Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
04-10-2015, 04:07 PM   #16
Pentaxian




Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Oklahoma USA
Posts: 2,192
QuoteOriginally posted by audiobomber Quote
I definitely agree about print being better than a brick wall. The sign is an interesting method. I do resolution tests with a cereal box, but a newspaper tacked to a wall would probably be good too.
I like the road sign because most of the subjects where I need across-the-frame sharpness are usually distant, so I want to test at a distance where a road sign would be just a small part of the frame. Usually for closer distances I'm photographing some object like a flower where the very far edges/corners are going to be out-of-focus anyway, but at a distance I'll have leaves/branches/grass covering everywhere in the frame, and need everywhere to be equally sharp. Obviously with my consumer-grade lenses I'm not going to get the same sharpness as an expensive lens, but really that shouldn't matter as much until you get into fairly large display sizes. But what will stick out is if part of the frame is obviously less sharp than the rest.

04-13-2015, 02:45 PM   #17
Veteran Member
veato's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 543
Original Poster
Having looked through my photos from the weekend I'm amazed by the lens performance. Yes I've got doubts about the corner(s) but the centre sharpness I was able to get at 300mm photographing some very fast cars is insane!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pentax_phil/sets/72157651932160412/

Last edited by veato; 04-13-2015 at 02:46 PM. Reason: Forgot link
04-22-2015, 06:21 AM   #18
Veteran Member
GeneV's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Albuquerque NM
Photos: Albums
Posts: 9,830
As much as I enjoy this lens, there are times I wish I'd had my FA*300 along. This roadrunner decided to pose perfectly for me in the twilight. The good news is that I had the K5II plus 55-300 along. The bad news was that it was wide open at 300mm or I'd have something I could probably sell locally (it is the state bird).
Attached Images
View Picture EXIF
PENTAX K-5 II  Photo 
05-05-2015, 08:32 AM   #19
Veteran Member
UserAccessDenied's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Maryland
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,677
QuoteOriginally posted by GeneV Quote
As much as I enjoy this lens, there are times I wish I'd had my FA*300 along. This roadrunner decided to pose perfectly for me in the twilight. The good news is that I had the K5II plus 55-300 along. The bad news was that it was wide open at 300mm or I'd have something I could probably sell locally (it is the state bird).
Is that cropped?

My shots with the HD 55-300 are only this sharp at F8 when slightly cropped...
Should I investigate my copy more or is that normal?

05-05-2015, 09:39 AM   #20
Pentaxian
Driline's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 3,669
QuoteOriginally posted by GeneV Quote
As much as I enjoy this lens, there are times I wish I'd had my FA*300 along. This roadrunner decided to pose perfectly for me in the twilight. The good news is that I had the K5II plus 55-300 along. The bad news was that it was wide open at 300mm or I'd have something I could probably sell locally (it is the state bird).
That's really soft. Too bad as you said you didn't bring your FA*300 along.
05-05-2015, 11:11 AM   #21
Pentaxian




Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Oklahoma USA
Posts: 2,192
Of the 5 55-300 Pentax lenses I've tried, none of them was soft across the frame (or in the center), and none was uniformly soft at all focal lengths. Some had issues in one corner/edge or another at lower focal lengths, other had issues at longer focal lengths, but generally if a lens was good at one end of the range it was off (again, in one corner/edge or another) at some other focal length. Not one copy was consistent from corner to corner and edge to edge at every focal length.

Good news for Pentax 55-300 fans: I've tried another copy of the Tamron 70-300 that I've mostly praised based on my one-copy experience, and it was decidedly soft (though not nearly so much as some of my Pentax 55-300s have been) in one corner at 70mm. My previous copy of the lens was just slightly soft in the middle of the zoom range on one edge, or at least got that way over time (the front barrel now wobbles more than a on new copy, but it's not even in the same wobble league as many Pentax lenses, or the old 28-105 Tamron/Pentax.) Also the (new) Tamron had what seemed to be the wrong rubber collar on the focus ring - it was as if it was for another lens, way too large to stay attached, so I returned the lens (for both reasons.)

