paulkienitz

I figure with any BIF you just have to expose for the sky, keeping it on the pale side, and then pull the shadows to see the bird.  Blowing out the sky to see the bird better does not produce a ...

Almost every time I see someone shooting a mirrorless camera, it's with a native lens.  (Just as with any other kind of camera.)  Is your experience different?  Adapters are a niche usage for any ...

People won't want to buy a slim mirtorless camera body unless they expect to do at least half of their shooting with new slim lenses.  Otherwise they have little incentive to replace the SLR.  ...

An adapter is supposed to be as good as a lens and body that actually go together, but it just isn't.  Mirrorless systems always tout their adapters... but how often do you see them actually being ...

I still think it's the best overall approach, and I think it's one that Nikon, for one, may end up wishing they'd taken if their new Z-mount ends up laying an egg... since in doing so, it will ...

Sorry, I didn't mean that to come across as undercutting your post -- I was mainly speaking to the OP, giving reasons why I would recommend the 1.4x over the 1.7x.

I have tried the 1.7x AFA on my 300, and the modern 1.4x converter is much sharper. It works almost perfectly with the DA* 300/4, as it was designed specifically to work with that lens in ...

I've often wanted a dot sight when using the DA* 300 with the Q for birding.  It's quite difficult to aim without something like that.  But the one time I tried to order something that would mount ...

Absolutely not -- nobody "needs" another fast fifty...

If you're waiting for Pentax to suddenly become ten times better at autofocus than they've been in the past, you may have a long wait.  In your place, I would base my plans on the assumption that ...

Because spec comparison numbers sell cameras, I guess, and high ISO is a number that impresses people. That logic makes a lot more sense in the lower tiers of the market, though.

I think you're way underestimating how difficult good autofocus really is.

Yes, I still shoot with the K-3... when I still manage to shoot, that is. The smaller sensor is appropriate for birding because most shots get cropped anyway, and it's quite adequate for the amount ...

Of course not, but every camera has about the same image quality nowadays.  And I have been known to shoot seabirds from the deck of a boat with salt spray in my face.  If your camera is ...

It isn't tough to see which one is likely to keep the dust, water, and light leaks out after a couple of years of use.

It's not a good question to put "how hard can it be" on.

First, I bought my current equipment with the expectation that, as rugged as it is, it would be good for around ten years. (I got six out of my K10D and it still works like new.) For me that is ...

APS may be the mainstream format ten years from now in mirrorless... but I don't believe it will be the mainstream in SLRs.  The mounts are built for full frame and work badly for anything ...

I'll just give you my experience of one particular Pentax lens combination: the DA* 300mm f/4 combined with the 1.4x AW teleconverter. I shoot this on a K-3, which is a 24 MP crop sensor with a ...

I was late -- got my mighty K10D in '07.  It still works. I got my K-3 with the plan that I wouldn't expect to necessarily keep buying more stuff in the system -- the set of gear I had ought to ...