| Author: | | Senior Member Registered: April, 2015 Posts: 158
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 17, 2016 | Not Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Long reach, light weight | | Cons: | slow af, variable sharpness, bokeh meh | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 6
Autofocus: 5
Handling: 7
Value: 7
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K5 K5iis
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Got this lens for a bargain price. First off, this is way better than the 50-200, BUT the 50-200 is just so awful so that is saying not much.
The 55-300 is capable of delivering some very pleasing results, but within limited parameters> something like 55-180, at f8 you will get some really nice shots. Outside this you are going to have a lot of chuckers. Eventually this led me to get rid of the lens. For wildlife it is a non-starter really, too slow and not really adequately sharp wide open.
The AF is screw-drive, slow and noisy. The bokeh is not too pleasant to my eyes.
Weighs so little and it's cheap so it's a bargain if you need some drag anywhere lens, but I don't recommend it for critical work. I believe the Tamron 70-300 may be better, and perhaps even cheaper.
| | | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: September, 2014 Posts: 4
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 30, 2014 | Not Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Lightweigth, sharp in sunny condition, good price | | Cons: | not for the rainy days, slow autofocus, loss of sharpness at the tele end | | Sharpness: 5
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 8
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-30
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Before purchasing this lens, I tested it on a weekend. I thought this lens could be a replacement for my 18-135 WR on the tele end. An everyday lens for hiking and days in the nature.
I am very satisfied with the 18-135 but I want more zoom 
Maybe I was wrong. Here are the facts: (this is a usability review, not a professional one)
The lens is a lightweight and eays to use. The "wheels" are easy to handle and you can take pictures without a tripod.
My first impression while shooting was a bad one: what a loud and slow autofocus. This is a fact I can handle with, but the birds fly away, when they hear the focus .
The first day was a dark day and I was very sad about the pictures I made:
 55mm
  
55mm - 55mm - 300mm
As you recognize there is a loss of sharpness on the 300mm pic. At all these pictures are too bad for me.
At the next day, it was sunny.
Church
  
150mm - 210mm - 300mm
Bird table
  
170mm- 210mm - 300mm
Surprise. These pictures are much better. But you will again see the loss of of sharpness and even focus in the 300mm pictures.
Garden (nearly perfect condition - the lawn and the light)
   
55mm - 78mm - 135mm - 300mm
Wow, look at the 300mm picture. This is the first sharp and acceptable shoot with this lense.
Here are some pictures to compare:
  
