Test shots with new toy

[r.t. dowling]

I finally got a telezoom for my K100D! I ended up choosing the Tamron 70-300

Di. I was able to get it for only $130 + $6 shipping <A title="Cameta Camera

via Amazon"

href="http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-AF70-300mm-4-5-6-Pentax-Cameras/dp/B000EXR0VK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1206132148&sr=8-1"

target=_blank>from Cameta Camera via Amazon</A>. It wasn't easy to choose

between this lens and the Sigma 70-300 APO... but ultimately the price and the

6-year warranty swung me in favor of the Tamron.<br><br>So far, I am very

pleased with this lens. Heck, I'm thrilled with it, considering the price I

paid. The build quality is really quite good. Obviously not on par with a

Pentax Limited or a Pentax "star" lens... but definitely equal to the Pentax DA

lenses I've handled, and a step above some of the consumer-level Canon and Nikon

lenses I've tried.<br><br>Without further ado, here are some boring test shots.

Some of them are a bit underexposed... that's my fault, not the camera or

lens's fault. My brain still thinks I'm shooting print film.<br><br>All shots

were done at ISO 200 and F8. Click the thumbnails to see the photos.<br><br><br>

110mm:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0550.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0550.jpg">

 

<br><br><br><br>

</A>260mm, macro mode:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0554.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0554.jpg"></A>

 

<br><br><br><br>

90mm:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0556.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0556.jpg">

</A><br><br><br><br>120mm:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0560.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0560.jpg"></A>

 

<br><br><br><br>

200mm:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0561.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0561.jpg"></A>

 

<br><br><br><br>

300mm, macro mode:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0563.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0563.jpg"></A>

 

<br><br><br><br>

180mm, macro mode:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0565.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0565.jpg"></A>

 

<br><br><br><br>

220mm:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0566.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0566.jpg"></A>

 

<br><br><br><br>

300mm:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0567.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0567.jpg"></A>

 

<br><br><br><br>

100% crops:<br><br>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0554_100.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG

src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0554_100.jpg"><br><br></A>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0560_100.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG

src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0560_100.jpg"><br><br></A>

<A href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/IMGP0561_100.jpg"

target=_blank>

<IMG

src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/mec407/tamtest/th_IMGP0561_100.jpg"><br><br></A>

[dan_lenski]

Not much Purple Fringing for you! Lucky. Mine has it fairly bad in high-contrast areas, like branches against snow.

 

Where are these taken?

[r.t. dowling]

The above shots were taken in and around Portland, Maine.

 

As soon as Winter decides to loosen its grip on Maine, hopefully I'll be able to get out more and take pictures of things that are prettier and more interesting than McDonald's signs and abandoned mattresses. ;-)

[thomas_roberts4]

I saw Maine Medical Center in the 220mm shot and knew immediately it was Portland, ME. Looking forward to seeing your shots once we warm up.

[andrewg_ny]

These look quite good. How many were shot with tripod?

[r.t. dowling]

All were handheld with SR on. I was on my lunch break and didn't have a tripod with me.

[r.t. dowling]

Additionally, the shots were JPEG, Natural tone, -2 contrast, -2 saturation, 0 sharpness. I may try -1 or 0 contrast and +1 sharpness next time, especially between 200mm and 300mm.

[renatoa]

why you killed contrast and saturation this way ?

[r.t. dowling]

-2 contrast and -2 saturation are the settings I prefer to use most of the time. I find that the default (0) settings are overly contrasty and overly saturated. DPReview even thought that the 0 settings on the K100D were equivalent to +2 on most other DSLRs.

 

Just my personal preference. : ) I like to preserve detail in the tones so that the colors don't block up. I can always boost the saturation in PS if needed.