourable in late afternoon; backlit black birds against a bright sky. If we ever get back to the area, I would most definitely visit the Bono wildlife reserve.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-07-2012, 09:08 PM
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Thanks everyone.
No, definitely not Sudbury. The Salton Sea is pretty amazing. The birds are stacked up five deep on the shore.
Can someone tell me what the white bird that is in my last BIF above (post 4982)?
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-07-2012, 07:58 PM
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Salton Sea, BIF with the A*300mm f/4. Some of these would have been taken with the Kenko 1.5X mounted, but I can't tell which, because I forgot to enter 450mm on startup.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-17-2012, 11:04 AM
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I understand that. But if the camera can't find the target with a half-press, then pressing the AF button won't do any better. And you still need the half-press, for SR.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-17-2012, 10:30 AM
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If I'm pressing the shutter and the camera is not able to lock on a sparrow in a tree, I don't see why it would lock with the AF button either. If I try to focus with the half press and the lens doesn't get it, I switch to Quick Shift. Once I quick-shift, I must complete the focus manually and fully depress the shutter. If I let up on the shutter before I take the shot, the lens goes back to AF mode and can't find the target. So, to repeat, why would an AF button help? Besides, you still need the half-press to ensure SR has time to spool up.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-15-2012, 08:05 AM
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I've been using an A*300 f/4 with and without a Kenko PZ 1.5X TC as my main telephoto. I recently purchased a DA*300, but I'm a little underwhelmed at the "upgrade". Yes, I have AF now, but honestly my keeper rate hasn't gone up. AF with the TC is frustrating, lots of hunting and focus stutter.
I often shoot birds in trees. I've only had the DA*300 out on one short jaunt, but the AF was as much a handicap as a boon. It had a lot of trouble finding a dark brown sparrow among the leaves and branches. Some shots I would have nailed with the A*300 and missed with the new lens (e.g. a seagull standing in the middle of a field, the camera focussed on the grass just behind the bird, a flock of ducks too far away to be separated from the background).
Other considerations: The DA*300 is signicantly larger. WR is a welcome feature. PF is lower with the modern lens, especially with the TC. Sharpness, I see no difference so far. SDM is slow compared to screw drive and DC (on my 18-135).
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-14-2012, 12:22 PM
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I believe you've got it. Thanks G_Money.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-14-2012, 08:06 AM
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Thanks Dragon.
My K20D and K-x are calibrated exactly the same way, and match all my lenses, so I will definitely send the K-x with the 300mm to ensure compatibilty. Pentax Canada refused to calibrate my FA 35mm until I sent a camera with it, so I expect they will want a body again.
Love the first cockatoo. The 600mm obviously handles a TC well, that parrot is sharp!
B&H. They're not in Canada, but they have the best price, even with duty, tax and shipping included.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-13-2012, 08:35 PM
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My second DA*300mm arrived yesterday but the weather isn't cooperating. Lots of rain this weekend. I tested AF, it's definitely better than the first copy, but still off. It needs +3 on my K20D, which is a problem for the K-x. I will return it to Pentax on Monday for calibration. No sense sending it back to the shop, the next one may be worse.
Here are a few from my A*300mm f4:
Tree swallow
Beaver (with Kenko PZ 1.5X TC)
Juvenile loon
Sparrow (ID anyone?)
Blue Jay
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-10-2012, 07:42 AM
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That's really interesting, I had never heard this before. HSS is only useful for flash in high ambient light, not for freezing motion. Makes sense, thanks Lowell.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-05-2012, 04:31 AM
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That's a fix for a body that needs calibration. My K20D is accurate with all my lenses, it's just the new DA300 that is out of line... so back to the shop it goes.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-04-2012, 07:32 PM
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I thought maybe the lens was a return, but I bought from a reputable vendor (Aden Camera in Ontario), and the guy I spoke with insists it is new and only opened for inspection. Actually, the last two lenses I bought were backfocussing and had to be returned (DA 15mm Ltd and 18-135). The replacements were bang on. Hopefully the 300mm will be the same.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-04-2012, 07:06 PM
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I received my new DA*300 yesterday. At first I thought the SDM was faulty because it was hunting for focus way too much. Eventually I determined there was serious backfocus. I dialed in +10, the maximum adjustment on the K20D. It's reasonable now but +11 or 12 would probably be better. I have to send it back, because it needs to work on my K-x too. My first impression is that my A*300 f4 is pretty comparable for IQ. I may keep the A for its amazingly compact size.
The Kenko PZ 1.5X is useable. It hunts more than I would like, but at least it's accurate when it stops. The 50-135 I tried with this TC missed focus repeatedly.
Pentax 300mm's, courtesy of dgaies.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-04-2012, 06:38 PM
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I wear those in the fall.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-01-2012, 07:16 PM
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Even a K-5 is not going to be pixel sharp at ISO 2500. I'd give up a stop shutter speed on the tripod to get ISO down to at least 1200.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-22-2012, 07:31 AM
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Are you kidding? Look how squidgy that little porcupine looks. Wouldn''t you just love to give him a hug? Crocs, not so much.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-22-2012, 04:56 AM
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Thanks Stan. It was an unusually productive day. Normally I'm lucky to find one interesting subject. I think it's significant that some of these creatures were young of the year and probably hadn't learned to fear man the way they should.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-21-2012, 10:59 PM
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Spent a nice weekend in cottage country, Muskoka, Ontario. All shots are K-x and A*300mm f/4. (Cross posted in POTW thread).
My nephew, Ben.
I spent Saturday in the woods and was fortunate to see some critters.
A young porcupine. This is a crop. He was about 50 feet away, up a tree. I didn't approach because he was afraid and started bawling.
This is a loon chick at the end of its first summer. It was learning to fly for most of the weekend, finally able to actually leave the water by Sunday. It swam right under the dock we were on, chasing fish. It came so close I coudn't focus with the A*300.
This is a marten, a member of the weasel family. He was annoyed that I was following him. He ran from tree to tree, chittering and staring at me.
I saw two wild turkeys in the morning but couldn't get a clear shot, they are adept at keeping something between you and them. Fortunately I saw a flock of six relaxing in the afternoon sun and got some shots off.
The end of another summer.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
05-06-2012, 05:57 AM
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I have shots of Sandhill Cranes taken with my DA 55-300 and A*300 + 1.5X Kenko, but in both cases the birds are so small that the photos are only an ID. A couple of weeks ago I had to drive an hour out of town, and stupidly decided to leave the A*300 at home. I had the DA 18-135 with me, and the Kenko, so 300mm FF equivalent at the long end. I'd have been able to get some decent shots with the A*300mm and Kenko, but had to make do with what I had (just under 50% crop). I will not be using the Kenko with the 18-135 again, I was not pleased with the results.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-30-2012, 08:02 AM
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LOL! And he has that mating season look in his eye too.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-30-2012, 07:13 AM
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Thanks Steve, that resolves a question that's bugged me.
A*300mm f4
A*300, Pentax A 2X-S (50% crop and pushed hard, bird was backlit)
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-03-2012, 03:59 PM
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I don't understand. How is a fast shutter speed a problem?
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