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01-10-2020, 01:50 AM   #46
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QuoteOriginally posted by aslyfox Quote
I missed that info
I only used the KP for a short period, as we were at work. I took a handful of shots with the tele-zoom lens (he got a 2-lens bundle - I didn't note what the lenses actually were! I'll ask him when I get the chance!). Unfortunately, I don't know him well enough to ask for a loan of it or the lenses - best I can hope for is maybe a 5-minute shot during a lunch-break, which isn't really long enough to do any thorough comparison!

---------- Post added 2020-01-10 at 02:35 ----------

Not going to lie - I am very tempted to grab a HD DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 PLM WR RE on the credit card - I have £200 in savings, and the lens is £300 - so I could get it on credit card and pay it back next month, for a total of... let's just say £1 interest...ish.

Now, my justificaiton for this is that I use the tele more than my wide-angle lens when I'm out on about.

The mainstay of my photography uses the tele lens - wildlife and astrophotography make good use of the tele lens, and I use it in landscape and street photography too - and for the shorter focal lengths I tend to use my 50mm prime. That said, I want to try some wider-angle photography as well, so I'll probably ugprade to the 18-55mm lens too in the future - but for now, from a purely utilitarian perspective, I reckon the tele-zoom would be the most useful. I would like to upgrade them both, but I would go for the most-useful upgrade first.

It's also a WR model unlike my current tele-zoom.

In fact, I just noticed that it's one of the "recommended lenses" for the KP according to the in-depth review - so hopefully it'll show some improvement now, and some improvement in the future too!

I'm veeery tempted... wonder how much I could get for my Samsung 50-200mm D-Xenon lens.

So, going forward (Eew! I think that was management-speak! They've infected me!), do folks reckon that lens would be a worthy upgrade of my Samsung 50-200mm F/4-5.6 D-Xenon, that will still be useful for the KP when I move onto that stage (when the time is right )




Side note: the HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 PLM WR RE has far too many acronyms.

01-10-2020, 03:48 AM   #47
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QuoteOriginally posted by cprobertson1 Quote
. . . a HD DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 PLM WR RE . . . It's also a WR model unlike my current tele-zoom.

In fact, I just noticed that it's one of the "recommended lenses" for the KP according to the in-depth review - so hopefully it'll show some improvement now, and some improvement in the future too!. . . Side note: the HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 PLM WR RE has far too many acronyms.
while the PLM is a good lens, and I got one for its light weight and size, my go to lens for wildlife and telephoto is the " big guy " HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW but it is truly a " big guy " -

Diam x Length 95 x 241.5 mm (3.7 x 9.5 in.) Weight 2000 g (70.5 oz.) w/ Hood: +130g w/ Tripod Foot: +195g

and price [ I found an experienced one at a price my wife would ok. ]

when compared to the PLM

Diam x Length 76.5 x 89 mm (3.01 x 3.5 in.) Weight 442 g (15.6 oz.)

Last edited by aslyfox; 01-10-2020 at 03:54 AM.
01-10-2020, 04:30 AM - 1 Like   #48
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QuoteOriginally posted by aslyfox Quote
while the PLM is a good lens, and I got one for its light weight and size, my go to lens for wildlife and telephoto is the " big guy " HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW but it is truly a " big guy " -

Diam x Length 95 x 241.5 mm (3.7 x 9.5 in.) Weight 2000 g (70.5 oz.) w/ Hood: +130g w/ Tripod Foot: +195g

and price [ I found an experienced one at a price my wife would ok. ]

when compared to the PLM

Diam x Length 76.5 x 89 mm (3.01 x 3.5 in.) Weight 442 g (15.6 oz.)
Noice! Well outside my price-range though! I actually find myself using my 600mm catadioptric lens for a lot of wildlife - though it is a little lacking in the contrast department. The 300mm PLM may be a boon in that regard - if it is sharper at 200mm then I can crop a little bit more, and the 300mm, even if it's a little soft, will still be better than my Tair 3S (I hope!) - that said, the Tair is a surprisingly good lens for a 3-element arrangement! I suppose, being a prime lens, decent performance is to be expected.

I decided to fork out for the 55-300mm lens, new, for £296 - it covers my most-used focal lengths in one lens and adds the WR features, and I'll be able to use it on the KP when I'm at that stage.

I am a little disappointed though - the Samsung 50-200mm F/4-5.6 D-Xenon doesn't seem to sell for much anymore, I might get more selling it with the K-50 as a bundle when the time for upgrade is right!
01-10-2020, 04:44 AM   #49
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QuoteOriginally posted by cprobertson1 Quote
. . . I decided to fork out for the 55-300mm lens. . . - it covers my most-used focal lengths in one lens and adds the WR features, and I'll be able to use it on the KP when I'm at that stage.
it is a pain when life's other priorities - eating, medical, family needs

interferes with buying gear

I hope you enjoy the lens. it is a nice one

01-10-2020, 06:02 AM - 1 Like   #50
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QuoteOriginally posted by cprobertson1 Quote
I am a little disappointed though - the Samsung 50-200mm F/4-5.6 D-Xenon doesn't seem to sell for much anymore, I might get more selling it with the K-50 as a bundle when the time for upgrade is right!


