Sounds like the 18x zoom is great for sporting events. But I want to use it for extreme close-ups of flowers. Any advice on that?
1471793
Works great foreclose ups. My youngest son likes to pose his action figures and he will take an action shot.
98307
Yes I have used this lens for airshows and motor sports before. But I guess if you were going to be used for football or anything low light no it would not be. My one complaint with the lens is the focus motor is so loud! It really bugs me I have switched to using the sigma 18 250 HSM for that reason alone. I lost 50mm reach but gained the wide angle so that makes up for it. For what the pentax is and the price of its a pretty decent lens if you can deal with loud autofocus motor.
183451
I shoot the same subjects and have been very pleased with the 18-250mm zoom. If you want a little more reach get the 55-300mm in place of the 18-250. With that choice I would then add the 18-55mm. I'm assuming you want to stay with Pentax brand. Neither zoom is "cheap" but then you get what you pay for. I chose the 18-250 because I hand hold the camera most of the time and here in the Pacific NW the light levels in the winter are pretty low. I doubt if I maxed out the 300mm (450mm equivalent) would I get a sharp image. Love the K20D by the way.
1409500
I have had great results on auto and sport as I am mainly photographing birds. A hint you will loose focus if you zoom in to close, also when you make your first click wait for the green border to make sure your in focus with the right object. I am totally satisfied with the great results and clarity I get...I am putting together my photos into a book. Hope this helps
441826
I love this lens for cross country, track as well as basketball games. It is more of a midrange lens but it takes fabulous photos. If you are thinking football, soccer or any other similar range photos the answer is a definite yes. On occasion I do use a 75-300 at times because I want to catch more expression and less full body shots.
380971
Neither. It's more like 3 or 4 with a max of 7 in a row if you are doing DNG files. It does list out its specs on their website. It's not good for sports unless your extremely good with manual focussing, and capable of getting close to the subject--think wrestling or ping pong, not football, baseball or soccer, etc... Either way, for sports or spray and pray photography, there are much better cameras for less than this. This is a nice camera for good lighting situations like daylight street, outdoor family events, landscape, and vacations, but definitely not a top pick for rapid fire situations (IMO). Neither. It's more like 3 or 4 with a max of 7 in a row if you are doing DNG files. It does list out its specs on their website. It's not good for sports unless your extremely good with manual focussing, and capable of getting close to the subject--think wrestling or ping pong, not football, baseball or soccer, etc... Either way, for sports or spray and pray photography, there are much better cameras for less than this. This is a nice camera for good lighting situations like daylight street, outdoor family events, landscape, and vacations, but definitely not a top pick for rapid fire... » Read More Neither. It's more like 3 or 4 with a max of 7 in a row if you are doing DNG files. It does list out its specs on their website. It's not good for sports unless your extremely good with manual focussing, and capable of getting close to the subject--think wrestling or ping pong, not football, baseball or soccer, etc... Either way, for sports or spray and pray photography, there are much better cameras for less than this. This is a nice camera for good lighting situations like daylight street, outdoor family events, landscape, and vacations, but definitely not a top pick for rapid fire situations (IMO). « Show Less
1356285
Yes and no. If you want to photograph a field of wildflowers then it would work fine because you could get fairly close, 0.82 ft. is minimum focus distance. But for macro photography of a single blossom it would not be the best lens to work with. You would need a true macro lens.
963784
I recomend to you... Its a good zoom for the beginners photographers!!! The scope is very good and you can complement with the digital zoom.... I hope will be useful.
1409501
I have had great results on auto and sport as I am mainly photographing birds. A hint you will loose focus if you zoom in to close, also when you make your first click wait for the green border to make sure your in focus with the right object. I am totally satisfied with the great results and clarity I get...I am putting together my photos into a book.Hope this helps
1547551
This lens is not a sports lens. You'll be too far from any action to even when cropped. The 70-200 f2.8 is one of the best sport lenses for up close. If you want even closer I'd recommend buying the 300mm or 400mm but its might be easier to buy a tube extender that will increase the range of your lens. This lens is great for landscape, portraits, and Weddings.
496026
Your biggest issue here will be light. F4 isn't the fastest glass for basketball, but if you up your ISO to the 1600-2500 range you should be OK. Remember you only have 105 as the longest zoom, but if you multiply by your crop factor you'll get decent reach. I would also suggest a tripod/monopod.
2060161
I have not tried it on a sports event yet but it will probably struggle in keeping with the fast action. Auto focus is 'adequate' and not pro-level. I will update this answer when i have the chance to use/test it for that. I can tell you in a moving (freeway speeds)car, shooting at mountains, trees or landscapes, it is fast and accurate.
263011
I would like a viewfinder too. I suspect it may be difficult to do one well on a 12x zoom. Viewfinders are a little inaccurate even on 4x zooms. So, it may be that the cost would be prohibitive.
119784
If you want to save some cash, go for the 590; if you want the big zoom it's the SX110. Both are fine cameras, but I love the zoom on the SX110 for sports photos.
224454
this camera is GREAT for any and everything!! i've taken some great sports pictures with the lens it came with, but i'm sure it would be even better with a special lens. also, it really depends on the amount of light; if there's lots of light, no problem!! it's trickier the less light there is. the camera is amazing. i couldn't be happier with it in any way!! good luck!!
2027169
Thomas. This is your basic "kit lens" for many cameras. It gives you a 3X zoom and is relatively distortion free for most apps. I think for most of us an 18mm lens is wide enough for many landscape projects. In time, if you are a serious photographer, you may decide to go to a shorter focal length but that will be expensive.
2064344
Thanks for your reply. I need a good lens to photograph swim meets and football, both for children. Maybe I should consider the 70-300. I want sharp pictures.