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Thanks guys, now awaiting said lens, possibly Wednesday.
Comment by Gedski posted on The new 55-300 lens and the K50. at 23/01/2017 - 14:07
I'm thinking of investing in the new 55-300mm lens. Am I correct in thinking that it is fully compatible with the k50 providing I have the latest 1.10 firmware update installed, which I have?
Comment by Gedski posted on The new 55-300 lens and the K50. at 20/01/2017 - 16:53
Finally, after five months I'm well enough to get back among the living. It has been a long and sometimes difficult road but I have got through the worst and am now, hopefully, on the mend.
If I have remembered, there should be a couple of shots, my first since September last year, please forgive the noise as I forgot about getting rid of it.
I don't think that they're too shabby, at least I got them in focus.
If I have remembered, there should be a couple of shots, my first since September last year, please forgive the noise as I forgot about getting rid of it.
I don't think that they're too shabby, at least I got them in focus.
Comment by Gedski posted on Back at last after my heart operation. at 20/01/2017 - 16:47
ISO 1250, 1/200, f11, @300mm.
ISO 1600, 1/1600, f11, @240mm.
I hope that there are two pictures above. I made a separate post because I've already made a mess of the first.
These shots were taken earlier this morning, using the TAV mode. I found it a little easier to manipulate using the K-50. I think that they are, probably, as good as I might ever get with the lens that I have. They will also be the last shots before I go into hospital on Tuesday. I hope to be back to be a nuisance in around a fortnight. In the meantime, my grateful appreciation for all your observations and comments. I wouldn't have got this far without them.
Comment by Gedski posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 11/09/2016 - 11:30
richandfleur wrote:
My settings for this sort of thing would be a higher shutter speed, and a wider aperture.
TAv mode, ISO at max 3200, shutter around 1/750 or so, Aperture as wide as I can get in, or close to it.
The more light you can let in, the faster you can run the shutter speed, and the lower motion blur you'll get. The downside is a narrower depth of field, so the auto focus has to be more accurate.
Everything is a mix of pros and cons.
My settings for this sort of thing would be a higher shutter speed, and a wider aperture.
TAv mode, ISO at max 3200, shutter around 1/750 or so, Aperture as wide as I can get in, or close to it.
The more light you can let in, the faster you can run the shutter speed, and the lower motion blur you'll get. The downside is a narrower depth of field, so the auto focus has to be more accurate.
Everything is a mix of pros and cons.
michaelblue wrote:
I have found that using the TAV mode has been much more successful when photographing birds in flight and it's very easy to change the settings using the front or rear wheels (depending how you set them up)
michaelblue and richandfleur,I have found that using the TAV mode has been much more successful when photographing birds in flight and it's very easy to change the settings using the front or rear wheels (depending how you set them up)
I have, only this morning, reverted to 'having a mess' with the TAV mode. I'm pleasantly surprised at the versatitilty of it. It is a lot easier to move around the camera settings so I shall use it for an extended time to see my results. My thanks for your invaluable observations.
Comment by Gedski posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 11/09/2016 - 10:56
ISO 400, 1/320, f8 @240mm.
ISO 400, 1/250, f8 @220mm.
Persicador,
With my wife acting as 'carer', I managed a very quick tour of the back field. I took only twenty shots and these are just about the same as the rest. I must admit that I was rather hasty in getting my shots off.
I post these just to give you some idea of my settings. I was using aperture priority and both shots are at 100% crop. I'm unhappy as to the shutter speed that the K-50 chose, so I'll try again, if I can, over the weekend using shutter priority or even the Tav mode. I have had a play with it a week or two ago and promised myself that I'd have another 'go' at it, but events have overtaken me.
I hope these shots and settings information are of some little assistance to you.
PS. the settings with the 240mm on are for the top shot shewn here., sorry.
Comment by Gedski posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 09/09/2016 - 11:40
Perspicador, Thank you for your thoughts. If I can get out before next Monday I'll try to post a couple of BIF shots with the settings used but I can't promise. See you all soon.
Comment by Gedski posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 09/09/2016 - 10:41
Perspicador, I'm no-one to really give advice to but this is what I do, if I think about it beforehand.
