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Comment by Perspicador posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 04/09/2016 - 19:59
On the strength of this thread I have taken the plunge and gone for a DA 55-300mm, which arrived today (thanks especially, John Riley)... If the interest continues,
I hope people can keep the ball rolling on here. This is also to be used with a K-50, so postings may follow. This image is one I regard as a success. See what comes up.
This was with a k-r and Sigma 200mm.
Comment by Perspicador posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 02/09/2016 - 16:15
MID WALES from Rodney Yates on Vimeo.
https://vimeo.com/75715939#t=NaNs This is the link
Comment by Perspicador posted on North wales narrow gauge at 02/09/2016 - 15:39
Hello Perspicador, thanks for your comments. I've looked through your gallery and the best shot I saw, by far is the gull against a clear blue sky that you posted on 20/12/15 at 21:21. I would suggest using the settings for this shot every time the weather conditions are similar, for BIF.
The shot of the geese in this post does not appear to be in focus and the gull has something not quite right about it. I'm no-one to criticise anyone's photo's but it seems that we both might have similar problems.
I think that my best advice is for you to go back a bit in my thread and try experimenting with the settings given by the various kind people who have tried to assist me.
Comment by Perspicador posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 20/08/2016 - 21:23
Your feature on here is especially interesting as it is something I too am wrestling with. I started with a k-r and have moved to the k-50, but my lens of preference has been the Sigma DG 70-300mm for both cameras, with mixed, but sometimes satisfying results.
This is a cropped down take on Geese in flight, from my regular visits to Mill Lakes, a country park near me. Sometimes focussing responses are too cumbersome and the shot is missed through undue delay, but generally the speed of response is good and I found that with the use of bursts, a really good shot can result. this is my best so far:
Comment by Perspicador posted on Birds in flight shots using K-50 and Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6 lens. at 12/08/2016 - 22:53
I have something surplus to my requirements - a 70-300mm Tamron LD Macro for Pentax. If this is of interest, please let me know, but please bear with me - I cannot even set a price on this new, practically unused item as I am completely focused on going away soon, and cannot address putting this on sale until I get back in late May. Interested? Hang fire and it could be yours.
Comment by Perspicador posted on WTB: Tamron/Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 at 01/05/2016 - 10:52
Not heard of this before but I shall look at it.
The picture is quite excellent - what is causing the grey bar at the bottom?
Comment by Perspicador posted on Zoner software at 14/03/2016 - 21:44
Hope you have a wonderfully successful trip! A while back, I made a visit to the Assynt area and brought back a haul of distinctively unusual landscapes and scenic photos, sampled here, but without Pentax kit. Midges are a seasonal problem and you may be fortunate in your choice of an early-year visit. We went in September, which was midge-clear. Picture of Achiltibuie shoreline, plus some Coigach scenes follow...
Comment by Perspicador posted on Suilven and Inverpolly photography at 12/03/2016 - 07:42
Comment by Perspicador posted on Zoner software at 12/03/2016 - 06:34
Comment by Perspicador posted on Recent Eclipse of the Moon at 28/09/2015 - 05:52
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...