[bscott]

Does anyone have any experience with the old FA 100-300 lens and the new 55-300 PLM lens? In the real world are the images with the PLM better than the FA. Thanks.

[Adam]

Does anyone have any experience with the old FA 100-300 lens and the new 55-300 PLM lens? In the real world are the images with the PLM better than the FA. Thanks.

Based on prior experience with the 100-300mm, I would say yes, but I haven't compared them directly. However, the fact that the 55-300mm focuses in 0.1 seconds and the other lens can take upwards of 1 second to focus would be enough motivation for me to switch

[photolady95]

I have the black version of the FA 100-300mm and can tell from experience it hunts under AF. I never had that problem with the only 55-300mm I once owned, and it wasn't even the PLM version.

[stillshot2]

I had a DAL 55-300 which was leaps and bounds better than an FA 100-300. I'd stay away from the FA 100-300 if I were you. Huge, heavy, slow, and only sharp stopped way down near its minimum focus distance but not when focused at or near infinity.

[JPT]

If you are talking about the f4.7-5.8 version of the FA100-300, I have that and recently bought a used DAL55-300 to replace it. My FA was pretty good in my opinion, but the DAL is notably better. If focuses better, but not that well, and it’s a lot more convenient to have the 55-100 range included, so it stays on the camera longer.

I actually wanted the PLM version, but neither of my body’s support it, so I went for the DAL as a stop-gap. From what I’ve seen from reviews, the PLM is a bit sharper. From trying it in the shops, it has really nice build quality and super fast AF.

If your body is compatible and the money is ok for you, get it.

Edit to add that the PLM’s minimum focus distance is 95mm vs 150 on the FA, so it’s less restrictive in that respect too.

[cyberjunkie]

I have both versions of the 100-300, the Pentax-F (same optics of the FA owned by the OP) and the Pentax-FA f/4.7 "silver".
The first one has the usual wobbly focusing, typical of that generation of objectives, but the internal construction is not bad at all. It performs more or less in line with an old Sigma Apo 70-300 I also own, but has an important limitation. The minimum focusing distance is not adequate, while the Sigma can reach a very good magnification ratio, and performs rather well shooting close-up's.
The later silver version is definitely better than both Sigma and Pentax-F, and has one of the best price/performance ratios I ever found.
Build quality is rather questionable, but IQ at medium diaphragms is much, much better than I expected. It's a very recent acquisition, bought because I don't have the 100-300 with me and the Sigma got massively infected by fungi.
My new 100-300 looks nice, but has two fungus spots right in the middle of the frame, which don't seem to affect contrast. This makes its performance even more surprising!

I also have the first version of the 55-300.
I would have been happier with the WR version, but now it doesn't matter that much anymore, cause I'm shooting full frame 99% of the times.
Now it's my wife shooting APS-C, and the 50-200 WR is a better choice for her WR body.
AF was always good, much better than the 100-300 and better than the Sigma. I guess the new PLM version would be a real lightning
On average, IQ was also better than similar vintage zooms, though I'm not so sure it's so much better than the "silver".

The two FA lenses were designed to provide more coverage, and have a rather old optical design, so I don't know if it actually makes sense to stick to an old lens of average performance, unless there is a good chance to acquire a K-1 in the near future... and if the high performance/expensive lenses that will fit that body will be mainly primes. Which is exactly what I chose to do: zooms are for convenience, but the main investment is in good primes and vintage glasses with a "particular" optical signature.
I'm using my zooms less and less, cause I can't renounce the beautiful rendition some old (and unfortunately expensive) prime lenses can give.

Cheers

Paolo

[bscott]

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. The 55-300 PLM is the one I'm going to purchase.