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11-08-2018, 03:04 AM   #226
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Thanks

11-08-2018, 06:33 AM   #227
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cambo Quote
I use the lens SO infrequently mostly because it's so big and heavy, but also because I'm just not into that focal length. I NEVER take it travelling. I'm thinking of selling it to complete my limited set (need the 70 and maybe the 35 macro) and to get the 55-300 PLM. Am I crazy?

Let me know.
It makes perfect sense to me. I've a similar approach, mainly using my smaller 21mm in favor of my DA* 16-50. The DA* is smaller than your 60-250, still, I found myself leaving it behind due to size.

Regarding if you're crazy: I'm not qualified to address that.
11-08-2018, 01:54 PM - 2 Likes   #228
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cambo Quote
I use the lens SO infrequently mostly because it's so big and heavy, but also because I'm just not into that focal length. I NEVER take it travelling. I'm thinking of selling it to complete my limited set (need the 70 and maybe the 35 macro) and to get the 55-300 PLM. Am I crazy?
To put it another way, compared with the 55-300 PLM, are the superior image quality and faster aperture of the DA*60-250 worth the extra weight and bulk, much slower AF and shorter reach? @Normhead has both so his comments would be interesting, but I think you've answered your own question Cambo.

The PLM is a consumer-grade lens - that's why it's light-weight, slow and affordable. But if you look at the K-mount consumer zooms that have been released in recent years - e.g. DA 16-85, DFA 28-105 and the PLM - the quality of these lenses is very high. We might hanker for the Jun Hirakawa design ethic, but the current Pentax designers are producing lenses that are well-corrected, produce good colours and contrast and have generally pleasing rendering, without being bland. The HD coatings are a big plus as well. The images in this thread speak for themselves.

The weakest point of the PLM is from where it goes from f5.6 to f6.3 - about 260mm. Even then, resolution is still pretty good. But compared with the 60-250, everything above 250mm is a bonus anyway.

Last edited by Des; 11-08-2018 at 02:03 PM.
11-08-2018, 02:10 PM   #229
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QuoteOriginally posted by Des Quote
Albatross off Bruny Island Tasmania.
Superb work there, and what a advert for the lens. Well done. I realise this is in good light, but even so...

11-08-2018, 02:37 PM - 1 Like   #230
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kevin B123 Quote
Superb work there, and what a advert for the lens. Well done. I realise this is in good light, but even so...
Thanks very much Kevin. I've been on quite a number of wildlife-watching boat trips (at least 15). I've seen people using Bigmas and 150-600 lenses and the like. I tried the FA*300 with TC myself once, with a monopod. Good luck to those who can use a big hefty lens with a narrow field of view on a moving boat, with the vibration from the engine coming through the deck, the boat rocking in the swell, spray coming up, and the seabirds and marine life constantly moving - but I'm not one of them. Just give me a WR lens with reasonable reach, that I can move with, won't make my arms ache and will focus super-quickly.
11-09-2018, 08:59 AM   #231
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QuoteOriginally posted by jeallen01 Quote
In clarification, Cambo's post #219 has the individual Title of "Comparison with the 60-250?" - that shows up on the full version of the site, but obviously not on the mobile one.
Sorry, I had no idea the mobile version of the site didn’t have post titles. Yes, I was hoping people would talk me into selling the 60-250 in favour of the PLM. The DA* is so big and heavy and awkward and, for people shots, SO intimidating that I really don’t like it, and I rarely use it. I NEVER take it travelling for a variety of reasons. I’m seriously thinking of liberating it to someone who would use it more, and I can complete my Limited set and get the PLM.

Anybody got both the 60-250 and the 55-300 PLM? That’s who I need to hear from. I know it’s a stunning optic, but I just don’t get the use out of it.

Cheers,
Cameron
11-09-2018, 11:15 AM   #232
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Normhead does. Read post #88 and 188 in particular.

11-13-2018, 02:24 PM - 5 Likes   #233
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The DA 55-300 PLM has been my go to lens since I bought it

I had the older 55-300 non-PLM and moved up to the PLM version when it became available. Here's a few of my favorites taken with both versions of the 55-300 and either the K3 or the K1 II.


Pentax K-3 - HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE


Pentax K-3 - SMC Pentax DA 55-300mm F4-5.8ED


Pentax K-3 - SMC Pentax DA 55-300mm F4-5.8ED


Pentax K-3 - HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE


Pentax K-1 II - HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE


Pentax K-1 II - HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE


Pentax K-3 - SMC Pentax DA 55-300mm F4-5.8ED


Pentax K-3 - SMC Pentax DA 55-300mm F4-5.8ED

There's more in my Flickr stream and albums. (I'm much better at posting consistently there than I am on the Pentax forum.)
11-13-2018, 04:03 PM - 3 Likes   #234
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Dora With a Muddy Face and Neck

My friends semi-tame female European Red Deer staring at me when I was out on the farm last week, after she had taken a bit of a wallow in some mud.
Images at 230mm and straight out of camera and cropped. Second image is a heavy crop of the crop. F/9 1/125s 230mm ISO 160.
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11-14-2018, 11:08 AM - 4 Likes   #235
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Fire sky sunrise, shot with the KP @ 300mm:

11-17-2018, 12:04 PM - 1 Like   #236
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Last night I decided to see if I could take a decent moon photo with the PLM. As I'm messing around trying to manually focus, it occurs to me that there are no stops on the focusing ring. It just keeps going round and round. So... that makes it interesting to blindly focus to infinity in the dark when you're trying to photograph the moon.

I ended up autofocusing and it worked okay. Is this normal lens design? I have nine or 10 lenses and I think this is the only one that doesn't have hard stops at minimum focusing distance and infinity (or thereabouts).
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11-17-2018, 04:45 PM - 1 Like   #237
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Wow, Violet. That swan image is a knockout!
11-17-2018, 06:17 PM   #238
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QuoteOriginally posted by ThorSanchez Quote
Last night I decided to see if I could take a decent moon photo with the PLM. As I'm messing around trying to manually focus, it occurs to me that there are no stops on the focusing ring. It just keeps going round and round. So... that makes it interesting to blindly focus to infinity in the dark when you're trying to photograph the moon.

I ended up autofocusing and it worked okay. Is this normal lens design? I have nine or 10 lenses and I think this is the only one that doesn't have hard stops at minimum focusing distance and infinity (or thereabouts).
I suspect that is the case since the focusing ring only works when there is power to the lens as part of the KAF 4 lens design. So, did you do some fine tuning after using the autofocus?
11-17-2018, 07:23 PM - 1 Like   #239
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QuoteOriginally posted by SSGGeezer Quote
I suspect that is the case since the focusing ring only works when there is power to the lens as part of the KAF 4 lens design. So, did you do some fine tuning after using the autofocus?
No, I didn't, so I was quite surprised that the image came out as well as it did. So I just took another few tonight and this time I used spot metering - one of my problems last night was trying to manually focus with no stops and the moon being blown out in Live View because I didn't have metering set up right. Tonight I got the Live View working right and tweaked manual focus. Maybe a bit better.
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11-18-2018, 07:02 PM   #240
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Today at the National Bison Range (hopefully these show up, I've been having problems posting images lately).
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