[Pål Jensen]

Must be a fantastic lens for trekking...

[kwb]

I'm on vacation to visit my relatives in Japan and was curious to check out this lens.

Today I went to BIC Camera in Shinjuku, that's one of the big camera retailers in Tokyo, and was able to play with K-70, kit lens (DA18-135mm WR) and HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mmF4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE (but only for something like 5 minutes). I concur with JPT.

In live view, the kit lens was slow and hunted around. I was able to test the same DA18-135mm WR on K-S2 and didn't feel any difference. If I use OVF it didn't hunt but it was still slow, and I felt as if the slowness mostly comes from the slow actuation.

OTOH the new lens was quite zippy and did not hunt around even in live view. This lens was only available on the same open shelf as K-70, both the camera and the lens were tethered to the shelf so I couldn't test it on K-S2 or K3II. I only tested it at the short end (55mm), and I thought that it was quite fast wide open and also at the smallest aperture (f/22 or something like that).

Anyway, it felt faster than PENTAX Q 06 lens on Q7, probably as fast as PENTAX Q 01 lens, if that helps you haha.

Just one minute before I had to leave to catch the next train, I asked my wife to take a video of me playing with it, so here's a 11 second video of AF in action. Video quality aside, you can tell that it's not slow.

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

[BigMackCam]

Thanks for posting that video; it looks like the AF is very snappy and precise

[JPT]

Here's a link to some more samples of the new 55-300 with the K-70. This time it's daytime sightseeing-style shots in Kyoto, mostly at the wide end.

?????? HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE ??????? ? ?? ???? - ????

[totsmuyco]

Can anyone post directly extracted jpeg pictures from the k-70. Some of us would like to see how well it goes particularly for high ISO low light scenes. Thanks

[JPT]

I just saw a comparison in print magazine of the "old" (red ring) HD 55-300 with the new retractable one. It's quite revealing. They showed improved sharpness and bokeh with the new version.

The bokeh was interesting, because it wasn't a black and white image, but the cropped area used was almost monochromatic in tone. The old version introduced ugly green aberrations that affected the quality of the bokeh making it look messy, while the new version was a lot calmer.

I couldn't quite grasp the meaning of the text that accompanied the sharpness sample, but I think it was also saying that CA was the culprit in making the old HD 55-300 image softer. The image in this case was at a close focus distance and it was much better with the new lens.

So quieter, quicker focusing and smaller size are only the start with this lens. PF review soon please!

[Zygonyx]

Thank you JPT, sounds good

[anu l]

I just saw a comparison in print magazine of the "old" (red ring) HD 55-300 with the new retractable one. It's quite revealing. They showed improved sharpness and bokeh with the new version.

The bokeh was interesting, because it wasn't a black and white image, but the cropped area used was almost monochromatic in tone. The old version introduced ugly green aberrations that affected the quality of the bokeh making it look messy, while the new version was a lot calmer.

I couldn't quite grasp the meaning of the text that accompanied the sharpness sample, but I think it was also saying that CA was the culprit in making the old HD 55-300 image softer. The image in this case was at a close focus distance and it was much better with the new lens.

So quieter, quicker focusing and smaller size are only the start with this lens. PF review soon please!

I want the HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mmF4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE to be bundled as a part of double lens kit version of Pentax K-70, along with a PLM WR RE version of 18-55.

It's fine if they use the SMC coating for a scaled down economic version, or a few other cost cuttings. they should make this available along with 18-135mm.

It would be costlier, but still worth it.

Has it happened that Pentax has released a camera with a kit version, & later on added another set. Or have different kit versions in different countries?

[Zygonyx]

So, it looks as this lens is now in stock and available for a very interesting price in the US...

[thibs]

Will be interesting to see to what point it is (or it is not) FF compatible.
The usual DA is to a point of being usable. Somehow I expect this one to be less interesting on that point but would love to be proven wrong.

[asahi man]

I tried this new zoom with my K-1,very,very fast autofocus,for a zoom like this a to good image quality and absolute not a cheap plastic bottle like many of these lenses.
Very well done and a good travel lens for APS-C.
Same quality range like all the new Pentax zoom lenses in this class.
Good job Pentax.
A very nice bread and butter lens.
Best regards

[FantasticMrFox]

I tried this new zoom with my K-1,very,very fast autofocus,for a zoom like this a to good image quality and absolute not a cheap plastic bottle like many of these lenses.
Very well done and a good travel lens for APS-C.
Same quality range like all the new Pentax zoom lenses in this class.
Good job Pentax.
A very nice bread and butter lens.
Best regards

Cool. Now we just need that APS-C UWA zoom that has been dwelling on the roadmap since at least 2013 HD DA 12-28 f/4 PLM WR and I'd be a very happy photographer ...

[totsmuyco]

I wonder how fast would this be on a k-3II?

[Zygonyx]

I tried this new zoom with my K-1,very,very fast autofocus,for a zoom like this a to good image quality and absolute not a cheap plastic bottle like many of these lenses.
Very well done and a good travel lens for APS-C.
Same quality range like all the new Pentax zoom lenses in this class.
Good job Pentax.
A very nice bread and butter lens.
Best regards

Any faster than new DFAs ?

[asahi man]

Yes,because of near no focus way,it's the same type of focus element like in the mirror less system lenses.
Lowest weight focus system with shortest focus way.
Only to produce in this small low aperture lightweight lenses.
Best regards