[Rodney9]

Hello,

I have the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG APO and love it up to 200mm, but after that it can be quite disappointing.

So I am trying to decide if the Pentax smc DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED would be worth the $400 to replace the Sigma.

Please, All Opinions Welcome.

Rodney

[cupic]

I have the same as while I love the apo version in macro Im finding it hard to get the shots that others have.I suspect that its $400 including delivery. saying that if you have mastered the sigma then the pentax 55-300 will be even better in IQ
Keep the sigi as the macro feature(ah well close to macro)is a standout feature

Anyone else



cheers

[reeftool]

I have the Sigma also and have had similar results. I keep it under 220 and crop. The shots I have seen posted of the Pentax look much better. If I had the 400 bucks I would go for it. I probably will down the road. Even better would be the DA 300 but thats even more. I agree with Cupic also about the macro feature, it works quite well although it isn't something I use often.

[cputeq]

I was happy with the results I got at 300mm wide open with the 55-300. At F/8 it's even better (on K20D).

Check out my flickr pages, especially the Caldwell Zoo set
Caldwell Zoo - a set on Flickr

And the Animals set (from "Cat on Hood" forward):
Animals - a set on Flickr
(except for the cats playing - that was my DA* 50-135)

as most of these shots are from the DA 55-300. Most were post processed, of course, but the lens holds up pretty darn well and I thought it was worth the cost.

[SpecialK]

The Pentax 55-300 easily has much better IQ than the Sigma 70-300 APO, or Pentax 50-200. I have all three, though the Sigma died recently (broken blade).

[heatherslightbox]

If you get the 55-300, you won't be sorry. Pentax really knocked themselves out on this one.

It's definitely worth the extra $100 or so.

Heather

[Rodney9]

If you get the 55-300, you won't be sorry. Pentax really knocked themselves out on this one.

It's definitely worth the extra $100 or so.

Heather

Thanks Everyone , I sure hope it is $450 ( $US 350 / $ AU 419 + $41 delivery from B&H ) worth.

[ZaphodB]

I was similarly disappointed with the Sigma APO past 200mm. The Tamron equivalent seemed better in that regard, but suffered from CAs a bit too much for my liking. Like yourself I've just ordered the 55-300mm which will hopefully be the keeper... based on what I've seen here, looks like it should be worth the extra (only £50 more than the Sigma).

[pingflood]

I don't have the APO version of the Sigma but rather the cheaper one. It's not perfect, but stopped down a stop or so from wide open it performs pretty decently (and even wide open it isn't terrible):

300mm f/5.6, ISO 2200:


210mm macro, f/6.7: