Pentax DA lens vs DA L lens?

**csa** · 09-01-2014, 06:22 AM

The "kit" lenses, DA L are a good deal; however, have plastic mounts and lack of "quick-shift" focus.The DA series has metal mount and the "quick shift" manual focus feature that allows you fine tune focus manually even in auto-focus mode. Is this difference worthwhile to consider the DA series over the "kit" lenses?

I have an offer to pickup the 55-300 DA for $250. If this lens is in excellent condition; would it be to my benefit to get it, rather than the kit lens? Main consideration I would have is sharpness, and reliability of the plastic mount.

Thanks in advance for any advice given!

Carol

**jatrax** · 09-01-2014, 06:48 AM

Optics are identical so no difference in image quality. The plastic mount is a non-issue IMHO. I think I have seen maybe 3 reports of a plastic mount breaking, ever. And no reason to think a metal mount would have survived the impact any better. Plus a plastic mount will not scratch up the camera mount.

The difference is price and quick shift. If price is not an issue then get the HD DA 55-300 WR, if it is then get the DA L.

**csa** · 09-01-2014, 06:51 AM

Thanks so much for your reply; since there is no optical difference, I think I might go with the new DA L, in a "kit" with the K50.

mtux · 09-01-2014, 07:02 AM

Originally posted by jatrax

Optics are identical so no difference in image quality. The plastic mount is a non-issue IMHO. I think I have seen maybe 3 reports of a plastic mount breaking, ever. And no reason to think a metal mount would have survived the impact any better. Plus a plastic mount will not scratch up the camera mount. The difference is price and quick shift. If price is not an issue then get the HD DA 55-300 WR, if it is then get the DA L.

Very well said!

Na Horuk · 09-01-2014, 07:19 AM

Hey, welcome!
A lot of people complain about the plastic mount, but it has very rarely been a problem. Almost no threads about the plastic mount failing.
QS is a very nice feature, but on the other hand, you can probably live without it. Its a luxury.
The DA 55-300mm is a well liked on these forums, because it is one of the best cheap 300mm lenses. If you want to check the prices it is usually sold for, check the marketplace on these forums or maybe go to ebay and look only for completed auctions, so you can see the real price they went for.
In terms of optics, the different versions, DA, DA L, DA WR should be identical. The differences can be in QS, WR, mount, distance scales, hood, and filter sizes. There is also an HD DA 55-300mm, i think, which has newer lens coatings. This version might be optically superior to the previous SMC versions, but I think there was a review that said the difference is rather small in most situations.
If you are buying the lens without a hood, it might be a good idea to buy a cheap ebay knockoff. Just make sure it fits on your specific lens

Edit: Oh yeah, if you buy lenses bundled with your camera, you usually get them with a nice discount. You can do some calculations to figure out how much you save buying the kit compared to buying body only and lens separately. Kits are usually a good choice. Good luck, and enjoy your new camera

**csa** · 09-01-2014, 07:27 AM

Thanks for the welcome! I appreciate the information in your kind replies! I'm going to go with the K50 kit with the 18-55 DA WR, and the DA L 55-300. I think this will give me a very nice combination to start out with my first Pentax. Sadly, I won't be able to get it for a couple of months, but my anticipation will only increase, being on these forums!

audiobomber · 09-01-2014, 07:28 AM

I use Quick-Shift more on my 55-300mm than all my other lenses combined. The 55-300mm is well known for focus hunting. When it starts to hunt, you can wait until it racks all the way to the stop, then back to focus maybe, or maybe it misses again, and racks all the way again. You can put the camera in manual focus, but that involves an extra step. Or you can use QS to adjust focus. QS is the quickest means to get back to your subject. If your subject is a flitting bird in a tree, timing is critical. So is whining gear noise, which QS minimizes.

I had the same experience with my trusty old Tamron 70-300mm. I often had to put the camera in manual focus mode to photograph a bird in a tree, because the camera's AF system often locks on a branch instead of the bird.

I had a DA L 18-55 and rarely cared about QS. Telephoto though is a different matter. I would not recommend the DA L 55-300mm if you are into birding at all, go for one of the other versions.

Last edited by audiobomber; 09-01-2014 at 07:37 AM.

