[cooldude14es]

Would the tripod mount on the F* version be a key factor for choosing it before the FA* version? Would you discard the FA* for not having the tripod mount that F* and DA* versions have?

Some people seem to find quite weird to use the FA* 300mm because they find the whole system quite unbalanced when mounted on a tripod.

What do you think?

[ivoire]

I have the f*300 because that is what became available when i had some xtra cash. If the fa* was the only one at that time, I would own it. They are well worth the investment if you can find either. If not, get the DA*300. I shoot the f*300 handheld on a regular basis as its a nuisance to wander the jungle with a tripod. If I use a light monopod, I still have to support the lens.

[fwcetus]

Would the tripod mount on the F* version be a key factor for choosing it before the FA* version? Would you discard the FA* for not having the tripod mount that F* and DA* versions have?

Some people seem to find quite weird to use the FA* 300mm because they find the whole system quite unbalanced when mounted on a tripod.

What do you think?

For me, who is lucky enough to have three F* 300/4.5's (two used quite a bit, with one serving as a backup), I could almost just as well own FA* 300/4.5's. I almost never use this lens on a tripod (and, in fact, I can't even remember the last time I even put a tripod mount on one of these lenses), so the tripod mount presence or absence has never been as important to me in effect as my mind thought it would be.

More important to me is the hood design - I ~really~ like the way the built-in, sliding/screw-in-screw-out hood works on the F* (as opposed to the more typical separate hood of the FA*). The F* hood is ~always~ there (I don't have to worry about remembering to bring it, or worry about losing it), and, when it's extended, it's about as ~solid~ as a hood can be.

However, the FA* design does have its advantages, too. I guess that the transition from mf to af and back is better in the FA* lens (although someone else will have to chime in with what the difference is - not having ever handled an FA* 300/4.5, I don't remember what the difference is - <g>. And, I have heard that the silver finish in the FA* is tougher than the tan finish of the F* (not terribly important to me).

[Further on the tripod mount, there have been one or more 3rd-party mounts (that fasten with adjustable straps, I guess) that have been reputed to work on the FA* lens (although I am not sure about how they work). And, the "official" tripod mount for the F* is a bit of overkill, much taller than it has to be. (The shorter tripod mount for the A* 200/4 Macro, even though it's black, makes, IMHO, a better tripod mount for the F* 300/4.5 than does the stock mount.)]

So, I am happy with owning F* 300/4.5's, but I would not hesitate at all to recommend to someone that they should buy an FA*, especially if hand-holding were going to be the main use.

[arpaagent]

For me, who is lucky enough to have three F* 300/4.5's (two used quite a bit, with one serving as a backup)

So THAT's where all the F* 300s have been going! :ugh:

[ivoire]

"and it would be nice if my DSLR's and my EXIF software would recognize my F* for what it is (they don't, of course, since it lacks the chip that the FA* version has)."

my f*300mm exif data registers in photoshop and ulead photo impact

[fwcetus]

my f*300mm exif data registers in photoshop and ulead photo impact

Hmmm... Aren't there some EXIF differences (limitations for F lenses compared to FA lenses) (besides MTF data, say)?

[ivoire]

Hmmm... Aren't there some EXIF differences (limitations for F lenses compared to FA lenses) (besides MTF data, say)?

I don't have an answer to that as i'm not familiar with this aspect of a lens. What i can say is that opening a jpg or raw file in photoshop/bridge gives the focal length, ev compensation, aperature, shutter speed, date, iso, flash fired, etc. I thought this was what you meant in your previous post by exif data. Also, i notice that it shows "Sensing Method: One-chip sensor", Make: Pentax, Model: Pentax K20D

[cooldude14es]

Fwcetus, thanks for sharing your experiences on this lens, it was really helpful

hehehe three F*300mm? shouldnt that be punishable??

[heliphoto]

Fwcetus, thanks for sharing your experiences on this lens, it was really helpful

hehehe three F*300mm? shouldnt that be punishable??

Hah - reminds me of this video "I have three PS3s".

Regarding the missing EXIF info, you could add it with ExifTool if you're so inclined. I've used it to change incorrect focal length info (had the focal length set wrong with an adaptall lens).

[fwcetus]

What i can say is that opening a jpg or raw file in photoshop/bridge gives the focal length, ev compensation, aperature, shutter speed, date, iso, flash fired, etc. I thought this was what you meant in your previous post by exif data.

I just checked the displayed EXIF data from an F* 300/4.5, an FA 28-105/4-5.6, and a DA 55-300/4-5.8 (the latter two were the closest "post-F" lenses to me before I headed off to work this morning, while the F* 300/4.5 was already on the K20D - now ~that's~ not surprising - <g>), in Pentax Photo Browser, in FastStone Image Viewer, and in KUSO EXIF Viewer, and all showed essentially analogous information. (<sheepish_grin>) So, I have removed the incorrect statement from my original post. Thanks for the "heads up".

[fwcetus]

So THAT's where all the F* 300s have been going! :ugh:

Well, in my defense, I offer the following -

1. A factoid - They do show up fairly frequently on eBay (and, by the way, I think more often than do the FA* 300/4.5's) - they certainly are not rare lenses.

2. An Eternal Truth - You can ~never~ have "too many F* 300/4.5's". (<g>)

hehehe three F*300mm? shouldnt that be punishable??

It is - it's punishable by heaven - <g>.

Hah - reminds me of this video "I have three PS3s".

Har !!! I just watched the video - <g>. However, I would like to point out that having three PS3's represents an obsession bordering on a fetish, while having three F* 300/4.5's is merely totally logical.

[cooldude14es]

hehe I understand, if I could I would also have more than one of some Pentax lenses...

[henryk]

Got some backyard bird shots the last couple of days with my "new" F* 300 4.5 and K10D. The photos are cropped to about one third of the original size and the result is still sharp. They're at:

The Whodunit Photographer

[ivoire]

some f*300mm cropped osprey pics

[cooldude14es]

Got some backyard bird shots the last couple of days with my "new" F* 300 4.5 and K10D. The photos are cropped to about one third of the original size and the result is still sharp. They're at:

The Whodunit Photographer

Great shots, really sharp!