60-250 or 300mm DA* With a twist...

More questions I'm afraid but they keep on cropping up in my head!
I will eventually need a longer Lens than my DA* 200mm, This will be used for Wildlife though probably not Birding and the odd Airshow.Principally for these purposes with the 1.7 AFA, Not BIF and most likely no head on Airshow action.
Now I used to own the much vaunted Nikon 200-400mm and 300mm F2.8 VR Lenses for Airshow Photography but as all that has now past under the Bridge (Sigh...) I was wondering how the quality wide open at 250mm compared with the Prime 300?
250x1.7x1.52= 646mm Equivilant field of view
300x1.7x1.52= 775mm Equivilant field of view
646mm will be long enough if the quality in the centre is still good at say F8, for Airshows the edges don't matter a jot really, most of background dissappears in heat haze anyway.
Considered thoughts please especially from those of you lucky enough to own both...




Nikon D2x with Nikon 200-400AFSVR...

P.S: I will not be buying for a while but also I'm not waiting around so long for Pentax to re-do the 400mm F5.6 either
Not interested in Bigma's Sigmonsters or whatever either, I've gone that route before and once bitten twice shy I'm afraid...

Edit: ooops .. just seen your Bigma comment so disregard this post

For airshows I tend to use the Sigma 50-500mm or 100-300mm f4.
I find the 300mm too restricting and the 60-250mm too short.

This is where something like the Canon 100-400mm would be nice.

The Bigma is actually very good if the lighting is up to scratch and I am waiting to see how it performs on the K-5 when the weather gets better.

K-7 and Bigma



RAF Tucano T1 - Bournemouth Air Show Festival by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

K10D and Bigma



Red Arrows Hurn Bournemouth by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

I'd ideally like to stay within Camp so to speak as when I used Nikon I had nothing but trouble with third party lenses! (Not saying the same would be true again) Nothing wrong with those shots though Mike
Weight is now the bigger concern, with my bad back and arthritis I simply cannot handle heavy Lenses in the same way I used to, despite still being able to bench 300Lb's on a good day I can't hold a bit of glass steady anymore
So the Pentaxes seem a better option?

The 300 is a stunning lens!....I love mine!...but as Mike say's ,it could be a bit restricting, I'm afraid I know nothing of the 60/250,just it's a hell of a length!

ps..nice one's Mike....great shots on a beautiful bright day!

Well I suppose with the extra megapixels of the K-5 you may be able to use the 60-250mm with good results as long as you are prepared to crop heavily. I have seen the lens used to great effect with aircraft (on this forum if I remember correctly) but you would have to be pretty close.

For me the 60-250mm excells as a people/street lens .. it is superb even at f4.



The Red Arrows - Hurn Airport 25/07/09 by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

and better at f5



It's Behind you !!! by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

The 60-250 is also a superb lens, but probably too short for what you need.
I too have a Bigma (50-500, old Ex non SDM model) and love it.

Maybe you could look for a second hand one. I understand from others that the old model is better than the new but I haven't any proof of that, except the new one has lost the Ex tag.

The Sigmonster isn't made it a K fitting .

I also bet on Sigma APO 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM

This one off a D2x with a 70-200 and Ok a 1.4x Convertor but you get what I mean


The quality stood up quite well...

Trouble is I don't think that Pentax AF speed is good enough to enable the use of a teleconverter. Again I haven't really tried on the K-5 as I didn't have it long enough but it certainly wasn't on anything previous.

Sigma 100-300mm f4 on K-7

I should really shoot faster than 1/125 but I like to get a lot of blur on the prop.



Spitfire Flypast Hengistbury Head by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

It's all a compromise with Aviation Mike isn't it?
Depends on the Aircraft the amount of prop blades and engine speed (Prop Rotation Speed) With A Biplane,usually two blades you'll get next to no Prop blur above 1/200th


With the Faster Monoplanes with three/four or more Blades 1/350th is about the fastest you can go for, like this Saab B17...


Then theres the conditions as well!
This shot of the Twin Pioneer was taken in a gale!
The Pilot radioed the Airfield telling us the he was "Proceeding Crosswind Runway one at ... 48 Miles per Hour!"



Then theres just how much of a Prop disc you want to show, which is down to personal taste. I'm ok with just enough to show movement but if you want more disc it can mean going so low on your shutter speeds that your keeper rate drops to Zero...
And don't get me started on Helicopters! They're just a flipping nightmare...
P.S. Happy new Year Everyone

Regarding the weight problem, might a monopod help? I've done a bit of airshow photography and know that a tripod is right out as you simply can't move it fast enough.

It really depends on the size of the aircraft. I got a great shot of the BBMF Lancaster with my old Pentax-F 100-300mm which is pretty decent providing the light is there. I would like a better long zoom but given how little I use it there are other things on my list first.

Hi Dangermouse,
Monopods are ok if you can get in the right position but with display Aircraft especially when they change position rapidly (I'm thinking Red Arrows here and Not those big American Thunderbirds!:twisted You just end up tied in Knots... Monopods just don't work except with Sloweer Aircraft that are following a clear line, Tripods as you say are not even allowed on the Airfield unless your in the Press Pen. I am hoping the pentax AF will be ok for me as some of my best efforts came from a D200 and a D70 with the 80-400mm AFVR, Which certainly is not the fastest combo in the world but if the AF adapter is no go I'll just stump up for the 300 F4 and use it bare, only 450mm Equivilant feild of view but it will just have to do.
I'll take some convincing to go for another Bigma...:arrow:

Just rest the monopod over your shoulder, probably better than on the ground anyway

Algenon when I've been using the Monopod Aircraft Have to Take evasive action


it's not always a disaster when you get too close...