Mishka asked: "i have an opportunity to buy a K500/4.5 at a good price. i understand that's a pretty good lens.
the only thing i am not sure is what it is good for. are there any uses for it, other than sports and birds?" It's a beast to handle. You'll need a sturdy tripod. It won't focus closely without using extension tubes (minimum focusing distance 10 meters). Extending the lens hood while using extension tubes will cause vignetting. It's manual focus and manual diaphragm. KEH has a few available to compare your price to theirs. It's good for all wildlife if you're not in a hurry. You won't be able to fill the frame with bird images unless you use an extension tube because of the 10m focusing distance (that may not be true with the digital crop factor). Tom Reese