If/when you come to sell your 50-200mm, especially on eBay, try describing it, in the title, as a "re-badged Pentax" lens, then go on to give the full details etc. in the main body of the posting. Probably due to ignorance there does seem to be a problem selling the Samsung-badged lenses, it's quite possible anyone searching for a Pentax lens simply doesn't think to include Samsung in their search parameters.


Having said all that, I paid £3 for my Pentax 50-300mm locally (though I had to buy the hood separately) ... I suspect an instance of the seller not knowing what they had
01-13-2020, 02:59 PM - 1 Like   #51
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The 55-300mm PLM arrived today - not had a chance to use it in anger yet, but with simple comparison shots it has been a significant improvement in image quality.

I'm getting similar acuity from the 300mm, cropped, as I am with the 600mm which just blows my mind. I'm not used to be able to see such small details!

I wasnt going in expecting a noticeable jump in IQ, I was thinking I would have to go looking for the improvements - but holy moly, it's just straight-up sharper.

Even the PLM motor is a noticeable improvement over the screwdrive - for one thing, I thought something was wrong when I went to autofocus and never heard anything (okay, a very, very slight whir... If you listen very carefully).

I'll need to plan something special for its first foray into the real world! There's a storm going on round here just now, so I might have a good chance to get it wet - maybe I'll wait for a drier day (or night) though!
01-13-2020, 03:11 PM   #52
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QuoteOriginally posted by cprobertson1 Quote
Even the PLM motor is a noticeable improvement over the screwdrive
There's an understatement.

Congrats on the new lens!

01-13-2020, 04:32 PM   #53
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QuoteOriginally posted by cprobertson1 Quote
The 55-300mm PLM arrived today - not had a chance to use it in anger yet, but with simple comparison shots it has been a significant improvement in image quality.

I'm getting similar acuity from the 300mm, cropped, as I am with the 600mm which just blows my mind. I'm not used to be able to see such small details!

I wasnt going in expecting a noticeable jump in IQ, I was thinking I would have to go looking for the improvements - but holy moly, it's just straight-up sharper.

Even the PLM motor is a noticeable improvement over the screwdrive - for one thing, I thought something was wrong when I went to autofocus and never heard anything (okay, a very, very slight whir... If you listen very carefully).

I'll need to plan something special for its first foray into the real world! There's a storm going on round here just now, so I might have a good chance to get it wet - maybe I'll wait for a drier day (or night) though!
Not too surprising here. Any of the Pentax 55-300mm versions easily outperform the 50-200mm variety. Pretty impressive, however, is the DA 55-300mm PLM in your comparison with the 600mm prime lens. When you get into using the KP, you are likely to notice even greater fine detail. Yet more often so with the highest quality lenses. Even out-of camera JPEGs are exceptional, due to its outstanding processor. Just be sure to implement "Fine Sharpening".
01-13-2020, 06:14 PM   #54
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QuoteOriginally posted by mikesbike Quote
Not too surprising here. Any of the Pentax 55-300mm versions easily outperform the 50-200mm variety. Pretty impressive, however, is the DA 55-300mm PLM in your comparison with the 600mm prime lens. When you get into using the KP, you are likely to notice even greater fine detail. Yet more often so with the highest quality lenses. Even out-of camera JPEGs are exceptional, due to its outstanding processor. Just be sure to implement "Fine Sharpening".
I've heard many people say how good the DA 55-300 lenses are. I own a DA 18-250 lens and a Tamron 28-300 lens. How do the three lenses compare?
01-14-2020, 12:52 AM   #55
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QuoteOriginally posted by rogerstg Quote
There's an understatement.

Congrats on the new lens!
I actually thought I had the camera set to MF or something - no noise* - no movement - and then everything became clear!

It did seem to hunt around a bit when I used the live-view AF - thought it might have just been the low-light of my living room: it actually seemed to take longer with the new lens than it did with the D-Xenon 50-200mm. Not that it's a problem, it's spot-on every time - it just it takes some 2-to-5-seconds every time, even if focus was already achieved (I can just flip it into MF after autofocusing like this if I find that I need to use the live view and it's problematic)

QuoteOriginally posted by mikesbike Quote
Not too surprising here. Any of the Pentax 55-300mm versions easily outperform the 50-200mm variety. Pretty impressive, however, is the DA 55-300mm PLM in your comparison with the 600mm prime lens. When you get into using the KP, you are likely to notice even greater fine detail. Yet more often so with the highest quality lenses. Even out-of camera JPEGs are exceptional, due to its outstanding processor. Just be sure to implement "Fine Sharpening".
Okay, that's just crazy! I hope I can do it (the lens, and later the KP) justice!

