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Pentax Teleconverters (1 Viewer)

QuestionableCarrot

Well-known member
Staying on the 300mm theme.

Can anyone recommend a good teleconverter for a Pentax 300mm?

Thinking about saving the funds for a Sigma 500mm for Autumn but in the mean time making do with a 300mm DA lens (which I still havent got:C)

What are the teleconverters like with the SMC DA lenses?

Any photos with a teleconverter and the basic DA 300 lens very welcome.

Also....

Is the Sigma 300 any good?

Ta

QC
 
As I mentioned I have the Kenko Pz-AF 1.5x Teleplus SHQ which supports SDM and seemed quite good when I was testing it a couple of months ago after buying it, but they are very hard to find.
Sorry no pictures with it at the moment, waiting for some decent weather!
Think you should join Pentaxuser you will find allot more experts there.
 
pentax user

pentax user is a superb site, very friendly and helpful and always got loads of stuff for sale. :) Alistair, Hope things are going well with the kx :)
 
Hi Jacqui

Things are going well indeed.

Check out the Flickr webpage below to see how I am getting on with the Camera and lens...

Yea will have to join that other Pentax site.

Thanks

QC
 
Great photos alistair, glad you are enjoying the camera. I love photographing birds, don't have many around in my garden at the moment, oh well I will keep trying to encourage them in. It's a great camera, when finances get better I will probably try to get another one secondhand. :) jacqui.
 
On the subject of Teleconverters, I just found my Kenko 1.5X TC. It's not the SHQ version so no good for SDM lenses, unless used manually. I did try it though at the weekend on my DA 55-300mm ED, in bad light at 3200 ISO. Sure, it hunted a bit but the results look very promising indeed. I'll try to get some more shots to tinker with today.
I also wonder if I can install the required pins for the SDM contacts? I think it must have the same overall body of the SHQ version as the block that houses the SDM contacts is there. So, I may be able to drill through, install some contacts and get it to work!

Where's me Dremmel? ;)
 
The 1.7X AFA can be used with the DA*300mm, however there are issues.

It does not have the contacts to drive the SDM focussing on the lens, so a new focusing technique is required. However, it will allow you to set the focal length of the lens combo for SR purposes.
Simply manual focus to near the mark then a half press on the shutter release will "autofocus" the rest of the way using the adapters internal focusing mechanism.
I have the adapter too and have been waiting for some good light to give it a try. Of course, it's probably just one of those "must have" items for many Pentax shooters for when you need a little extra reach or when using older manual focus lenses.

I'd also say it makes the DA*300mm, which is a great hand-holdable lens, into a borderline tripod lens due to the increased focal length / aperture loss.

As for the 50-200mm, it may work ok as it's a Pentax lens but again will need to be manually focused part way.
 
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The 1.7X AFA can be used with the DA*300mm, however there are issues.

It does not have the contacts to drive the SDM focussing on the lens, so a new focusing technique is required. However, it will allow you to set the focal length of the lens combo for SR purposes.
Simply manual focus to near the mark then a half press on the shutter release will "autofocus" the rest of the way using the adapters internal focusing mechanism.
I have the adapter too and have been waiting for some good light to give it a try. Of course, it's probably just one of those "must have" items for many Pentax shooters for when you need a little extra reach or when using older manual focus lenses.

I'd also say it makes the DA*300mm, which is a great hand-holdable lens, into a borderline tripod lens due to the increased focal length / aperture loss.

As for the 50-200mm, it may work ok as it's a Pentax lens but again will need to be manually focused part way.

re. section in bold above.

In many ways I believe it's actually easier to focus. If you have a bird in a tree/bush for instance, then often AF will have trouble focusing on the bird - however with the AFA x1.7 you manually roughly focus on the bird and the AFA will lock it in fast, very very fast. All hand-held. I will occasionally use it on my DA*300 though prefer to use the *300 by itself.
 
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