18-135WR 18mm - SMC A 1.7/50mm - 18-135 at 135mm
So, what is my opinion about the 55-300.
This is definitely a "good weather" lens, much more than my 18-135 is. You can make sharp 300mm pictures, but there has to be the right light.
Handling is easy, it is lightweighted and not too long, it comes with a bag.
At all it is not the travel and hiking zoom I need. The pictures at the 300mm tele end are bad, although the quality rises fast and from 200mm you will have some good pictures.
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2013 Location: England Posts: 9
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 22, 2014 | Not Recommended | Price: $475.00
| Rating: 5 |
| Pros: | Light weight, good reach | | Cons: | Sharpness, slow AF, noisy AF, poor lens hood design | | Sharpness: 4
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 2
Handling: 6
Value: 5
New or Used: New
Camera Used: *ist D, K5IIs, K3
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I bought this lens, new, around December 2012, instead of the DA 50-200mm that I went to the shop to buy, after the guy in the shop advised me that this lens was sharper throughout the range.
I have used this lens as my walk around lens for over a year (with an F 28mm f2.8 on the *ist D for shots where the 55-300mm is just too telephoto) and have finally decided enough is enough.
The shots I have taken with the 55-300mm are not sharp by any measure, noticeably less sharp than the DA 50-200mm at any focal length (which I bought about 3 months later when I realised the guy in the shop had led me up the garden path), with a less pleasant bokeh. I have also taken to leaving the lens hood at home, as it falls off whenever touched. It often focuses right past the correct point, out to infinity, focuses back to "zero" and then out to the correct point, taking 4-5 seconds to do so. This is true on all three digital body types (I have two *ist D's, and borrowed another K5 for a recent photo shoot) I have tried it on, so do not think it is the camera, but the lens.
Others have tempered their reviews by pointing out that this is a consumer lens, not a professional one. But given that Pentax do not produce a comparable "pro" lens, with the nearest thing, the DA* 60-250 being shorter at both ends of the focal range - the cut-off at 250mm instead of 300mm being particularly limiting - there really isn't any justification for this.
If there was such a thing as a DA 60-300 [IF] for around $900-1000 then I would buy it, but as the DA 55-300 is currently hovering around $450 and the DA* 60-250 is around $1450, there is a lot of space between the two for Ricoh/Pentax to produce a "prosumer" lens with a 5:1 (or better) zoom range.
A recent contract completion gave me some cash in the bank so the DA* 300mm has joined my burgeoning collection - I found one for $950 boxed and sealed - and am now starting the process of clearing out my cupboards of old glass (F, FA, DA L, DA, etc.) to make way for more FA*/DA* lenses, as I now realise the sharpness I have been craving since my film-only days can only be achieved through lenses with a star in the title.
My recommendation to anyone with a Pentax DSLR would be to buy fewer lenses, but make them good ones.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2010 Posts: 16 | | Review Date: June 2, 2013 | Not Recommended | Price: $384.00
| Rating: 3 |
| Pros: | cheap | | Cons: | chromatic aberration is awful, sharpness is not that sweet sharp that I know with my other lenses | | Sharpness: 4
Aberrations: 1
Bokeh: 4
Autofocus: 4
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-5 IIs Digital SLR
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This lens was a christmas present to myself, I already have 3 other 50-300 lenses,
and use them on the other 3 Pentax I own, and I ordered
a new K5 and hate spending time changing lenses so also ordered this lens.
Our winter and spring was horrid. All my shooting was done indoors in natural
light and the camera and lens didn't get much of a workout. But come May
when it finally stopped snowing I took both cam and lens outside and that is
where I found the problems.
The chromatic aberration is awful. Every photo I take outside of flowers, trees,
landscapes, birds and portraits has nasty green and purple and blue outlines around
everything in every photo. I have my own web site and have spent more time
trying to get rid of the fringing then just enjoying photography and my photos.
I originally thought that the K5 might have been a bad camera to order
and I changed alot of settings which helped in the saturation field but did
nothing for the fringing. Friday I took off the new lens and put on the lens that
I use on my K20D, shot 500 photos in the garden and then processed them
and was astounded that the beauty that I know is associated with Pentax
was not at fault in the camera.
The lens is going back and I will not reorder another one.
M
| | | | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2012 Location: Belgium Posts: 72 | | Review Date: May 18, 2012 | Not Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 5 |
| Pros: | Not expensive | | Cons: | soft @300mm, AF hunt in low light, AF noisy | | Sharpness: 5
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 6
Autofocus: 5
Handling: 7
Value: 5
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K5
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Maybe i had a bad copy but i was not satisfied with this lens for the main reason AF was so noisy!
AF is not quick and hunt in low light.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2017 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Posts: 32
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 30, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Well made, light, sharp, fast focus, It's a bargain. | | Cons: | I have no complaints. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K3 & K3II
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I love this lens. I have several lenses that should be more sharp. However, this is very often difficult to detect without careful study. I think every Pentax owner needs one of these or one of its variants. My model doesn't have WR. That is the only thing lacking in this lens.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: February, 2020 Location: Smoky Mountains, NC Posts: 1,605
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 5, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $119.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | BUILD QUALITY, IQ, SIZE WIEGHT | | Cons: | NONE | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K70, KP