Im not sure if I set my expectations too low, or if I'm just used to using vintage gear that's adequate (charming, even) but not anywhere near as sharp, but I wasn't expecting anywhere near as big a jump in IQ as I've had here!

Colour me pleasantly-surprised!
01-16-2020, 05:43 AM   #56
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QuoteOriginally posted by SSGGeezer Quote
The 20-40 is now available used at more reasonable price levels than the first year it was available so it should be within reach after you get the KP within a reasonable amount of time.
QuoteOriginally posted by gatorguy Quote
I did not realize until tonight the also very good-on-a-KP Pentax HD DA15 is now listed as a discontinued lens, but still available new from B&H for about $350. That's a great deal on a very worthy wide-angle IMHO.
Ooops, sorry, I meant to ask about that!

Compared to the 16-85mm, how does the 20-40 compare in the sharpness department? Given that I have a 50mm prime lens, it's not an unreasonable suggestion to consider the 20-40 against the 16-85mm (at some point in the future... I have no money now thanks to the 55-300mm PLM lens (which I am totally in love with)!
01-16-2020, 05:50 AM   #57
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QuoteOriginally posted by cprobertson1 Quote
. . . .Compared to the 16-85mm, how does the 20-40 compare in the sharpness department? Given that I have a 50mm prime lens, it's not an unreasonable suggestion to consider the 20-40 against the 16-85mm (at some point in the future... I have no money now thanks to the 55-300mm PLM lens (which I am totally in love with)!
I can't answer that question for you directly

but you can review images from the DA LImited Zoom lens club thread

DA Limited Zoom Club - Page 53 - PentaxForums.com

to see what others have posted using it.
01-16-2020, 05:58 AM   #58
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QuoteOriginally posted by gatorguy Quote
I did not realize until tonight the also very good-on-a-KP Pentax HD DA15 is now listed as a discontinued lens, but still available new from B&H for about $350. That's a great deal on a very worthy wide-angle IMHO.
according to the Ricoh site: Discontinued Lens for Digital single-lens reflex camera / Lens lineup/ Lenses / Products | RICOH IMAGING

it is the SMC variants of Pentax-DA 15mm F F4ED AL Limited and PENTAX-DA 21mmF3.2AL Limited

which are discontinued,

not the newer HD variants of those lenses

______________________________

for the difference ( ? ) between the two coatings SMC vs. HD, perhaps this will help -

QuoteQuote:
HD vs. SMC Pentax Limited Primes\

Introduction

At Photokina 2012, Pentax announced a brand new lens coating which they named the "HD Coating". This coating is slowly starting to replace the conventional "Super Multi Coating" (SMC) on high-end Pentax glass. According to Pentax, the new HD coating greatly reduces reflectance without making any sacrifices in terms of durability. This kind of coating isn't new to the industry, however: Pentax digital medium format lenses have been treated with a slightly less durable variant called Aero Bright coating ever since their debut, and other manufacturers have been using "nano" coatings on their premium lenses for several years.

The modern SMC coating that DA lenses have been using for about a decade now isn't the same as the SMC coating that Pentax originally launched in the 1970's. In fact, most DA lenses have been said to have a "ghostless" coating, so while we don't expect the difference between SMC and HD coating to be be a game-changer, it should certainly still be easy to observe. . . .


Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/hd-pentax-limited-primes/introduction.h...#ixzz6BCLAglAP
01-16-2020, 06:03 AM   #59
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QuoteOriginally posted by aslyfox Quote
I can't answer that question for you directly

but you can review images from the DA LImited Zoom lens club thread

DA Limited Zoom Club - Page 53 - PentaxForums.com

to see what others have posted using it.
OH! I actually just found a thread comparing the two - I'll have a look at the club thread too
01-16-2020, 07:22 AM   #60
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QuoteOriginally posted by aslyfox Quote
according to the Ricoh site: Discontinued Lens for Digital single-lens reflex camera / Lens lineup/ Lenses / Products | RICOH IMAGING

it is the SMC variants of Pentax-DA 15mm F F4ED AL Limited and PENTAX-DA 21mmF3.2AL Limited

which are discontinued,

not the newer HD variants of those lenses

______________________________

for the difference ( ? ) between the two coatings SMC vs. HD, perhaps this will help -





Read more at: HD vs. SMC Pentax Limited Primes Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews
I coulda sworn it said "Discontinued" when I first looked....
Thanks.

Even better the HD version is just $396 now. Deal!
Pentax HD Pentax DA 15mm f/4 ED AL Limited Lens (Black) 21470
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