[charliezap]

My Sigma 50-500 is in mint condition but it is heavy for me to lug around now.. I'm thinking of going to the Pentax DA 300mm F/4 lens of which I've heard rave reviews. I have the Pentax 18-250 Pentax--Pentax 55-300--Sigma 20mm and the Pentax 100mm macro and my Pentax K5 IIs. Also what would be a fair price to ask for it? Thanks.--charliezap.

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[UncleVanya]

I’d check eBay. It and the sold section of the forum are the best indicators of past value.

As for the da 300 - do you have the 1.4x teleconverter? These pair nicely.

Which da 55-300 do you have?

[charliezap]

I have the smc Pentax DA 55-300 F/4-5.8 ED.--Charliezap.

[Lowell Goudge]

Thie da 300 and TC will weigh 1.3 kilos compared to the 1.8 of the Bigma. Not sure that is going to ease your weight issue, but it is the lightest way to achieve over 400mm with current optics.

If you go old school, an A300/4 and 1.7x AF converter gets you to 500 mm F6.9 in 1100 grams

[UncleVanya]

The newer 55-300 actually is supposed to be pretty good with the 1.4x converter. You might look at sample images to decide if that is worth it.

[charliezap]

Thie da 300 and TC will weigh 1.3 kilos compared to the 1.8 of the Bigma. Not sure that is going to ease your weight issue, but it is the lightest way to achieve over 400mm with current optics.

If you go old school, an A300/4 and 1.7x AF converter gets you to 500 mm F6.9 in 1100 grams

The Bigma's sweet spot is 300-375mm for IQ but the straight 300mm has great IQ so I've read.--charliezap

[biz-engineer]

Is this a good move?

Zoom vs prime. Different use cases. Such 50-500 zooms (100-400, 150-450, 80-400 etc..) are best used for safaris African wildlife / national parks. Long primes 600 to 800mm FF equivalent, typically better for wildlife photography from a hide, because the subject distance is more or less fixed.

---------- Post added 05-03-22 at 19:56 ----------

The Bigma's sweet spot is 300-375mm for IQ but the straight 300mm has great IQ so I've read

It really depends on the application. For photographing mammals from a vehicle, in safari situation, IQ/sharpness is not an issue because there is no need to crop , thanks to the flexibility of framing provided by the zoom, images aren't meant to be cropped. A lot of photographers make the mistake to use a zoom for birding, they end up using the zoom at the long end (500mm) most of the time and crop, which is not what the zoom is designed for.

[hcc]

You already received some good advice. Let me share a different experience.
If weight is an issue, I would recommend you to consider the FA*300mm f4.5. It is as good as the DA*300mm IMHO, FF an llighter. You can use the DA TC 1.4x to increase its range, again a fraction of the weight.
I have used very successfully this combo FA*300mmf4.5 + TC DA14.x, giving me 300 mm or 420mm at ease.
I hope that the comment may help.

[charliezap]

You already received some good advice. Let me share a different experience.
If weight is an issue, I would recommend you to consider the FA*300mm f4.5. It is as good as the DA*300mm IMHO, FF an llighter. You can use the DA TC 1.4x to increase its range, again a fraction of the weight.
I have used very successfully this combo FA*300mmf4.5 + TC DA14.x, giving me 300 mm or 420mm at ease.
I hope that the comment may help.

I'm looking for good IQ at 300MM. The 50-500 is ok but I want to upgrade to a nice fixed 300mm lens that has great IQ reviews.--charliezap

[ramseybuckeye]

I'm looking for good IQ at 300MM. The 50-500 is ok but I want to upgrade to a nice fixed 300mm lens that has great IQ reviews.--charliezap

I don’t think you will be dissatisfied with the DA*300, I bought mine several years ago after renting the Sigma 50-500. I was on the fence, theBigma was ok, but I went with the DA and was happy, a while back I also got the DA converter and am even happier, and they are joined 99% of the time.

I have two KPs, one has the 300 plus converter on it most of the time, occasionally the 55-300 PLM takes the 300’s place. The KP and 300-tc combo are a great team.

[hcc]

I'm looking for good IQ at 300MM. The 50-500 is ok but I want to upgrade to a nice fixed 300mm lens that has great IQ reviews.--charliezap

The FA*300mm f4.5 has a great IQ, on par with the DA*300 f4. In fact, the DA*300mm design is based upon and very close to the FA*300mm f4.5.
You may check the user reviews at PF:
SMC Pentax-FA* 300mm F4.5 ED [IF] Reviews - FA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
An overall score of 9,53!!!
I often carry my lenses and camera when bushwalk. I decided to buy the FA*300mm f4.5 instead of the FA*300mm f4 largely because of the smaller weight (935 g vs 1.07 kg without hood and collar), more compact lens, and similar IQ. I have no regret and I can recommand it. The FA*300mm can be further easily handled without tripod.
I also use the Pentax TC DA1.4x, with the FA*300mm f4.5. I cannot see any loss of IQ.

My 5 cents,

[kypfer]

I use a "bigma" 150-500mm regularly … the one feature I'd miss if changing to a prime lens would be the ability to zoom out to find a moving subject in the viewfinder before zooming in for focus, framing and exposure!
A brief comment … the OP's picture shows the camera with a neck-strap and the big lens fitted. I've always been of the option that this combination can induce excessive strain on the lens mount.
I have my strap fitted to the lens' tripod mount, there's a little bar just fit for this purpose

[Sandy Hancock]

I often carry my lenses and camera when bushwalk. I decided to buy the FA*300mm f4.5 instead of the DA*300mm f4 largely because of the smaller weight (935 g vs 1.07 kg without hood and collar), more compact lens, and similar IQ.

Forgive me for correcting the typos in your quoted post.
135 grams is hardly a deal breaker.
The size difference is real though, especially if you want 67 mm versus 77 mm filter threads. But with the DA*300 (which is officially a full frame lens, by the way) you get AW weather sealing, silent AF, and quick shift.
Horses for courses.

[wadge22]

Also do not neglect the F* 300 f4.5. Very similar specs to the FA*; the F* is lighter, has a more durable exterior finish, and comes with a very nifty built in hood, and a nice easily detached (tho also easily lost) tripod foot. It is however somewhat worse for switching between MF and AF, because you must slide the focus ring AND change the switch on the camera body.
The AF/MF issue (along with WR) led me to upgrade my F* to a DA* to get the quick shift, but I do definitely notice the size penalty with the DA*. I'm also finding the silent focus to be slower and less confident in low light than the screwdrive on my old F*, and may consider converting the DA* to screwdrive to see if it takes care of that.

[btnapa]

My Sigma 50-500 is in mint condition but it is heavy for me to lug around now.

Long, long lenses such as the one you have are not compact. They are not meant to be. They are special purpose lenses for extra reach. If you are happy with the image quality, then try to use it when it is absolutely necessary. On a K5IIs this is a 750mm lens!. That is a nice long lens. the 300mm with a 1.4TC is only 420mm so that is still shorter that what you have. I remember 50-500 getting great marks for quality and range. You would be hard pressed to find a similar set up today. To me the closest thing to it is the 150-450. I am not sure how heavy that lens is compared to what you have. I am not sure but I think it is more expensive too. I recently got a Tamron 500mm mirror lens just for something fun to have. Your lens is mile ahead of what I got. If I were you, I would hold on to it.