Located here:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/pages/check-shutter-count-exif.html

John

It's another Kenko/Teleplus clone AFAIK, I've seen one or two.

John

TBH, I generally shoot RAW so would probably have adjusted the colour in PP, but this being a jpeg straight from the camera as an example I only rotated the image 90 CCW in CS5. AFAIK the white balance was set on daylight, it does look a little cool but could be the result of using the Tamron 90 Macro, another good reason to shoot RAW

John

Another vote for the DA*300 here, although I did use a Sigma 300 f/4 APO Tele Macro for quite some years. The Sigma was very good but not environmentally sealed and had screw drive AF.

[IMG]http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac49/johnwhit24/Kingfisher_2_Redeux.jpg[/IMG]

John

There's an interesting if rather convoluted article here if you're up for a good read:

http://falklumo.blogspot.com/2010/04/pentax-shake-reduction-revisited.html

John

I hope you get it sorted David.

John

Hi David,

I'm not sure SR works in B (bulb) as you would generally have the camera tripod mounted. I apologise for using the term "timed exposure" I was thinking in the region of 1-2 seconds on the shutter speed, you should see some sensor shift if you move the camera.

John

Did you try moving the camera? I assume the dust removal function is working when you use it.

John

You can check with a timed exposure and no lens/body cap on the camera, you should be able to see the sensor move when looking into the lens mount throat. IIRC there's a youtube video of it somewhere. Be careful not to get dust on the sensor.

John

It never seems to get a bad review, maybe if Ricoh/Pentax reach 5% market share they'll bring it out in Pentax fit.

http://www.shutterbug.com/content/tamron%E2%80%99s-sp-af70-300mm-f4-56-di-vc-usd-ultrasonic-silent-drive%E2%80%94quiet-fast-autofocusing

"In Conclusion
This lens blew me away. I found edge-to-edge sharpness very satisfying, especially for a lens easily under $500. And I loved this lens’s responsiveness when confronted with challenging subjects, like ducks and gulls whizzing past me. I quickly learned to appreciate the USD mechanism as I began paying attention to how beautifully and quietly the lens was working.

All in all, I made over 3000 exposures with the Tamron SP AF70-300mm VC. And the impression I came away with is that this lens is definitely a keeper. When you factor in performance, overall design, and price, it all amounts to a very engaging lens that begs to be used again and again".

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/blog/ian-plant/2011/01/tamron-sp70-300-di-vc-...

"My bottom line after using the lens for a few weeks is that this lens is a solid performer, and offers good value for its cost—it packs a lot of bang for the buck. Its flexibility will prove useful for travel and nature photographers alike".

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/tamron_70-300_vc_review.html

"In summary the Tamron SP 70-300MM F/4-5.6 Di VC USD is a very good lens, especially considering the cost. In the center of the frame image quality is very similar to that of the Canon EF 70-300/4-5.6 IS USM at all focal lengths and apertures, however at 300mm the Tamron shows better image quality in the corners of the frame, especially when the lenses are used wide open with a full frame DSLR.

At 135mm and 70mm there is little to chose between the Tamron and Canon lenses, Both are sharp in the center and still good out to the corners of the APS-C frame. At 135mm the Tamron lens shows slightly better image quality in the corners of the full frame image.

it comes with a lens hood, it has full time manual focus and a distance scale and it comes with a 6-year warranty. So at this point I think I'll have to agree with Tamron's claim that the Tamron SP 70-300MM F/4-5.6 Di VC USD is the best lens in its class and very good value".


John