I get good results matching the D FA 150-450 with the DA 1.4X converter. It’s a very sharp combination and provides 630 mm reach. The converter causes minor vignetting but most of my bird photos are crops anyway. When I do need the full frame, I can clone out the vignette quite easily. I’ve also used the 150-450 with the A2X S converter. It’s manual focus of course, but the focus aids on the K-1 work well, so even my old eyes can usually focus on a small bird. And 900mm reach is a boon at times. Paul
> On Apr 9, 2018, at 10:14 AM, Gonz <[email protected]> wrote: > > I'm sure its very nice at about 450mm with that convertor, but it > shows my point that you have to get one used. Pentax is not making > them anymore. I have a A* 300 2.8 with a 1.4x tele, but sometimes the > reach is not enough. It was barely enough for the solar eclipse > recently. A 600 would have been much better. And I know that the DA > 560 can be used full frame, though there is going to be some amount of > vignetting with its image circle. I don't know how bad though. Wide > is where I really could use a prime. they are making some pretty wide > full frames out there, but never in Pentax mount. I have an old Sigma > 15-30 that is somewhat adequate, though I would ideally like a prime > so that its widest aperture could afford better milky way shots. > > > On Sun, Apr 8, 2018 at 6:37 PM, Ken Waller <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Where are the nice full frame birding lenses? >> >> >> Gonz , you couldn't ask for a better birding lens than the 300mm f4.5 FA - >> that along with a HD-DA 1.4 AF rear convertor gives you a a powerful birding >> lens - check out the images on the Pantax Gallery. >> I've had one ever since they came out and it is one of my most used lenses - >> has never given me any trouble. >> >> Yeah, I know its not available new but I do see them used from time to time. >> >> >> >> >> Kenneth Waller >> http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller >> >> ----- Original Message ----- Subject: Re: Sounds like Pentax/Ricoh's >> resources are spread pretty thin... >> >> >> >>> I don't expect Pentax to be releasing mirrorless cameras rivaling >>> Sony's or anyones for that matter. Or I don't expect them to produce a >>> camera aimed at the professional sports photographer market. But their >>> particular niche, which I would say is aspiring amateur photographers >>> that like small form-factor cameras with lenses that are not >>> necessarily the sharpest, but take a more balanced approach to the >>> overall look of the images, seems to be more and more encroached by >>> the likes of Sony, Fuji, etc. In addition, things that are nice to >>> have, like a nice flash, teleconverters, etc. are pretty much >>> non-existent or exist only in old versions that you have to turn to >>> ebay to acquire. Finally, the dearth of new lens offerings from >>> Pentax, esp nice primes suitable for full frame digital with modern >>> autofocus, basically have stopped coming with the exception of the 50 >>> later this year. Where are the nice full frame birding lenses? Or a >>> prime wide angle? The real sign however is the lack of support from >>> third parties. Everytime a nice lens comes out from Sigma, or some of >>> the newer players such as Laoa, the Pentax version is not there. >>> Given the lack of new primes coming from Pentax, I would love it if >>> Sigma art series lenses were available for the K-1, but alas, few are. >>> I thought for sure the enthusiastic response from the photog community >>> to the K-1 would have resulted in more investment from Ricoh to keep >>> the momentum going, but it appears that they have pulled back instead. >>> >>> >>> On Sun, Apr 8, 2018 at 9:12 AM, John <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> Well, *IF* I was running Pentax (and yes, I know I'm not), what actual >>>> customers who bought previous models had to say about them would be "my" >>>> starting point for developing new models and for improving older ones. >>>> >>>> What did "we" get right? What did "we" get wrong? What do the customers >>>> say >>>> they want and are waiting to buy? I understand that granting everything >>>> on >>>> the customer's wish lists would be impossible, but the engineers should >>>> be >>>> at least thinking about them. >>>> >>>> I'm sure Pentax knows that; I think that's what Mr. Takashi Arai was >>>> trying >>>> to explain. >>>> >>>> Plus, I think you have to account for the interviewer's bias in favor of >>>> "mirrorless" cameras and what role it played in how the article was >>>> edited & >>>> what they chose to quote from the longer interview. >>>> >>>> Basically, Takashi Arai said Pentax (& Ricoh) are sticking with what they >>>> already do well and aren't going to neglect those things to go off >>>> chasing >>>> rainbows & unicorns ... for now. >>>> >>>> >>>> On 4/8/2018 02:42, mike wilson wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> I suppose another interpretation might be that Pentax doesn't _receive_ >>>>> much >>>>> feedback on new model direction but mostly on existing models. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> On 07 April 2018 at 18:39 John <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The impression I got when the K-1 Mark ii was announced was that the >>>>>> improvements were driven (in part) by customer feedback and that >>>>>> feedback >>>>>> was also the reason for the "upgrade" being available for existing >>>>>> K-1's >>>>>> >>>>>> On 4/7/2018 11:00, Alex Sarbu wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I see, thank you for the clarification. However, I disagree with your >>>>>>> interpretation; it can't possibly mean that. We have paragraphs like: >>>>>>> "We have lots of requests for lenses, especially from K-1 users. They >>>>>>> want more lenses that match the higher resolution of the K-1, so >>>>>>> that’s >>>>>>> one objective which we would like to implement.", or "This form factor >>>>>>> is >>>>>>> iconic for the Theta. We think it’s important. On the other hand, if >>>>>>> there is demand, we would like flexibly to think about any other >>>>>>> possibilities, even for other form factors." telling the complete >>>>>>> opposite. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Actually I'm not sure what he meant... but let's not forget, he's a >>>>>>> Japanese speaking in a foreign language. Maybe they decided on the >>>>>>> upgrade because of the feedback? Maybe people are offering feedback on >>>>>>> the upgrade? But it can't be not incorporating our feedback into new >>>>>>> products... the K-1 itself was made because we demanded it. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> OTOH... people's demands are all over the place, often mutually >>>>>>> exclusive. Listening doesn't mean meeting all our requests. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Alex >>>>>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Science - Questions we may never find answers for. >>>> Religion - Answers we must never question. >>>> >> >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> [email protected] >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. > > > > -- > -- Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding > it still. Dorothea Lange > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
