New Lens Arrived Today

[pez]

I love it already!

 

[jaomul]

Great range and wr. Cool. Enjoy

 

[charchri4]

Would you mind telling why you like it so much and how you are using it? I got one a while back thinking it would be on the camera most of the time but it rarely comes out of the bag.

 

[pez]

Would you mind telling why you like it so much and how you are using it? I got one a while back thinking it would be on the camera most of the time but it rarely comes out of the bag.

OK. I have many lenses, like most other Pentax users- several limiteds, which are awesome, old Russian lenses, Cosinas, Rokinons, other Pentax primes and zooms (LBA ). But I see a niche for a walk-around lens that I don't need to take off the camera at whatever event or location I happen to be (e.g. what if it's dusty or wet?). Sure, I could choose a prime to walk around with, and I do that sometimes too, or for that mater multiple cameras, but luckily I'm not a pro who has to load up on gear, lol. I have for years been using a Tamron 17-50 2.8 as my fav walk-around lens, and it is a great lens for that. This lens, although slower, is superior to the Tamron in many ways. Way better close focus capabilities (0.26x), it's sharp wide open and overall better edge-to-edge than the Tamron. It is quiet and it's weather sealed, and resists CA better. And it has more reach at both ends. The build quality is very high. Hence, a highly useful lens for me, and I'll be selling the Tamron. Plus, it is on sale right now...
Do you do astro or birding with your Bigma and 1.4x?

 

[charchri4]

That is very helpful insight thank you. I think you are spot on when it comes to garden and car season it will be my go to walk around lens. Part of my problem is I got the lens in the fall when most of the quality camera time was out chasing migrating birds with the bigma.
_IMG2673 by Jim Stainer, on Flickr
BTW that ^ is at full reach with the 1.4 on that dog makes it a light hog that has to be manually focused to have a prayer of getting the shot. It has so much reach with it you pick up humidity in the air unless it's a crisp day. The lens is much more manageable without it if you can get close enough to the subject matter but 700mm is a heck of a lot of fun to play with!

Anyway I did use the 16-85 for all our family shots and Christmas and what not the last month or so with mixed results mostly due to me not knowing what I am doing and bad light.
_IMG0291 by Jim Stainer, on Flickr

But overall it's encouraging to hear your thoughts and be validated that the extra $$ will be worth it in the long run for the better glass. I do wish it would stop down to f2.8 but I haven't walked a car show with it yet so maybe it's no big deal. I'm going to try my first ever shoot with a person in it tomorrow and wasn't planning on using it but maybe I'll try it on a few. Light won't be an issue with 10 inches of snow on the ground and a sunny day...

 

[pez]

Arrg, 10 inches of snow. I'd be hiding inside and peeking through the blinds, haha. The bigma looks like fun! One day, I'll have a DA*300mm. I think that with the 1.4x would make some great images.

 

[pez]

This morning, a frosty Rhodo bud. This was only cropped a little, at closest focus, 85mm, f7.1, with a K-3. I'm impressed with the close focusing and the bokeh from this zoom!

 

[charchri4]

Wow that is really nice! I used mine yesterday for a selfie...

 

[pez]

That's a great selfie! What is that column in the background?

 

[charchri4]

A distraction! The unchopped to fit a small screen version shows the water tower.

And a look from said water tower at the angles that made it happen. I was just beyond the red car in the corner where the 3 angles of glass come together.

It's really hard to do an interesting selfie when you have bad material to work with!

 

[charchri4]

BTW I also tried the lens last night at a gymnastics meet but the light was so bad I went to the 50 1.8. I really wish this lens stopped down farther!