**savoche** · 09-01-2014, 07:49 AM

Originally posted by audiobomber

I use Quick-Shift more on my 55-300mm than all my other lenses combined. The 55-300mm is well known for focus hunting. When it starts to hunt, you can wait until it racks all the way to the stop, then back to focus maybe, or maybe it misses again, and racks all the way again. You can put the camera in manual focus, but that involves an extra step. Or you can use QS to adjust focus. QS is the quickest means to get back to your subject. If your subject is a flitting bird in a tree, timing is critical. So is whining gear noise, which QS minimizes.

I had the same experience with my trusty old Tamron 70-300mm. I often had to put the camera in manual focus mode to photograph a bird in a tree, because the camera's AF system often locks on a branch instead of the bird.

I had a DA L 18-55 and rarely cared about QS. Telephoto though is a different matter. I would not recommend the DA L 55-300mm if you are into birding at all, go for one of the other versions.

That's my experience as well. QS and back button focus is a very useful combination for the 55-300.

**csa** · 09-01-2014, 08:09 AM

Originally posted by savoche

That's my experience as well. QS and back button focus is a very useful combination for the 55-300.

"I would not recommend the DA L 55-300mm if you are into birding at all, go for one of the other versions."

As far as I can see, the only other version (new) is the WR @ $450, which is way out of my budget. Buying the used one at $250, not knowing the condition bothers me as well.

Could I not just use manual focus for birds on the DA L?

Driline · 09-01-2014, 08:21 AM

Originally posted by csa

Could I not just use manual focus for birds on the DA L?

Sure could. I rarely use quick shift myself. I guess for others it's a necessity. The DA L is the same optics, so why pay extra for stuff you may or may not use.

**boriscleto** · 09-01-2014, 08:35 AM

You can do the same thing as quick shift by using your ring finger to press the lens release button. I used the DA L for birding, but now I have the Sigma 150-500 so the 55-300 doesn't get used as much.

If you find yourself really needing QS you can sell the DA L for more than you paid for it in the kit and use that towards the DA or the HD WR.

**savoche** · 09-01-2014, 08:49 AM

Originally posted by csa

"I would not recommend the DA L 55-300mm if you are into birding at all, go for one of the other versions."

As far as I can see, the only other version (new) is the WR @ $450, which is way out of my budget. Buying the used one at $250, not knowing the condition bothers me as well.

Could I not just use manual focus for birds on the DA L?

There is an SMC DA version as well (non-WR), I'm sure it's available second-hand. I wouldn't hesitate to buy used here at the marketplace. I'm a bit more wary when buying from ebay, but have done so without any issues so far. Just do your research, read the fine print, study the pictures thoroughly, ask the seller.

As others have said above you can certainly use manual focus with a DA L. It's just a bit more fiddly - either by toggling the switch on the camera body or by following boriscleto's ring finger method.

Not everyone makes use of QS, though. And it took me a while to figure it out, too. Before I disabled AF on the shutter button (using the back AF button only - think it will be the AE-L on a K-50) I found QS hard to use.

**csa** · 09-01-2014, 08:50 AM

Originally posted by boriscleto

If you find yourself really needing QS you can sell the DA L for more than you paid for it in the kit and use that towards the DA or the HD WR.

That sounds like a very good solution!

johngs · 09-01-2014, 01:13 PM

Carol,

I have the K-50 with a DA 55-300 and I couldn't be happier. Its a super combination and I'm very impressed with the images I get.

**Des** · 09-01-2014, 05:11 PM

The question is whether it is worth the extra (about $50-$100 for a used DA version of the 55-300 over a used DA-L). If you are on a tight budget, I don't think it matters much.

I would have preferred QS, for the reasons Dan (audiobomber) set out. (Long story but I ordered a DA and got a DA-L instead; settled for a partial refund instead of sending it back.) I have QS in two of my other lenses (the autofocus on the D FA 100 hunts far worse than the 55-300). But if you have never had QS you probably won't miss it. I still find the DA-L quite usable for birding. If the bird is in the open, autofocus works OK. (In a recent PF test, AF worked better on the 55-300 than on the 60-250 which is a premium lens costing a grand more.) If the bird is in a tree or grass, switch to manual focus (or use the lens release button method).

The DA-L 55-300 is such amazing value it seems churlish to complain of it lacking a feature which most zoom lenses don't have anyway.

