HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE - Show us what it can do, what it CAN'T!

Benz3ne · 07-17-2019, 02:59 AM - **3 Likes**

A couple of boats I snapped on Monday evening.

northcoastgreg · 07-19-2019, 05:14 PM - **7 Likes**

Portrait of a cow:

**DW58** · 07-19-2019, 09:33 PM - **7 Likes**

Gray Hairstreak butterfly. K-70. f/8, 1/400, 200 ISO. @210mm.

**Perfessor5646** · 07-21-2019, 05:44 AM - **3 Likes**

Back story: One of my favorite places to find photo ops is the Big 4 Pedestrian Bridge at Waterfront Park in downtown Louisville. Because of its proximity to hotels and multiple major sports/entertainment venues it draws a lot of visitors. The bridge has a truly diverse and international flavor. Last week someone spray painted the bridge with a racial epithet. The community response was a Walk Against Hate. Tara Bassett of Take It From Tara and I showed up. My usual event rig is the K3-II w/ 16-85, the K70 with 55-300 PLM and an UWA zoom in reserve.

I got the expected talking head shots of the community leaders including Congressman John Yarmouth then started picking people out of the crowd with the PLM. I was impressed with the versatility and IQ of this lens as an event lens again.

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normhead · 07-29-2019, 07:52 AM - **4 Likes**

A few K-1 and DA 55-300 PLM, awesome light weight telephoto and quite acceptable if you leave room to crop.

A mother Gull shares a huge catfish with her chicks, who are now as big as she is.
300mm

Canoe in the beach at 55 mm

The PLM vignettes in the corners, but still gives you much more useful image (on a 36MP FF camera) than shooting the same image with a 24 MP APS-c camera. The canoe picture is a final 30 MP. The same picture taken with APS-c would have been about 20 MP. For most images, it's still an advantage shooting on a K-1, and the light weight makes it pretty much a no brainer for hiking and telephoto in good light. Those gulls are 100 meters away, the 55-300 PLM holds it's own even at distance. Rare for a lens of this class.

**NomNamNom** · 08-04-2019, 02:57 AM - **4 Likes**

Cross-posting from another thread..

I went to the EAA AirVenture last week to hang out with some large, clunky birds.

The PLM was quite a joy to use. So many keepers with this combo, compared to my K-30 + Tokina 80-400.

SSGGeezer · 08-06-2019, 03:34 PM - **1 Like**

Here is what I see when people make the "Duckface" in online photos! Young Muscovy duck on open farm day two Sundays ago.

**aslyfox** · 08-06-2019, 04:04 PM - **2 Likes**

Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros

https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/kudu

Impala Aepyceros Melampus

https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/impala

found in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania

SOOC

**DW58** · 08-08-2019, 06:51 AM - **2 Likes**

Yellow faced bumble bee on a tomatillo. Lens attached to a K-70. 135mm. Heavy crop in post.

SOOC.

normhead · 08-08-2019, 07:00 AM - **2 Likes**

K-3 and DA 55-300 PLM
It's been great year for flowers and fruits, the pollinators are plentiful.

**DW58** · 08-08-2019, 07:42 AM - **5 Likes**

Woodland Skippers on tall verbena.

**ThorSanchez** · 08-13-2019, 05:36 AM - **5 Likes**

Remember boys and girls, Pentax autofocus really limits what you can do with birds in flight. Only mad skills can begin to overcome the limitations of its creaky old software and hardware.

**aslyfox** · 08-13-2019, 05:58 AM - **3 Likes**

obviously that those are trained birds, taught to hover for Pentax Photographers

great series, thanks for sharing

_______________________

never got this guy to fly

the Martial Eagle perched in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania

a very impressive bird

look at those talons and beak

**ThorSanchez** · 08-13-2019, 09:41 AM

Originally posted by aslyfox

obviously that those are trained birds, taught to hover for Pentax Photographers

great series, thanks for sharing

_______________________

never got this guy to fly

the Martial Eagle perched in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania

a very impressive bird

look at those talons and beak

I was in Austria last week and went to see the falconry demonstration at Burg Hohenwerfen, which was quite impressive. The K-3II and the 55-300PLM were pretty good at capturing the action, although I now see that I might need to go back and do some better editing of the photos. The ones I posted I developed the RAW files using RawTherapee on a laptop sitting on a hotel bed, and I think with more time and my regular desktop setup I can probably squeeze some more out of them.

northcoastgreg · 08-13-2019, 02:26 PM - **1 Like**

Barge in Humboldt Bay:

07-19-2019, 09:33 PM - 7 Likes	#348
DW58 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Rural Oregon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,064	Gray Hairstreak butterfly. K-70. f/8, 1/400, 200 ISO. @210mm. Last edited by DW58; 08-08-2019 at 06:45 AM.

07-29-2019, 07:52 AM - 4 Likes	#350
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	A few K-1 and DA 55-300 PLM, awesome light weight telephoto and quite acceptable if you leave room to crop. A mother Gull shares a huge catfish with her chicks, who are now as big as she is. 300mm Canoe in the beach at 55 mm The PLM vignettes in the corners, but still gives you much more useful image (on a 36MP FF camera) than shooting the same image with a 24 MP APS-c camera. The canoe picture is a final 30 MP. The same picture taken with APS-c would have been about 20 MP. For most images, it's still an advantage shooting on a K-1, and the light weight makes it pretty much a no brainer for hiking and telephoto in good light. Those gulls are 100 meters away, the 55-300 PLM holds it's own even at distance. Rare for a lens of this class. Last edited by normhead; 07-30-2019 at 04:48 PM.

08-06-2019, 03:34 PM - 1 Like	#352
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	Forum downgraded but.. Here is what I see when people make the "Duckface" in online photos! Young Muscovy duck on open farm day two Sundays ago.

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07-17-2019, 02:59 AM - 3 Likes	#346
Benz3ne Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Cymru Posts: 2,356	A couple of boats I snapped on Monday evening.

07-19-2019, 05:14 PM - 7 Likes	#347
northcoastgreg Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Northern Michigan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,173	Portrait of a cow:

08-04-2019, 02:57 AM - 4 Likes	#351
NomNamNom Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Minneapolis, MN Photos: Gallery Posts: 235	Cross-posting from another thread.. I went to the EAA AirVenture last week to hang out with some large, clunky birds. The PLM was quite a joy to use. So many keepers with this combo, compared to my K-30 + Tokina 80-400.

08-08-2019, 07:00 AM - 2 Likes	#355
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	K-3 and DA 55-300 PLM It's been great year for flowers and fruits, the pollinators are plentiful.

08-13-2019, 09:41 AM	#359
ThorSanchez Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,806	Originally posted by aslyfox obviously that those are trained birds, taught to hover for Pentax Photographers great series, thanks for sharing _______________________ never got this guy to fly the Martial Eagle perched in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania a very impressive bird look at those talons and beak I was in Austria last week and went to see the falconry demonstration at Burg Hohenwerfen, which was quite impressive. The K-3II and the 55-300PLM were pretty good at capturing the action, although I now see that I might need to go back and do some better editing of the photos. The ones I posted I developed the RAW files using RawTherapee on a laptop sitting on a hotel bed, and I think with more time and my regular desktop setup I can probably squeeze some more out of them.

08-13-2019, 02:26 PM - 1 Like	#360
northcoastgreg Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Northern Michigan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,173	Barge in Humboldt Bay: