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 <kwal...@peoplepc.com> 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 <sesso...@earthlink.net> 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 <sesso...@earthlink.net> 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 > PDML@pdml.net > 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 PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
