Hi, The A 400/5.6 and the M* and A* 300/4s are not interchangeable by ny means. I've had an A 400/5.6 and an A* 300/4. The 400 is extremely well made and very sharp. I used to shoot it with an LX and winder and I shot quite a lot of wildlife in South Africa, although I've never shot motor sports. The balance on a tripod is very good and it is quite easy and quick to focus. I also used it a lot on a bean-bag. I wouldn't consider hand-holding it at all.
I don't think the 300mm lenses have a tripod mount, do they? I can't remember. They're ok on a bean bag, of course, but that makes focusing slightly awkward because the ring is restricted. I didn't use it very much with a TC. You need really to have the proper Pentax ones, which are expensive and hard to find. I used a T6-2X and a A-2XL. On the 400mm these made the vf very dark, but I did get some successful photos of wildlife using them, particularly when I used the sports finder on the LX, which is paradoxical. If I had to choose between the 400mm and one of the 300mms, I'd choose the 400mm lens. --- Bob mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Friday, July 12, 2002, 3:04:06 AM, you wrote: > Hi all, > I sometimes try my hand at shooting motorsports (motorcycle roadracing > to be specific) and my current longest lens of 200mm just doesn't give > me the range for the shots I'm after. So, I'm looking to purchase a > telephoto that is somewhat longer. I'm considering the A 400/5.6 but > cannot seem to find any objective or subjective data on this lens. > On the other hand, I've read tons of glowing reviews of the 300/4, both > A* and M*. I'd consider this lens if folks think the overall quality is > such that the sacrifice in focal length would be worth it. I only get > out to shoot the races a few times a year so whatever lens I get would > likely server other purposes as well (wildlife perhaps). Also, comments > on the use of this lens with a teleconverter would be welcome. > One recurring comment about the 300mm is its handling. This is not a > requirement but being able to handhold this would be a nice bonus. Any > comments on this front for both lenses would be appreciated. I noticed > that the 400mm has a collar. Can anyone comment on the balance of this > lens when mounted (would be with LX body with or without motor drive)? > I often use a tripod anyway and would consider a monopod for the races > if this is considered a good option with this lens. On a simliar note, > how is the 300mm when the camera is tripod mounted? Is there much flex > at the mount? > Well, I guess that's enough for now. The more opinions the better. :-) > Thanks in advance, > Garth > - > This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, > go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to > visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
