[Eaglerapids]

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Eat your hearts out you FA* and DA* guys, I got me a Vivitar 300/5.6 in T4 mount! (whatever a T4 mount is). Did I pay $1300 like for a DA*? nope. Or $1200 like for a FA* or F*? nope. Heck, there is a mint copy of a M* 300/4 on Ebay right now for only $950 bin! What a freakin bargain:-). I'm reluctantly passing on that one although I'm having a hard time refraining from offering $200 just to screw with the guy.
I paid $38. plus $10 shipping.
So if this lens turns out to be softer than the other side of the pillow I'll use it for a pillow and won't need to buy a new pillow:-).
This whole Pentax 300mm situation is driving me bonkers. Since the arrival of the DA* 300/4 it seems the earlier versions have gone up even more in price rather than down, ie the buy it now price of $950 for a M* 300/4. Please tell me why someone would pay $1200 for a used FA* 300/4.5 (I just saw one go for that this weekend) when Prodigital is selling a DA* 300/4 for about $1150 right now? I don't understand.
I wish that I'd had the money about a month ago when an A* 300 went for about $600 on fleabay but I couldn't do it then.
Oh well, we'll see what the Vivitar can do when it gets here and I'll continue to wait.
A mint F* 300/4.5 for $700 would get my checkbook out. Impossible you say? We'll see........

[Matjazz]

The DA* 300/4 seems to be sharp from corner to corner even at f4. I too don't understand why pay more for a used lens but I guess prices of older 300mm will go down in time.

[selar]

The DA* 300/4 seems to be sharp from corner to corner even at f4. I too don't understand why pay more for a used lens but I guess prices of older 300mm will go down in time.

I don't really like the bokeh of the DA*300 in some of the shots i have seen posted. The F* and FA* appear to have better bokeh.

[Lowell Goudge]

while you have a 300mm, you are one stop slower at F5.6, and the T mount (which is similar to the M42 thread but a different adaptor) leaves you with stop down metering only.

Also note that being a T mount means this lens probably is NOT multi coated, and therefore will suffer badly from flare and have very low contrast.

Not to offend, but you might have been better to go for anyone's 400mm F5.6 prime with K mount.

I have seen vivitars pentaxs and tamrons all go quite cheap in the market place.

I have a vivitar 400mm F5.6 and have posted some shots form it, I also have a pentax 300mm F4 which I use regularly, and it is an excellent performer.
see link below

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/106132-post4.html

While the price of older lenses is an issue (as yo note some going up not down) that is really a statement of how good the older lenses were.

[WJW]

Eat your hearts out you FA* and DA* guys, I got me a Vivitar 300/5.6 in T4 mount! (whatever a T4 mount is).

The big question is, does it include the T4 K-Mount or is it without a mount? If not, you might spend more on the mount than the lens as the mounts are getting hard to find. IIRC, the T4's were all single coated but seemed to work OK if used with a hood. The T4's were multi-coated and are generally better.

[Eaglerapids]

Oh, you're right Lowell, it's a screw mount and probably isn't coated, I know. I'm frustrated. I want a * lens, that's why I haven't gone for any others you mentioned, yet. I might have to back down, but I really want a * lens, the 31 Limited has spoiled me and at the same time took a huge hunk out of my LBA money.
If the prices for the used * lens stay at this level, I'll save till I can get the DA*. I won't play this game for the used lenses when I can get a new one for a couple hundred more.

[ivoire]

There was a fa* 300mm listed for buy it now $1000 a while ago on ebay, so it would appear that the price may be dropping. A side by side comparison of the new and old lenses would be helpful, but who is the lba guy with both? Your new (old) lens will keep you occupied for a while, but it hasn't quenched the fire of desire quite yet!

[Ron Boggs]

It's worth the wait for star lenses. I'm sure you'll enjoy whichever one you choose.

[ivoire]

FYI: Pentax F* (star) 300mm f/4.5 telephoto prime lens LOVE! - eBay (item 290228134317 end time May-11-08 16:29:23 PDT)

[Lowell Goudge]

There was a fa* 300mm listed for buy it now $1000 a while ago on ebay, so it would appear that the price may be dropping. A side by side comparison of the new and old lenses would be helpful, but who is the lba guy with both? Your new (old) lens will keep you occupied for a while, but it hasn't quenched the fire of desire quite yet!

all you need is a couple of local to each other owners.

[Nesster]

T4? or TX? I think the two were versions of the same thing, TX was Vivitar and T4 Soligor.

They were made in the mid 70's on. I really like my TX Vivitar 28, and am SO jealous you found the 300mm!!

T4 For Two

[borno]

Hey Eaglerapids, That lens was my first extra lens purchase back in the early '70's for my srt 100 If you find a tx mount for pentax the lens can be modified to fit it and get auto stop down by removing the back plate and bending back one of the sets of prongs ( the more clockwise one). Mine has a real stiff focus but still works. I can't wait to unload my new da300 the boke is so bad:ugh:

[Eaglerapids]

This was the guys description

"A clean copy of a Vivitar 300mm f5.6 telephoto lens in Pentax screw mount. The mount is Vivitar T4, which is available in a variety of camera mounts on Ebay. The glass is clear, the aperture is snappy and the focus very smooth."

The picture of the lens looks very good but it's small and you can't read anything, it also has a case which looked nice, no hood. I couldn't read the serial number to see who made it.
From some quick research I did before buying the lens the T4 mount preceded the TX. Nesster's T4 for Two link seems to refute this.
WJW, I'm lead to believe the mount is included, but I'm not sure at this point.

I paid for the lens immediately after winning it about 24 hrs ago and haven't heard squat from the seller yet so we'll have to wait and see what happens. His feedback is 100% so I don't think there's a problem, yet. I would hope he mailed it today.

Ivoire, I remember that lens when it was sold to the guy selling it now. At least I remember a F* being described with having a piece of something inside. Sounds like the same lens.
Nearly 6 days to go and 16 bids already, we'll see how this goes. Maybe the guy is facing financial hardship, the price he paid for it, I can't imagine he bought it to just turn it around for profit.


Borno, the bokeh on that DA* looks SO much better than the FA*'s, I love it!:-)

[Eaglerapids]

The lens came in this evening and the guy had mislabeled it. It's a tx mount not t4 and the lens itself is a tx lens, I think this is better anyhow. The mount was included:-).
Kind of a cool mount, actually, the first one I've seen. The lens itself is quite nice looking and very well made, great build quality, It's in excellent shape but a couple of dust particles inside, no biggy. It's not a close focuser, though! Probably about 16-18 feet. 20' is the last number and it rotates on past that, but not much.
There are two pins sticking out on the lens side of the mount. I took it apart and the second pin was bent, I had to screw with it and it broke off.
I'm pretty sure that pin controlled the aperture on the "green side of the scale, if that makes sense, the Pentax uses the other pin (right by the alignment arrow to couple to the diaphragm. Everything seems to work fine without the second pin.
I didn't have a chance to take any serious pics but there appears to be a bit of CA:-).

[Zewrak]

If you want a proven good 300mm, Attila, owner of mflenses.com is selling a Tamron for £110. Thats a good lens.

Testshots: Tamron SP 300mm f/5.6 54B
Review: http://www.mflenses.com/tamron-sp-5.6-300-54b-lens-review-2.html

EDIT: Nevermind, sold now.