09-01-2014, 06:22 AM	#1
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133	Pentax DA lens vs DA L lens? The "kit" lenses, DA L are a good deal; however, have plastic mounts and lack of "quick-shift" focus.The DA series has metal mount and the "quick shift" manual focus feature that allows you fine tune focus manually even in auto-focus mode. Is this difference worthwhile to consider the DA series over the "kit" lenses? I have an offer to pickup the 55-300 DA for $250. If this lens is in excellent condition; would it be to my benefit to get it, rather than the kit lens? Main consideration I would have is sharpness, and reliability of the plastic mount. Thanks in advance for any advice given! Carol

09-01-2014, 05:11 PM	#15
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,423	The question is whether it is worth the extra (about $50-$100 for a used DA version of the 55-300 over a used DA-L). If you are on a tight budget, I don't think it matters much. I would have preferred QS, for the reasons Dan (audiobomber) set out. (Long story but I ordered a DA and got a DA-L instead; settled for a partial refund instead of sending it back.) I have QS in two of my other lenses (the autofocus on the D FA 100 hunts far worse than the 55-300). But if you have never had QS you probably won't miss it. I still find the DA-L quite usable for birding. If the bird is in the open, autofocus works OK. (In a recent PF test, AF worked better on the 55-300 than on the 60-250 which is a premium lens costing a grand more.) If the bird is in a tree or grass, switch to manual focus (or use the lens release button method). The DA-L 55-300 is such amazing value it seems churlish to complain of it lacking a feature which most zoom lenses don't have anyway. Last edited by Des; 09-01-2014 at 07:31 PM.

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09-01-2014, 06:48 AM	#2
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Optics are identical so no difference in image quality. The plastic mount is a non-issue IMHO. I think I have seen maybe 3 reports of a plastic mount breaking, ever. And no reason to think a metal mount would have survived the impact any better. Plus a plastic mount will not scratch up the camera mount. The difference is price and quick shift. If price is not an issue then get the HD DA 55-300 WR, if it is then get the DA L.

09-01-2014, 06:51 AM	#3
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133 Original Poster	Thanks so much for your reply; since there is no optical difference, I think I might go with the new DA L, in a "kit" with the K50.

09-01-2014, 07:02 AM	#4
mtux Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: the Netherlands Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,444	Originally posted by jatrax Optics are identical so no difference in image quality. The plastic mount is a non-issue IMHO. I think I have seen maybe 3 reports of a plastic mount breaking, ever. And no reason to think a metal mount would have survived the impact any better. Plus a plastic mount will not scratch up the camera mount. The difference is price and quick shift. If price is not an issue then get the HD DA 55-300 WR, if it is then get the DA L. Very well said!

09-01-2014, 07:19 AM	#5
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Hey, welcome! A lot of people complain about the plastic mount, but it has very rarely been a problem. Almost no threads about the plastic mount failing. QS is a very nice feature, but on the other hand, you can probably live without it. Its a luxury. The DA 55-300mm is a well liked on these forums, because it is one of the best cheap 300mm lenses. If you want to check the prices it is usually sold for, check the marketplace on these forums or maybe go to ebay and look only for completed auctions, so you can see the real price they went for. In terms of optics, the different versions, DA, DA L, DA WR should be identical. The differences can be in QS, WR, mount, distance scales, hood, and filter sizes. There is also an HD DA 55-300mm, i think, which has newer lens coatings. This version might be optically superior to the previous SMC versions, but I think there was a review that said the difference is rather small in most situations. If you are buying the lens without a hood, it might be a good idea to buy a cheap ebay knockoff. Just make sure it fits on your specific lens Edit: Oh yeah, if you buy lenses bundled with your camera, you usually get them with a nice discount. You can do some calculations to figure out how much you save buying the kit compared to buying body only and lens separately. Kits are usually a good choice. Good luck, and enjoy your new camera

09-01-2014, 07:27 AM	#6
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133 Original Poster	Thanks for the welcome! I appreciate the information in your kind replies! I'm going to go with the K50 kit with the 18-55 DA WR, and the DA L 55-300. I think this will give me a very nice combination to start out with my first Pentax. Sadly, I won't be able to get it for a couple of months, but my anticipation will only increase, being on these forums!