1. Set camera to auto, take shot and make a note of the settings.
2. Do the same using the 'P' mode and then the moving subjects mode.
See how the shots turn out and if possible use the best of the three settings. I mainly use the aperture priority now, altering it depending on how bright the weather is.
I also aim for the birds eye. If you can get this in focus then the rest of the picture should be OK. I offer no guarantees though.
I might be away for about a fortnight now as my operation has been brought forward to Tuesday which means I need to attend hospital on Monday next. See you all then, I hope.
1. Set camera to auto, take shot and make a note of the settings.
2. Do the same using the 'P' mode and then the moving subjects mode.
See how the shots turn out and if possible use the best of the three settings. I mainly use the aperture priority now, altering it depending on how bright the weather is.
I also aim for the birds eye. If you can get this in focus then the rest of the picture should be OK. I offer no guarantees though.
I might be away for about a fortnight now as my operation has been brought forward to Tuesday which means I need to attend hospital on Monday next. See you all then, I hope.
Comment by Gedski posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 08/09/2016 - 18:43
Hi perspicador, You seem to be coming along nicely. I find that with magpies the problem is to get the eye in full focus but it can be done. At least you managed to get movement with the helicopters rotor blades, otherwise it would look like it is parked in the sky.
The bee on flower is pretty good as are the flowers. Keep it up.
The bee on flower is pretty good as are the flowers. Keep it up.
Comment by Gedski posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 07/09/2016 - 13:26
Perspicador wrote:
Gedski,can I take this opportunity of wishing you every success and God-speed with your Open heart surgery? Also, I am very indebted to this thread as stated before. Also thanks to Peter for these words of encouragement
The follow-up to this is my first venture out - K-50 plus Pentax 55-300mm - but no BIFs yet - which must include the Butterfly that regaled Gedski's entries!!! The real test will be upon returning to Mill Lakes, but for now, I am contented with my purchase...
Thank you for your comments and kind thoughts Perspicador. I see that you've made a decent start with the 55-300mm lens. I will follow your efforts with much interest.Gedski,can I take this opportunity of wishing you every success and God-speed with your Open heart surgery? Also, I am very indebted to this thread as stated before. Also thanks to Peter for these words of encouragement
PeterKR wrote:
Congratulations, Rodney, and good luck with the 55-300. I too got one on the advice of john Riley - it was the first new lens I got for my K-r in 2011 and I got it especially for bird shots.
As Andrew has said shooting BIF is a very difficult task and you may need to take very many shots to get just one good one. On my day at the Hawk Conservancy (with the K-r and DA55-300 I took over 900 !
One thing I did find that sometimes you may need to set the camera onto the 'Sport/Action' mode to take multiple exposures with fast shutter speeds (hence my 900 shots !)
I also found it easier if the birds were flying TOWARDS me, then you don't need to pan the camera as much. However, you can't trust what wild birds are going to do so you just have to persevere !
I can see that you are doing just that so good luck.
One thing I found with the DA55-300 is that the 'hunting' of focus (for which it is notorious) is worst for long distance shots when the contrast is low. When the birds are nearer and the contrast it better you should find the AF locks on much quicker ?
All the best
Peter
Congratulations, Rodney, and good luck with the 55-300. I too got one on the advice of john Riley - it was the first new lens I got for my K-r in 2011 and I got it especially for bird shots.
As Andrew has said shooting BIF is a very difficult task and you may need to take very many shots to get just one good one. On my day at the Hawk Conservancy (with the K-r and DA55-300 I took over 900 !
One thing I did find that sometimes you may need to set the camera onto the 'Sport/Action' mode to take multiple exposures with fast shutter speeds (hence my 900 shots !)
I also found it easier if the birds were flying TOWARDS me, then you don't need to pan the camera as much. However, you can't trust what wild birds are going to do so you just have to persevere !
I can see that you are doing just that so good luck.
One thing I found with the DA55-300 is that the 'hunting' of focus (for which it is notorious) is worst for long distance shots when the contrast is low. When the birds are nearer and the contrast it better you should find the AF locks on much quicker ?
All the best
Peter
The follow-up to this is my first venture out - K-50 plus Pentax 55-300mm - but no BIFs yet - which must include the Butterfly that regaled Gedski's entries!!! The real test will be upon returning to Mill Lakes, but for now, I am contented with my purchase...
Comment by Gedski posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 04/09/2016 - 20:05
