[normhead]

Starting from scratch, and without the possibility of selling large prints, I have no doubt a 55-300 is all I'd own.

[bdery]

Be aware that because it is internal focus, the DA* 60-250 does not give you the magnification you might expect from a 250mm lens, unless you are focusing at infinity...

That's true, but not as horrible as some people make it sound. You mount the lens, frame, and take your picture.

As a side note, it's true of all the high-IQ zooms, i.e. the various 70-200 out there.

[GibbyTheMole]

I use the Pentax DA-L 55-300 & Tair 3M-5A 500mm mirror lens for my tele wildlife shooting. Here's a couple from the Tair:




A good (and much cheaper, like $60 on the used market) alternative is the old Tamron SP 23A 60-300mm zoom. It's manual focus, but IQ is on par with the Pentax 55-300 and it has a very useful true macro mode with magnification up to 1:1.55x. The Tamron's actually sharper than the Pentax 55-300 below 100mm, and as good from 100mm on up. Even though I love my the Pentax 55-300, I won't give up my tammy & still use it often.

[stevewong]

The DA 60-250mm f/4 ED [IF] is a very good lens itself, though if you can manage to find a second hand Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG then by all means get it. The one big advantage the sigma 100-300mm has over the Pentax DA60-250mm is that it is internal focusing an zooming, so the physical dimensions of the lens do not change. This means the center of balance doesn't shift which is useful when you are hand holding the lens and it also limits the possibility of dust and water getting into the lens.


Pentax K7 - Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG - ISO 400 f/11 1/250th

Thanks for your Opinion about Sigma 100-300 F4 APO EX DG Lens. It looks very Big. What do think about Prime FA -300mm F4 len ?.How is the IQ of FA 300mm F4 compare to Sigma 100-300 len ?.
I see a few FA-300 mm F4 lens on Ebay price about $850 to $980 .I do not know ,what is the different between these two Lens.
Thanks very much for help !,
steve

---

Last edited by stevewong; 07-18-2014 at 11:52 AM.

[hjoseph7]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and Pentax cameras. That being said, I found a deal last month on the k-500 and picked it up with the kit DA 18-55 and also bought the DA 50mm 1.8.

I am now in the market for a telephoto lens and have read so many reviews that my eyes have crossed..

I would appreciate any and all opinions on the following information:

I cannot decide on choosing between an older manual prime vs. newer zoom lens. Mainly being the difficulty of using the manual lens on my camera body. The k500 has something call focus peaking? I have tried it a few times and it seems to highlight the area in focus in live view only on my camera body.


My experience level is what I would call an avid amateur.
To clarify this I shoot in manual mode 99% of the time, for the last 3 years I have used a 35mm Canon AE-1 Program with 28mm, 50mm and 135mm prime lenses (I'm not that fast with it though), I take a variety of landscape, family and wildlife photos and my post processing is done primarily in iPhoto due to simplicity but I have used other programs.

Wildlife is my primary focus for buying a new lens. I shoot from a tripod quite often, as well as shoot some video. My budget is +/- $400.

I was thinking at least 200mm+ in an older prime and up to 300mm or more. The DA 55 - 300mm is what I had thought about settling on but at this point I am really not sure.

Thanks for you help in advance,

Bryan

Why don't you get both. The price for a 60-250mm or 50-135mm is above $1000, so why not throw another $150 for a Takumar ?

[Des]

Isn't this like the "Holy Grail" of all lenses in that range? If that's true then forget the Pentax 60-250 or DA*300. This is "The One" Neo.

I would have purchased this lens, but a Pentax F*300 fell into my lap and I couldn't say no

When I saw your thread in praise of the F*300 - https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/264916-some...x-f-300-a.html - it looked pretty much like the Holy Grail to me! And only 880g (about 200g lighter than the DA*300). If the Sigma zoom is better it must be something really special.

Apologies to the OP for going off track.

---------- Post added 07-19-14 at 09:47 AM ----------

Be aware that because it is internal focus, the DA* 60-250 does not give you the magnification you might expect from a 250mm lens, unless you are focusing at infinity... I really wasn't real comfortable with mine until I got the HD DA 1.4 TC to go with it. Telescopic zooms don't provide the same IQ, but do provide more magnification, which can sometimes lead to better IQ on a small subject.

