Originally posted by Gold Coast I will be getting the K3 II camera shortly. I will be getting it with the 18-135 lens. Is the above 55-300 lens is this a good lens? I want a good 300 mm lens for this camera. I see there are not a lot of 300mm lenses for this K3 II camera. Feedback greatly appreciated Bill
I got it for my K-3 after the firmware upgrade. It may not be as sharp as DA* 300 and DA* 60-250 but it is sharp enough for me and it is easy to carry around. It is the fastest and quietest autofocusing lens that I have being both faster and quieter than DA 21 and DA 40 Limiteds (fast but not quiet) , DA*200 and DA 17-70 SDM (quiet but noticeably slower). The sharpness at 200 mm looks as good as the DA* 200 unless you crop heavily and with the much better AF it is becoming my go to lens when I need 200 mm or greater.
---------- Post added 01-17-17 at 07:57 PM ----------
Originally posted by TER-OR So...what is an alternative to this lens? Not the 60-250 which is good but big and heavy. The 55-300 is an easy lens to take on a hike.
Are there options from other manufacturers which rival the 55-300 series for cost/performance?
I think I have issues with my 55-300 WR focus at long range, it's soft. I need to do some tweaking I think, or send it for calibration.
Is yours the PLM version? I have the HD DA 55-300 version and it autofocuses with some difficulty at 200 to 300 mm just due to the slowness of the screwdrive motor and the long focus throw. Quick shift helps. The PLM version is a completely different story. It locks focus so fast that I get more subjects at 200 to 200, even those that are moving in focus.