09-01-2014, 07:28 AM	#7
audiobomber Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sudbury, Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 6,806	I use Quick-Shift more on my 55-300mm than all my other lenses combined. The 55-300mm is well known for focus hunting. When it starts to hunt, you can wait until it racks all the way to the stop, then back to focus maybe, or maybe it misses again, and racks all the way again. You can put the camera in manual focus, but that involves an extra step. Or you can use QS to adjust focus. QS is the quickest means to get back to your subject. If your subject is a flitting bird in a tree, timing is critical. So is whining gear noise, which QS minimizes. I had the same experience with my trusty old Tamron 70-300mm. I often had to put the camera in manual focus mode to photograph a bird in a tree, because the camera's AF system often locks on a branch instead of the bird. I had a DA L 18-55 and rarely cared about QS. Telephoto though is a different matter. I would not recommend the DA L 55-300mm if you are into birding at all, go for one of the other versions. Last edited by audiobomber; 09-01-2014 at 07:37 AM.

09-01-2014, 07:49 AM	#8
savoche Master of the obvious Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,311	Originally posted by audiobomber I use Quick-Shift more on my 55-300mm than all my other lenses combined. The 55-300mm is well known for focus hunting. When it starts to hunt, you can wait until it racks all the way to the stop, then back to focus maybe, or maybe it misses again, and racks all the way again. You can put the camera in manual focus, but that involves an extra step. Or you can use QS to adjust focus. QS is the quickest means to get back to your subject. If your subject is a flitting bird in a tree, timing is critical. So is whining gear noise, which QS minimizes. I had the same experience with my trusty old Tamron 70-300mm. I often had to put the camera in manual focus mode to photograph a bird in a tree, because the camera's AF system often locks on a branch instead of the bird. I had a DA L 18-55 and rarely cared about QS. Telephoto though is a different matter. I would not recommend the DA L 55-300mm if you are into birding at all, go for one of the other versions. That's my experience as well. QS and back button focus is a very useful combination for the 55-300.

09-01-2014, 08:09 AM	#9
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133 Original Poster	Originally posted by savoche That's my experience as well. QS and back button focus is a very useful combination for the 55-300. "I would not recommend the DA L 55-300mm if you are into birding at all, go for one of the other versions." As far as I can see, the only other version (new) is the WR @ $450, which is way out of my budget. Buying the used one at $250, not knowing the condition bothers me as well. Could I not just use manual focus for birds on the DA L?

09-01-2014, 08:21 AM	#10
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,705	Originally posted by csa Could I not just use manual focus for birds on the DA L? Sure could. I rarely use quick shift myself. I guess for others it's a necessity. The DA L is the same optics, so why pay extra for stuff you may or may not use.

09-01-2014, 08:35 AM	#11
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,476	You can do the same thing as quick shift by using your ring finger to press the lens release button. I used the DA L for birding, but now I have the Sigma 150-500 so the 55-300 doesn't get used as much. If you find yourself really needing QS you can sell the DA L for more than you paid for it in the kit and use that towards the DA or the HD WR.

09-01-2014, 08:49 AM	#12
savoche Master of the obvious Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,311	Originally posted by csa "I would not recommend the DA L 55-300mm if you are into birding at all, go for one of the other versions." As far as I can see, the only other version (new) is the WR @ $450, which is way out of my budget. Buying the used one at $250, not knowing the condition bothers me as well. Could I not just use manual focus for birds on the DA L? There is an SMC DA version as well (non-WR), I'm sure it's available second-hand. I wouldn't hesitate to buy used here at the marketplace. I'm a bit more wary when buying from ebay, but have done so without any issues so far. Just do your research, read the fine print, study the pictures thoroughly, ask the seller. As others have said above you can certainly use manual focus with a DA L. It's just a bit more fiddly - either by toggling the switch on the camera body or by following boriscleto's ring finger method. Not everyone makes use of QS, though. And it took me a while to figure it out, too. Before I disabled AF on the shutter button (using the back AF button only - think it will be the AE-L on a K-50) I found QS hard to use.

09-01-2014, 08:50 AM	#13
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133 Original Poster	Originally posted by boriscleto If you find yourself really needing QS you can sell the DA L for more than you paid for it in the kit and use that towards the DA or the HD WR. That sounds like a very good solution!

09-01-2014, 01:13 PM	#14
johngs Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 229	Carol, I have the K-50 with a DA 55-300 and I couldn't be happier. Its a super combination and I'm very impressed with the images I get.