All posts tagged: tokyo zoo

HD PENTAX-DA 55-300 mm F4-5.8ED WR

While in Tokyo I though I’d test out the new telephoto zoom that Pentax has lent me for a few weeks. It’s got an impressive range from 55-300mm, HD coatings on the lens elements and a sturdy weather-proof construction. It’s also reasonably priced, it’s available from Amazon.com for around 400 dollars. As my flight back to Okinawa was from Narita Airport, I decided to take the subway from Shinjuku to Ueno, then switch to the Keisei Skyliner express train. Right next to the Keisei Ueno Station is the entrance to Ueno Zoo, and as I’d never been before, I thought I’d drop by for a couple of hours.  The zoo offered plenty of opportunities to utilize the telephoto zoom. I also tried out using burst mode, working on the theory that the shots in the middle of the burst are often sharper. The relatively small maximum aperture of f5.8 when shooting at 300mm was offset by increasing the ISO to 800 so that shutter speeds were kept fast. Ueno Zoo is Japan’s oldest zoo, and in many …