Pentax HD D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 ED DC AW (2 Viewers)

[Mike-P]

7 years on and the 150-450mm is still going strong .... Since the original post with the K5IIs I have had the K-3, K-3II, K-1 and these were taken with the K-3III

 

[StephenHampshire]

7 years on and the 150-450mm is still going strong .... Since the original post with the K5IIs I have had the K-3, K-3II, K-1 and these were taken with the K-3III

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As a long time Pentax user (K3 and K1 currently, lots of lenses, DA*300 the longest though + a 1.4TC) I've been mulling over a D500 or OM-1D. Am I mad? K3III on offer at the moment seems tempting but the buffer is tiny! This is a problem for me when I shoot trains, as a few burst during a run past soon fill up a buffer. I'd appreciate your thoughts Mike. I recently went to a photo day at the Hawk Conservancy, quite a frustrating experience, but a few actually in focus! (see FlickR ArleImages for results)

 

[Mike-P]

As a long time Pentax user (K3 and K1 currently, lots of lenses, DA*300 the longest though + a 1.4TC) I've been mulling over a D500 or OM-1D. Am I mad? K3III on offer at the moment seems tempting but the buffer is tiny! This is a problem for me when I shoot trains, as a few burst during a run past soon fill up a buffer. I'd appreciate your thoughts Mike. I recently went to a photo day at the Hawk Conservancy, quite a frustrating experience, but a few actually in focus! (see FlickR ArleImages for results)

Hi Stephen,

Sorry for the late reply, not been on here for a while.

I sold the K-3 MKIII in the end, it focuses a lot faster than any previous Pentax camera but I still think it lags behind the competition (even the much older D500) and is a lot of money for what it is.

I have had a couple of D500's and if you want to stick with a DSLR then this is the one to go for, it's perfect for pretty much anything ... I am currently using a 7D MKII (as well as the K-1) and that is a close second to the Nikon but I only chose it because I have a good selection of Canon L lenses.

I have seen a lot of good things about the OM-1 and 100-400mm and I really do think mirrorless is the way forward, I also had the Sony A9 and 200-600mm which was pretty much perfect for me bar the 24MP sensor which was not great if needing to crop (which you do 90% of the time with wildlife).

I am currently weighing up my options and I think my Pentax days may be numbered ... as I said previously, mirrorless (for me anyway) is the way forward.