Here's a post where I show three lenses from about 12 feet. Notice the F 70-210 provides a bigger image than the DA* 60-250... now that i have the 1.4, things are equalled out again and I'd use the 60-250 in every situation.

Very interesting Norm. The 55-300 is not internal focus, so 300mm means 300mm at any focus point. My guess is that if you had had that lens in the comparison, the magnification at 300mm would have been just about perfect, with a little more space around the bird than the A400.

---------- Post added 07-19-14 at 09:56 AM ----------

I'm beginning to lean more and more towards the DA 55 - 300mm and quite possibly the WR DA 55 - 300, considering I may upgrade bodies in the future as I am very active in the outdoors.

Sound reasoning, if I may say so.

One thing I should point out is that the 55-300 has a long 1.4m (nearly 5 feet) minimum focus distance. I suggest also getting a diopter or close focus filter such the Raynox 150 so you can take closer (macro) photos of flowers, insects, etc. They don't cost much, add hardly any weight and make the lens much more versatile. (Search the forums and you will find a lot of threads about this.)

[Driline]

When I saw your thread in praise of the F*300 - Some 'Lovin' for the Pentax F* 300 - it looked pretty much like the Holy Grail to me!

Oh no doubt about that. I meant as a "zoom", the Sigma has the best lens IQ of all. For a prime you just can't beat the F*300.

[Sandy Hancock]

That's true, but not as horrible as some people make it sound. You mount the lens, frame, and take your picture.

As a side note, it's true of all the high-IQ zooms, i.e. the various 70-200 out there.

That is not what I found in my testing of the DA*60-250 against my Sigma 70-200/2.8.
At anything less than very long range, the Sigma gave better magnification at 200 than the Pentax at 250. Up close it was no contest at all. It was the main reason I sold the latter.

Back on topic: I agree with most of the others that the DA55-300 would be a great introduction to the telephoto world. If your budget can stretch to the HD WR version, all the better.

[Digitalis]

a Pentax F*300 fell into my lap

Considering how well built the F series lenses are, that would have been painful.

How is the IQ of FA 300mm F4 compare to Sigma 100-300mm lens?

I have no personal experience with any of the Pentax 300mm f/4 primes. I do however have considerable experience with the SMCP-FA*300mm f/2.8 ED [IF]- the f/2.8 prime does have a distinct advantage over the sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG at wider apertures, but at f/8 they both perform very well. Falk lumo suggested that it would be unfair to compare the Pentax DA 60-250mm f/4 against the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG as the pentax lens is a DA, the sigma can be used on full frame and optically the two lenses are very different.

[stevewong]

Thanks Digitalis,
For posting the Images took from Sigma 100-300 F4. I will try to send an offer for this len in Market , It is listing $1100.00 !!. I am not sure for that price is ok or not.I Could not find this len in Ebay .
Thank you,
steve

[Driline]

Thanks Digitalis,
For posting the Images took from Sigma 100-300 F4. I will try to send an offer for this len in Market , It is listing $1100.00 !!. I am not sure for that price is ok or not.I Could not find this len in Ebay .
Thank you,
steve

That is a good price. I've seen them sell for hundreds more than that. Buy it if you can. Like I say I would have jumped on that lens if it was available but it was not. The pics from that lens are wonderful.

[stevewong]

The DA 60-250mm f/4 ED [IF] is a very good lens itself, though if you can manage to find a second hand Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG then by all means get it. The one big advantage the sigma 100-300mm has over the Pentax DA60-250mm is that it is internal focusing an zooming, so the physical dimensions of the lens do not change. This means the center of balance doesn't shift which is useful when you are hand holding the lens and it also limits the possibility of dust and water getting into the lens.


Pentax K7 - Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG - ISO 400 f/11 1/250th

Hello Digitals,
I took your advice with Sigma 100-300mm F4 len.I bought it from Member here in pentax Forum. it comes with Sigma 1.4 converter.Thank you for your time to posting the Image that you took with the Sigma len.You are always posting very beautiful photo...,
steve

---------- Post added 07-25-14 at 04:35 AM ----------

That is a good price. I've seen them sell for hundreds more than that. Buy it if you can. Like I say I would have jumped on that lens if it was available but it was not. The pics from that lens are wonderful.

Thanks Driline,
It is on it way to Houston,TX. I will receive it some times next week.
steve