[ncallender]

Hi all, I have been looking at these two lenses to replace it augment my tamron 70-200 f2.8 but I haven't seen much yet. I have a KP and I'm looking for faster and more accurate autofocus, but I use the tamron for a lot of stuff like Indoor and outdoor sports, events and air shows. I like the IQ of the tamron but the screw drive focus just doesn't produce enough keepers at this point and I no longer shoot it at f2.8 because of misfocus issues.

To be clear it is a knockout lens for nature walks where autofocus for animals and plants is fine. Unfortunately for it, I picked up a da* 300 for cheap this summer and fell madly in love with that.

I have thought about the pentax 70-200 f 2.8 but I just don't see myself lugging it around to school and sport events and from what I have read these two lenses might actually be better AF wise than it anyway. Thoughts? The f4 looks perfect except for the current price but I'm guessing that will drop soon enough.

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Last edited by ncallender; 12-27-2020 at 02:43 PM.

[MikeMcE]

I was intrigued by the 55/300 PLM, looked at a lot of pictures here, in the dedicated thread on that lens. I did get it and have found the focus on my KP excellent, doesn’t hunt, snaps in.
I live on a lake bank and shoot across that into island underbrush , have found herons, anahingas, and ducks ready to pose, the 300 gives me that extra reach I want, at a good price.
I had the 18/270 and it just wasn’t what I wanted. Now I have a Sigma 17/55 2.8 and the 55/300 PLM.
Really a nice pair for what I can shoot, actually had two shots on vacation shot with both , different locations, same perspective from the lens length. Never realized until Post processing


Hang up and DRIVE!

[bobmaxja]

Go with the PLM, you will not come back to anything else. I have it on my KP, fast and silent.

[ncallender]

Sorry - just realized I botched the title - now fixed.

[Bertrand3000]

I agree, the 55-300 PLM has a extremely quick auto focus even in bad light (worked flawlessly despite 6400 ISO, and F5.6). It's even better on a KP compared to my K-S2.

The PLM is the lens you need. Perfect pairing with the KP.

[automorphism]

The PLM would be my choice also. That extra focal length will surely come in handy.

[JensE]

Indoors, the 70-210 would very likely be the better choice, but I don't have any hands-on experience. I'm using a Sigma 70-200/2.8 HSM OS (latest) indoors - still not as heavy as the Pentax, but outdoors almost always prefer the PLM. Just had a ~50% cropped picture of a bird taken with KP+PLM printed in A2 size for a calendar - looks great.

[sundown]

The PLM. I've seen a forum member kill it with that lens.

[RobA_Oz]

I have no experience with the KP, but I do use my 70-210 on my K-3, and it’s a very nice combination. I can only imagine that it will do even better on the KP, let alone the forthcoming K-3iii.

I have used a 55-300, but on a K-1, so that’s of limited interest here, but it seems to me that, in spite of its limitations on a 35FF body, it would be a good lens for APS-C, based on ignoring the vignette areas on the K-1.

[jddwoods]

I agree, the 55-300 PLM has a extremely quick auto focus even in bad light (worked flawlessly despite 6400 ISO, and F5.6). It's even better on a KP compared to my K-S2.

The PLM is the lens you need. Perfect pairing with the KP.

Agree! The autofocus of all of my other lenses which include the DA* 200 and DA* 300 and even the DA 16-85 are nowhere near as fast focussing as the PLM. This is the perfect lens for outdoor shooting it is also reasonably compact as well especially when retracted.The PLM autofocus is not only extremely quick but it is also extremely quiet. Take a look and listen to the in depth review of the lens on this forum for a demonstration of the autofocus.

[Ex Finn.]

The Pentax 150-450 also works well on the KP. But yes, PLM all the way.

[mbukal]

Isn't it said here in the DFA 70-210 / 4 forum review that this is the fastest telephoto lens Pentax has made so far (it's probably the fastest on the K1)

[northcoastgreg]

I would generally recommend the PLM to anyone who owns an APS-C camera that supports it. The compact size, the blazing fast AF, the professional level contrast and color rendering make it a very useful lens. The only slight caveat with the lens the slow aperture and the loss of resolution as you zoom toward 300mm. Even so, you respectable performance at 300mm, and at the wider end of the lens its almost indistinguishable from professional glass. In the range it shares in common with the DA 16-85 (i.e, 55 to 85), the PLM is actually better.

I also own the Tamron 70-200. I use the Tamron when I need the aperture; otherwise I reach for the PLM. I did briefly consider replacing my Tamron with the DFA 70-210, but that would have been for use on the K-1. From the PF review I had concerns about the performance on the 70-210 at the long end of the lens, which didn't seem to match the performance of the Tamron.

[Larrymc]

Isn't it said here in the DFA 70-210 / 4 forum review that this is the fastest telephoto lens Pentax has made so far (it's probably the fastest on the K1)

The DFA 70-210 can't win the performance vs price battle. The PLM is exceptionally quick focusing and on the KP with its high ISO performance would make it a go to lens in most instances. On my old K-3 its a snappy focuser.

[mikesbike]

When you need f/2.8 for the available lighting, then you need it. Getting adequate shutter speed is essential for sports or any action shooting, as well as hand-holding in low light shooting. I am a bit surprised the screw-driven AF is not noticeably improved with the KP, because my screw-driven lenses had their AF speed and accuracy boosted with the arrival of the KP. But I do not own that Tamron lens.

The DFA 70-210 reports to be an excellent lens, if f/4 is good enough for what you do, and of course the KP can still provide excellent results with an increased ISO. That being the case, one thing to look at is to what focal length can the DA 55-300mm maintain f/4 or at least f/4.5, to come close to the performance of the DFA 70-210, or at least a tele FL long enough, and with an aperture aperture good enough to meet your needs. If the DA 55-300mm makes the grade in this regard, providing adequate shutter speed for your needs along with bright enough viewing through the VF, it would also carry with it other advantages for other uses- (1) more zoom range: can get down to 55mm and out to 300mm, (2) it is much smaller and lighter, along with its faster PLM AF.