[Conqueror]

LBA strikes.. I feel the DA 300 calling. Tell me I'm mad or mad in a good way.

What would I use it for? Landscape, airshow, the odd nature photo. What would I sell? Is there a flaw in the plot?

55 - great lens, but wierd focal length... I prefer the 77 overall, only negative is 77 not WR. 100 DFA I'm not using it enough, would leave me with no macro though.

That would be a pretty darn good lineup (I've managed to acquire a lot through good deals and 2nd hand over the years). I'd only be short of a vaguely portable WR zoom.


Keep

DA 15
16 samyang (astro/night)
FA 31
FA 77
DA* 50-135
DA* 300


Sell

DA* 55
DFA 100 WR macro possibly sell
55-300 (not HD WR)
gps unit

[Imp]

Well, if you don't do macro much... get some extension tubes for your 77? Since it's got an aperture ring...

And be careful, you might find yourself wanting an HD 14.x tc as well!

[robthebloke]

The Da*300 is a damn fine lens. I picked up that along with the 100mm WR on Black Friday. The first lens I opened was the 300, and my first impression was 'wow'. I then opened the DFA100, and was a little disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, it's a very good lens, but next to the 300 it feels a little cheap and nasty :/ (Mind you, all lenses feel cheap next to the 300!). The DFA 100 did come in very useful on a recent trip to Sydney though, so I'm glad I have it.

Personally, I'd sell the 50-135 before I'd sell the 100. Aside from the apsc vs FF considerations, the DFA 100 is sharper, is macro, and is somewhat smaller in size. Besides, you have the 77 for portrait duties. Mind you, the 50-135 has got nice and quiet AF (if a little slow, the DA300 focusses much faster). So I guess it depends on what you need really....

[Conqueror]

And be careful, you might find yourself wanting an HD 14.x tc as well!

Yeah there is that... eventually adding a TC might mean the 50-135 can cover some of the gap between itself and the 300

---------- Post added 01-28-16 at 08:13 PM ----------

The Da*300 is a damn fine lens. I picked up that along with the 100mm WR on Black Friday. The first lens I opened was the 300, and my first impression was 'wow'. I then opened the DFA100, and was a little disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, it's a very good lens, but next to the 300 it feels a little cheap and nasty :/ (Mind you, all lenses feel cheap next to the 300!). The DFA 100 did come in very useful on a recent trip to Sydney though, so I'm glad I have it.

Personally, I'd sell the 50-135 before I'd sell the 100. Aside from the apsc vs FF considerations, the DFA 100 is sharper, is macro, and is somewhat smaller in size. Besides, you have the 77 for portrait duties. Mind you, the 50-135 has got nice and quiet AF (if a little slow, the DA300 focusses much faster). So I guess it depends on what you need really....

I've been very impressed by the 50-135mm I can't believe how a zoom can this be this good (IQ wise)... I'm not a big fan of zooms... but the 50-135 has been a revelation, very good edge to edge and rendering and of course AW/WR

I don't know how bothered I am about FF.. a lot of the lenses although good, are big .. the 24-70 and 150-450 are big for instance.. great lenses though

[pathdoc]

What would I use it for? Landscape, airshow, the odd nature photo. What would I sell? Is there a flaw in the plot?

If you don't need it for something you're doing right now, don't buy it. Ask yourself what it will do that the long end of your 55-300 does not. In what way is the 55-300 lacking at the 300 end? Does that fraction over one stop of aperture make a difference in your shooting context? In what way has the 55-300 let you down? Would you be better served by getting the HD WR version of the zoom, or not?

If you can cite concrete examples of answers to these questions, your LBA has justification.

[david94903]

Yep, you're mad. But totally in a good way, just like the rest of us. Get the 300. Just having that focal length as a prime in you kit is a good thing. And you'll use it. Last year I purchased the F 300 f4 (was saving for the Tammy 20-200 F2.8). So happy I got the 300. Love the focal length. Love that it's a prime. My recommendation is to get the 300 and don't look back.

[nomadkng]

LBA strikes.. I feel the DA 300 calling. Tell me I'm mad or mad in a good way.

What would I use it for? Landscape, airshow, the odd nature photo. What would I sell? Is there a flaw in the plot?

55 - great lens, but wierd focal length... I prefer the 77 overall, only negative is 77 not WR. 100 DFA I'm not using it enough, would leave me with no macro though.

That would be a pretty darn good lineup (I've managed to acquire a lot through good deals and 2nd hand over the years). I'd only be short of a vaguely portable WR zoom.


Keep

DA 15
16 samyang (astro/night)
FA 31
FA 77
DA* 50-135
DA* 300


Sell

DA* 55
DFA 100 WR macro possibly sell
55-300 (not HD WR)
gps unit

Strictly based on my personal shooting style, the DA*55 and 55-300 can go. There's not a whole lot of difference between 55 and 77mm and you seem to like the 77 better anyway. The 300 easily replaces the 55-300 in terms of IQ, focus speed, faster, etc etc etc. With the 50-135 already, I would not have much use for a 150-250 f5.8 lens, which is basically what your 55-300 becomes, since you would have much better options from which to choose at all other focal lengths. I don't do much macro work, but I have a 70mm macro just because once in a while I'll need one, and I'm never sure when that will be. So keep the 100 Macro simple because it is a macro. It can do things other lenses can't, especially given the 50-135 min 3ft focusing distance.

[TER-OR]

If you use the 100mm macro at all you will miss it if you sell it.

I'd like to get a DA300 and a 1.4X TC. That will have to wait, though, since I picked up the K3II. My 55-300 performs better on the K3II than on the K5 though, I'll tell you that.

You really need to think about what you shoot, what you use and what you'll miss. The price on DA300 now is really quite good, making it very tempting.

[ChatMechant]

LBA strikes.. I feel the DA 300 calling. Tell me I'm mad or mad in a good way.

What would I use it for? Landscape, airshow, the odd nature photo. What would I sell? Is there a flaw in the plot?

55 - great lens, but wierd focal length... I prefer the 77 overall, only negative is 77 not WR. 100 DFA I'm not using it enough, would leave me with no macro though.

That would be a pretty darn good lineup (I've managed to acquire a lot through good deals and 2nd hand over the years). I'd only be short of a vaguely portable WR zoom.


Keep

DA 15
16 samyang (astro/night)
FA 31
FA 77
DA* 50-135
DA* 300


Sell

DA* 55
DFA 100 WR macro possibly sell
55-300 (not HD WR)
gps unit

I think your plan is solid, and if you like the 50-135, you're going to love the 300. It is fantastic.

[UncleVanya]

Sticking with your plan if you add high end Macro Lens add-on lenses like the Nikon 5T and 6T with a 62 to 77mm ring you can get very good macro results - albeit not as good as the DFA 100. So that may make the pain of not having the DFA 100 a bit less painful.

[Sandy Hancock]

I'm the wrong person to talk to

I have had the DA*300 for about three years and it is absolutely superb. I couldn't recommend it highly enough. That said, I have just bought a new HD55-300 as a lighter long WR option for an upcoming overseas trip; it will allow me to leave the 50-135 and 300 at home and free up space for other goodies.

Sell one or even two DA* lenses? Really? What are you thinking? The build quality is as intoxicating as the IQ.
I also couldn't imagine selling my DFA100WR, although I'm not a frequent macro shooter either.

By all means sell the 55-300 and O-GPS, but they won't really balance the budget from the DA*300 purchase....

[jddwoods]

If you get rid of the DFA 100 Macro WR it won't be long before you will be looking for it again. Besides a macro it is a fast lightweight well built medium telephoto. If you have any DA Limiteds the DFA 100 is also a very nice compliment to them, similar feel and uses same 49 mm filters. It is one of my favorite lenses.

[jrpower10]

I've lost count of the lenses I've bought and sold. Sometimes it's not about "I need something else", it's about "I want to try something else". If you want to try the DA*300, and you're not passionately attached to anything on your sell list, then just do it. 2 years from now you might change your mind again, and you can sell the 300 and buy something else. I've never made money buying and selling lenses but I've never lost much either. Go with your heart.

[zzeitg]

No doubts, you need DA*300. Try to sell 55-300.


(Keep the GPS unit, otherwise no astro shots with your Samyang. And DA*55 and DFA100 are also way too good to be sold...)

[Des]

Just a thought. How about getting a DA*60-250 instead of DA*300? Similar weight, similar quality, similar sharpness/colours, similar speed, similar price. Less reach, but much more versatile. Maybe add the 1.4x TC for reach. It's a better replacement for the DA 55-300 if you aren't always at the long end of that lens.

Then you might be able to sell the DA*55, DA 55-300 and (gasp!) DA*50-135. Keep the DFA 100 for f2.8 medium tele (as well as macro), and you'll have the FA 77 (and FA 31) for portraits, speed and general magic.

I have never used the 60-250 but most people who own it seem to love it. Norm argues that it's a lens to buy Pentax for. If your main focus isn't small birds but airshows, landscape, etc, it might fit the bill nicely.

The "vaguely portable WR zoom" to add down the track could be either DA*16-50 or DA 16-85.