[Ecaterin]

PentaxForums.com Marketplace Listing

Item for Sale
Pentax FA 100-300mm f/4.7-5.8 - the good one

Asking Price
120.00

Item Location
Seattle, WA

Item Description
As I've raved a few times before, this is a sleeper lens. For the price, you can't beat it. It's one of those, "delivers 90% of the results at 1/3 or less the price," lenses. It's also really lightweight, doesn't hunt, focuses fast and is reasonably robust. It's taken some of my favorite photos (at the bottom of this page).

I'm selling it for what I paid Adorama 6 months ago, plus covering shipping. Adorama marked the lens in excellent condition, and I agree. The glass looks fantastic, little or no dust, the barrel looks almost new, only a scuff or two from regular usage. Has Pentax front and rear caps. I'm also including a 3-stage rubber lens hood - works great for this focal length.










If I love it, why am I selling it? Swimming lesson season is upon me, and I finally found a DA 55-300 at a price I can afford - and I'm not going to argue that the FA1-300 is a better lens, just a better deal











Are you the original owner of the item being sold?
No

Are you selling or trading this item?
Selling

Item Condition (Key)
Used
Excellent

Shipping Destinations
Worldwide

Shipping Charge
none in CONUS - priority w/tracking number, Intl. negotiable

Shipping Services
UPS, USPS, FedEx

Accepted Payment Types
PayPal

Return Policy & Additional Details
Returns only if I've lied, conned you out of your life savings and retired rich to a tropical island not featured on Lost.

Please send me a private message if interested in the item!

[bdery]

a great lens indeed!

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

Hmm, if only you would have decided to sell yours earlier when you convinced me to get one

One nice advantage this lens has over other lenses covering this range is that the focusing throw is longer, so it can offer better precision for manual focusing. PF is very well controlled too.

Ecaterin - let us know what you think of this vs the 55-300 after you get that and use it for a while. It should be an interesting comparison.

[Ecaterin]

a great lens indeed!

Isn't it? I'm really reluctant to let it go, actually....I think I get too attached to my equipment I just about cried selling my K10 LOL!

Hmm, if only you would have decided to sell yours earlier when you convinced me to get one

Ha! I had no intention of selling it and I certainly didn't think I'd see a DA55-300 in my price range any time soon. But I sold a bicycle to buy another bicycle, and kind of made out like a bandit leaving me with cash burning a hole in my pocket Let me tell you, if I had to choose between bicycles and lenses I'd probably be like the mythical donkey that starves between two bales of hay, unable to choose :P

One nice advantage this lens has over other lenses covering this range is that the focusing throw is longer, so it can offer better precision for manual focusing. PF is very well controlled too.

PF is almost non-existent on my copy - pretty amazing indeed for this price of lens! I have to say, AF on my copy is so accurate I almost never manually focus, but it is a nice long throw and easy to tweak.

Ecaterin - let us know what you think of this vs the 55-300 after you get that and use it for a while. It should be an interesting comparison.

Definitely! From the many many sample photos I've looked at, the DA seems to have the advantage wide open and at the long end, for both sharpness and contrast. It's not a huge difference if I'm shooting critters, but it'll make a difference for human faces I'd wager - such as my sons getting into swim team. I'm excited to get my hands on it and try it out, and I'll post for sure!

[slawek]

Can't say enough good things about this one .
My copy proved to have BETTER IQ than 55-300 (at least the photo show copy I tried) . The only advantages of DA is better range and lack of noise. The 100-300 at 100mm is FANTASTIC. I sold my 100mm f3.5 because of this lens (although 100/3.5 is another sleeper). Oh yes - and it's FF lens!
Highly recommended.

[Ecaterin]

Can't say enough good things about this one .
My copy proved to have BETTER IQ than 55-300 (at least the photo show copy I tried) .

Don't say that! I'm under the impression I'm trading up a bit!

The only advantages of DA is better range and lack of noise. The 100-300 at 100mm is FANTASTIC. I sold my 100mm f3.5 because of this lens (although 100/3.5 is another sleeper). Oh yes - and it's FF lens!
Highly recommended.

ITA - Shots at 100mm are gorgeous, I have a couple of human portraits I love and here's my favorite at 100mm - a Canada goose:

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

Yes, forgot this: in 100-150mm range this can beat a lot of prime lenses. Very, very sharp.

Frankly, I wouldn't sell this until I'd get the 55-300 first and made sure it's the one I want to keep - it might be hard to find another one again later.

Just saying

[josephleaf]

pm sent.

[Ecaterin]

PMs responded to

Laurentiu Cristofor & others interested, I acquired my DA55-300 today, and my initial impression bears out what I've seen in comparing photos from the two lenses online - The FA is neck and neck, but the DA is sharper wide open (and, of course, has a wider open :P), especially at 300mm. I think purple fringing on the DA is worse, but it's very slight (I hate PF - any lens that has much, I don't want). Stopped down to f/8, the DA is still sharper, which I didn't expect. I do love the almost glow-effect character of the softness of the FA at 300, it's slight, but subtly dreamy

The thing I'm going to hate losing though, is the lovely warm, rich color rendering of the FA. Alas, the DA is quite a bit cooler. But I can adjust cool tones in post, I can't really adjust sharpness in the same way :P

[martismo]

Could you give me a price for postage to Australia -post code 4850.
Thanks

[Ecaterin]

A rather bleach-bypass-y looking last hurrah for the FA1-300 today at the pool

[troutman]

You have offer via pm

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

I just posted here a couple of shots I took with my copy of this lens this week-end.

[luis]

PM sent for availability and shipping costs. Thanks

[Ecaterin]

Sale pending....