So my conclusion, based on this and my previous experiences with sigma, is that every lens manufacturer has manufacturing and/or quality control issues. Some of the lenses might have not been as noticeably defective in the 6mp era, but as sensors have improved, I'm getting the impression that lens manufacturing tolerances and QC have failed to keep up.
05-07-2015, 11:51 AM   #22
Veteran Member
GeneV's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Albuquerque NM
Photos: Albums
Posts: 9,830
QuoteOriginally posted by UserAccessDenied Quote
Is that cropped?

My shots with the HD 55-300 are only this sharp at F8 when slightly cropped...
Should I investigate my copy more or is that normal?
I just checked the raw file, and this shot is not cropped at all.

---------- Post added 05-07-15 at 12:57 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Driline Quote
That's really soft. Too bad as you said you didn't bring your FA*300 along.
As I have looked at it later, I'm thinking the DOF is a big factor in my impression. The body of the bird, especially the wing, is sharp. As it was, I still needed the on board flash, but a smaller aperture compensated by a bit more flash, and the DA* might not be required.

05-07-2015, 12:11 PM   #23
Veteran Member
UserAccessDenied's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Maryland
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,677
QuoteOriginally posted by GeneV Quote
I just checked the raw file, and this shot is not cropped at all.

---------- Post added 05-07-15 at 12:57 PM ----------



As I have looked at it later, I'm thinking the DOF is a big factor in my impression. The body of the bird, especially the wing, is sharp. As it was, I still needed the on board flash, but a smaller aperture compensated by a bit more flash, and the DA* might not be required.
Sometimes all that matters is that you got the shot...

I always try to nail the focus point right on their eye, everything else nicely blends from there. And I think naturally we tend to make eye contact initially... Even if it is in a picture!


I don't have much room to speak though, I'm very inexperienced and have only been at this for a few months now.
But I am getting more confident with each shutter press.
05-08-2015, 01:34 AM   #24
Pentaxian




Join Date: Oct 2010
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 6,241
I know that my DA55-300WR is not the ideal for birding. But i manage to get a decent picture, and that is what matters. Sometimes even better than that. So for the money, this is a consumer lens still, it really is worth every penny.

Edit: and it is portable. I like to shoot with my DA*16-50 and 55 or with macro and flash, but I can easilly fit this lens with them in my bag. If I wan't to take A400/5,6 with me(no AF!!) , it needs too much space. So it'll be tele oriented day at forest.
05-08-2015, 04:31 AM   #25
Veteran Member
audiobomber's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: Sudbury, Ontario
Photos: Albums
Posts: 6,806
QuoteOriginally posted by repaap Quote
I know that my DA55-300WR is not the ideal for birding. But i manage to get a decent picture, and that is what matters. Sometimes even better than that. So for the money, this is a consumer lens still, it really is worth every penny.

Edit: and it is portable. I like to shoot with my DA*16-50 and 55 or with macro and flash, but I can easilly fit this lens with them in my bag. If I wan't to take A400/5,6 with me(no AF!!) , it needs too much space. So it'll be tele oriented day at forest.
I agree with all that. The 55-300mm excels as a consumer grade telephoto. It has a regular place in my bag.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
corner, flash, hd pentax, images, k-mount, pentax, pentax lens, sharpness, slr lens
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
HD 55-300 vs DA 55-300 csa Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 17 03-14-2015 06:31 PM
For Sale - Sold: HD Pentax-DA 55-300 ED WR lens - $299 Elliot Sold Items 4 02-22-2015 10:55 AM
For Sale - Sold: Pentax HD DA 55-300 WR Excellent+ Condition Reptilezz Sold Items 2 12-03-2014 02:16 AM
For Sale - Sold: HD PENTAX-DA 1:4-5.8 55-300mm ED WR 55-300 (price reduced) transam879 Sold Items 6 07-15-2014 06:05 PM
For Sale - Sold: Pentax K-30 (Blue) + HD 55-300 WR lens (Price Reduced) TonyTurley Sold Items 5 06-20-2014 05:48 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:25 PM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top