[fwcetus]

PentaxForums.com Marketplace Listing

Item for Sale
F* 300/4.5 with Tripod Mount and Unique SS10-22 Dedicated Lens Case (with Strap)

Asking Price
849.00 USD

Item Location
Massachusetts (United States)

Item Description


Here is an SMC Pentax-F* 300/4.5 ED [IF] lens up for sale. The lens is in excellent condition, optically, mechanically, and cosmetically. The glass is quite clear, with no haze or balsam separation and with a minimum of dust (one advantage to being an IF lens). Both autofocus and manual focus actions are top notch, the aperture ring works perfectly, and the aperture blades are oil-free and "snappy". The lens has a minimum of minor cosmetic defects (the few that there are are shown in the series of images appended below).

Along with the lens, the dedicated F* 300/4.5 tripod mount is included. While the lens itself is not rare (on any given day there are a half dozen or so listed on eBay, for $700 or $800 or so, plus or minus), the tripod mount is far less available than is the lens by itself. Unfortunately for Pentaxers looking to obtain a copy of this lens design, apparently more lenses were sold than tripod mounts (and, as a rule, with very few occasional exceptions, those eBay lenses for sale do not usually include the desirable tripod mount).

Besides the lens and the tripod mount, this sale also includes the unusual (and unique) Pentax SS10-22 padded lens case (along with its detachable and adjustable strap), which includes provisions for holding and protecting both the lens and its tripod mount. As it turns out, while the lens is not rare, and while the tripod mount does certainly seem uncommon nowadays, the rarest part of this sale is likely to be this lens case. Of course, an F* 300/4.5 lens can be stored in a number of satisfactory manners (usually stored separately from the large tripod mount), but the SS10-22 provides an effective way to store and carry the lens and its tripod mount together.

The F* 300/4.5 is a rather special AF/MF Pentax lens. It is obvious that Pentax "pulled out all the stops" in its engineering department when it was designed. It is optically identical to the FA* 300/4.5 lens that succeeded it (and both lenses are phenomenally sharp), but the F* design has a few advantages:

1. The F* lens (optionally) has an unusually large and sturdy rotatable and removable tripod mount, while the FA* lens lacks a tripod mount altogether. While these two 300mm lenses can be used handheld, being able to mount a 300mm lens on a tripod is often a very useful advantage (especially on a Pentax APS-C DSLR, where a 300mm lens "behaves", so to speak, as a 450mm lens).

2. The F* lens has a built-in sliding hood (which threads securely into its retracted position and threads sturdily into its extended position), while the FA* lens requires using a detachable and reversible hood, which is a less convenient arrangement.

3. The F* lens has a focus collar that seems to provide a slightly better focusing feel than that of the FA* lens.

[However, there is one advantage for the FA* lens -- both lenses switch from AF to MF or back by sliding the focus collar backward and forward slightly, but, while that is all that need be done with the FA* lens, the F* lens also requires switching from AF to MF or back on the camera body, too -- this is one difference that is common to many otherwise similar F and FA lens pairs.]

[Of course, one other interesting comparison that might be made would be between the F* 300/4.5 and the DA* 300/4 -- the DA* lens is slightly faster, offers SDM as well as screw-drive autofocusing, and is, well, definitely newer, but the F* lens was (obviously) designed as a full-frame 35mm lens -- both lenses do have tripod mounts and excellent optical performance, however.]

There are quite a few user reviews of the F* 300/4.5 on this forum at SMC Pentax-F* 300mm F4.5 ED [IF] Reviews - F Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database.

[I will have a number of images of the lens and its accessories below.]

Thank you for your interest in this F* 300/4.5.

Are you the original owner of the item being sold?
No

Are you selling or trading this item?
Selling

Item Condition (Key)
Used
Excellent

Shipping Destinations
United States

Shipping Charge
25.00

Shipping Services
USPS Priority Mail Insured

Accepted Payment Types
PayPal

Return Policy & Additional Details
Item may be returned within 7 days if it is not as described.

Please send me a private message if interested in the item!

---------- Post added Oct 9th, 2015 at 19:45 ----------

Below are a number of images taken of this lens with its tripod mount and of its lens case:































































Thank you for your interest in this F* 300/4.5.

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Last edited by fwcetus; 10-12-2015 at 02:15 PM. Reason: spelin

[Wild Mark]

Nice kit. I have the same (i.e. bag + tripod mount). Very compact. Whoever buys this will enjoy.

[stemked]

Same here. It's a lovely lens, very sharp. Love the clutch to switch from manual to autofocusing.

[roblgs]

Same here... My favourite lens and the autofocus is quick and relatively quiet compared to other screw-driven autofocus lenses I have.

Fantastic lens. Someone is in for a real treat!

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Last edited by Tom S.; 10-10-2015 at 05:44 AM. Reason: Price comment removed

[grahame]

beautiful lovely lens set!
Anyone want to buy my DA300? I will buy this in the next minuet!

[Kath]

This is a superb lens. I enjoy mine immensely.

Good luck with the sale. I wondered why you would part with such a special lens -- I'm glad to see you've still got one in reserve!

[fwcetus]

"OK, I call this meeting of the F* 300/4.5 Appreciation Society to order..."

Thanks for all the comments, everyone. Yes, the F* 300/4.5 lens is one special lens. If I had to exist with just one lens, it would be my last F* 300/4.5. (I'm just a telephoto sort of guy, anyway.)

Now that I'm retired, and can use a little extra money from "cashing in" some of my "too many" lenses (a portion of which however, "the record will show", does get "reinvested" in other interesting lenses), I've been gradually "liberating" some items that I used to think I would never part with (including "emotional backup copies", such as the one for sale here). You know, "ya can't take it with you" applies to lenses, too (although I do plan on one last appeal to St Peter for my "final" F* 300/4.5 - LOL).

In my defense, I used to have a sizable collection of interesting M39, M42, and K-mount bodies, and about 15 years ago or so, I managed to get it down to just three collectibles (plus an LX, which still gets used once in a while). So, maybe I could do the same with lenses. [and maybe not...] Admittedly I still have far too many lenses, but "I'm workin' on it"... [well, sort of...]

For me, having only <shudder> ~one~ <gulp> F* 300/4.5 is "cold turkey". [Having ~none~ of 'em would simply be unthinkable...]

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Last edited by fwcetus; 10-10-2015 at 07:49 AM. Reason: spelin eras

[UncleVanya]

Stunningly nice example of this fine lens.

[Pepe Guitarra]

Man, I thought I was the only one with duplicate stuff. I may need to buy this one to have two.

[micromacro]

Dancing around this one...

[AquaDome]

Thank you for the nice report. I give you an A*.

[UncleVanya]

The set of pictures needs to go into the lens reviews section at the very least.

[Another dyemention]

I'll buy this if you want to wait while I sell all my backpacking gear and my rokinon 1.4

[TedH42]

PM sent.

[monochrome]

pm sent.

thank you!!!!!