Reading mode: Light Dark

Long reach lens advice needed.

Go to last post
C

Craig Dedon

Active member
Messages
71
Reaction score
0
Location
US
After using my DS2 for 6mnths I have discovered that I am in need of a longer telephoto lens. I currently have a Sigma 70-300mm macro and a Pentax 28-80mm (both purchased with camera). I tend to do a lot of plant and wildlife photography. My current lenses are fine so far but they just don't seem to have the reach for taking good bird shots. It is almost impossible to sneak up to a heron to get a good shot.

I have done some searching on E-Bay and have seen several listings for the Phoenix 100-400mm lens. Is this lens any good? If you go by the "you get what you pay for" motto this lens looks like a dog.

I am also curious about either the Sigma 50-500mm or the 170-500mm (don't really need the lower end of the 50-500mm but it would make a good walking around lens).
Finally, should I skip all of these for now and just try a 1.4x or 2x converter?

Thank you in advance.
 
I doubt a tc on the sigma is gonna give you good results. I was in the same boat and decided on a Tokina 400 5.6 i got from ebay which will be here any day now. Will use it with a tamron 1.4 x tc and as long as i stop down a bit i am hoping for decent shots.
--
Tony

 
Craig Dedon said:
After using my DS2 for 6mnths I have discovered that I am in need
of a longer telephoto lens. I currently have a Sigma 70-300mm
Click to expand...
Craig Dedon said:
I am also curious about either the Sigma 50-500mm or the 170-500mm
Click to expand...
The 50-500 should be much better than the 170-500.
It is much bigger as well.

On Eekbay:
The Tok 80-400 is quite light.
I saw a Pentax 645 A*600/5.6 sell for a mere $1350? the other day.
J King got a A*300/2.8 for a similar price a few few months ago?

The F*300/4.5 and FA*300/4.5 are serious quality which work well
with 1.4x.

Next year the DFA300/4 should come out.

My choice? Listed in my profie.

--
cheers!

Gunn

-- Get a big lens and get closer™.

http://www.dpreview.pentaxistDS.photoshare.co.nz

http://www.y3m.net/penwik/pmwiki.php/Main/PentaxLensWiki

 
Hi

Im in the same boat as you and can report on my experience with trying to use a Takumar 2x converter and my Sigma 70-300mm lens.

Just yesterday I was trying to capture some surfers near Bells beach and I had two issues:

1. Even though it was sunny and close to mid-day I had problems with the lens not being fast enough. Im also having issues getting my istD to play nicely with it under any settings except full manual. My 2x converter has all the contacts except for auto focus but it still makes my istD think it can use apertures like 1.8 (yeah I wish).

2. The focus ring on the 70-300mm is very clumsy and stiff... what I thought was in focus as I captured the shot was far from it most times (its times like this I long for the split focus screens).

I have tested the lens on a tripod with this set up and was able to acheive good reults but it was slow going (The 2x does wonders for the Macro).

I have also been experimenting with a Pentax SMC 85 - 210mm f4.5 manual focus lens I bought. The upside of this lens is the focusing is beautiful and smooth and it is pretty sharp. The down sides are that it is pretty heavy and is actually close to 350mm in physical length and not long enough.

If a company was to come out with a 300, 400 or 500mm f4 lens at a modern price point it would go gangbusters overnight. The question I hear most often from others joining the digital revolution is where can I get some decent reach with it? I fail to understand why with todays technology lenses are still so expensive. I own a 31 limited and can accept its price based on full alloy construction but not that sort of money for plastic fantastics... hope someone is listening.

Hope that helps.

Elliot
 
My choice? Listed in my profie.

--
cheers!

Gunn

-----

I am chuckling, Chris. It might be shorter to list the lenses you don't own.

Joe
 
You will not get good results combining a tc with a consumer zoom lens.

Suggest you look for a used one of the following (both discontinued):

Tokina AT-X AF SD 400 F5.6. Be sure to get the most recent. Earlier aren't very good. This one is a bit soft at F5.6, but otherwise pretty good for the money.

Sigma 400 F5.6 Macro. I don't know it's exact name, but it gets pretty good ratings. Look for the macro version. Other versions aren't as good.

Joe
 
...yeah its a crime... Im on my way over to assume his life now and dispose of him in the back garden ;-)
 
Another option is to pick up a Sigma EX 70-200/2.8 and add a 2x TC onto it. Not cheap and/or light by any means but if your looking for 400mm range it works well.

John
 
eliptus said:
...yeah its a crime... Im on my way over to assume his life now and
dispose of him in the back garden ;-)
Click to expand...
Have I mentioned how much I love my big 400?

Kea, at an Arthurs pass lookout. Saying "Thanks for the choc cookie!"
A*400/2.8, F4, Iso 400, 1/180s. RS.



I like the way the tail matches the background!

--
cheers!

Gunn

-- Get a big lens and get closer™.

http://www.dpreview.pentaxistDS.photoshare.co.nz

http://www.y3m.net/penwik/pmwiki.php/Main/PentaxLensWiki

 
For birding, longer is almost always better. As the others have posted, this usually means a large and expensive long telephoto lens. From my own experience, I can recommend the Pentax A*300/2.8 with Pentax AF 1.7x teleconverter with an effective FL of about 510mm, but this is a very pricey combination. Along with the previous recommendations you might want to consider the Pentax K 500mm/f4.5. Brandrx and others have reported good results with it; but note that it is a manual lens (must be stopped down manually to the shooting aperture for metering and shooting). It is still available used from KEH for about $500.
--
Jim King - Retired Colormonger - Suburban Detroit, Michigan, USA; GMT -4h (EDT)



* * * * *
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
  • Sir Winston Churchill
* * * * *
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
  • Albert Einstein
 
Hey Chris - you don't need a long lens for those keas, you need a sharp stick!
--
Arpe - NZ - *istDs
 
Craig, I have used a lot of long lenses with my mz-s (film) and ist D. I have the tokina 400 f5.6 sd, the sigma 400 f5.6 apo macro, and sigma 170-500. The latter is the only one currently available. It is good to 400mm stopped down to f8 comparable to first two. I have a friend that worked at a camera store and tested the 170-500 against the 50-500 (nikon and canon models). To his surprise he found the 170-500 slightly sharper he thought because of better contrast due to fewer elements. Photodo.com has tests of many 400 mm lenses including the first two. There are a lot of poor 400 and 500 older lenses out there but few good ones for the pentax. A rare great lens is the tamron 400 mm f4 sp which used to go for $1000 used in good shape. The tamron 300 f2.8 sp is excellent even with its 1.4 converter. Good used ones seem to go for about $700. The sp lenses work with most older brands of cameras and the new pentax back to the screw mount via adaptors. All the lenses except the tamrons are autofocus. Good luck, Lynn
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top