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Got this lens used from a Forum member. It is in excellent condition, no zoom creep, and everything is tight and fits well. The focus speed is fast and accurate, though a little noisy, but reliable. I also have the HD version and this lens is just as good. IQ is very, very good!! My son used this on his K70 with great results. Not too big or heavy, great for hiking, and very versatile. These can be found cheap, but the IQ is NOT lacking. Get one, use it, love it!!
f8 ISO500 1/500th sec 300mm
A GLAMOUR SHOT ON THE K 70. SWEET!
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: August, 2017 Posts: 327
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 11, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Compact, light and reasonably sharp. | | Cons: | Edge to edge sharpness at longer focal lengths | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
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Unless a wide angle shot is called for, this lens is on my K-1. It is compact and not heavy. It will handle most shooting situations with ease.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-DA-55-300mm-F4-5.8-Zoom-Lens.html
It's affordability makes it a great choice for those without tons of money. It's sharpness is more than adequate for most shooters. I don't over analyze except for image quality. I find it a very capable lens. I cropped he submitted image, and this lens paired with my K-1 makes for a formidable duo. | | | | | Master of the obvious Registered: June, 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,312
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 4, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Small, light, reasonablt sharp | | Cons: | Noisy focus, and at times slow | |
Probably my most-used lens by number of pictures taken, even though I rarely shoot with tele (or zoom) at home. It's my go-to travel lens and safari lens. The small size makes it perfect for travel and for carrying on walking safaris.
I find the sharpness quite good at all focal lengths (including at 300mm) and all apertures. It does sharpen up some when stopped down to f/8, but it's good enough at 300/5.8 that I don't hesitate to use it when needed.
It has a long focus throw, so if it misses focus and has to rack all the way to minimum and out again it's slow - and noisy. This was mostly a problem I had with the K-5 in low light, though, and not so much on the K-3 - and even less on the K-1.
Yes, I use it on the K-1, and in FF mode. It does vignette some at 300mm (more near infinity than at closer range, I think). Crop to 4x5 or 16x9 and it's mostly gone. Around 200mm I can't see any vignetting at all. At the short end it's somewhat more. Note: I have not tried to shoot without the hood at the wider end; it might be that it would help. Until a compact full-frame tele zoom is released this will cover my needs well enough.
The bokeh isn't too bad even at f/8.
K-3, 300mm f/8
 Cape fox pup by -savoche-, on Flickr
The somewhat slow autofocus can be remedied with a bit of planning.
K-3, 230mm f/8
 Pale chanting goshawk by -savoche-, on Flickr
K-3, 300mm f/8
 Gemsbok by -savoche-, on Flickr
K-3, 300mm f/5.8 (ISO 3200)
 Kalahari lion by -savoche-, on Flickr
K-1, 300mm f/11 - FF mode, uncropped
 Sommelier by -savoche-, on Flickr
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: December, 2007 Location: In the most populated state... state of denial Posts: 1,854
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 4, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $170.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Wide range, sharp image, light | | Cons: | AF hunts | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 6
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K5II
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Very good tele-zoom lens fro every day photos
Got it used to replace an aging FA80-200
Sharp. good color rendition
| | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 14 | | Review Date: June 30, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $55.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp lens | | Cons: | sometimes visible CA's at 300mm in the edges, slow AF,sometimes unsure | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: k-5 k200d Fuji x-e1 and x-t100
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+ Due to the good optical construction of 4 (!) achromatic lenses and 2 ED-lenses is the optical quality of this lens in the center very nice / fine.
+ I take photos with aperture 8-11, so bokeh and sharpness are nice in the center - but sharpness only in the center ! , edges are somewhat weak, especially wiede open
++ very good CA correction at 55-70 mm
O/+ CA's are well reduced and in the edges but a few visible at 300mm 
++/+ good colors, sharpness, contrast and bokeh with f 11
O/+ sometimes slow and not so shure AF
for the low price nevertheless my recommendation !!! this lens is better than the new version 4.5-6.3/55-300, but not so good as the excellent 4.7-5.8/100-300 - which is my AF favorite
My first exemplary of this lens was excellent, the next one was not so good - unfortunally, perhaps a few decentered  | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2018 Location: Quebec City, Quebec Posts: 6,653
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 5, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $230.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Very sharp in the lower ranges. Very good with the K5. | | Cons: | A little soft @ 300 mm and disappointing on the K3. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K20, K5
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| | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2011 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 128
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 16, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharp, compact & lightweight, price/quality ratio | | Cons: | Autofocus noisy & a bit slow, sticky zoom ring | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 6
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5, K-x
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Very good telezoom and excellent value for money. Pictures are sharp with good saturated colours and contrast. (I also have the M*300mm, and while the 55-300 isn't quite as good as that at the long end, it's actually not that far off). It's great as a walkaround lens thanks to compactness and low weight. I'm not a pixel peeper but in practical use I really haven't had any problems with aberrations of any kind.
The downside is that the autofocus is a bit slow and rather noisy. The slowness can be overcome to a good extent thanks to quick shift, it's easy to put it in the right range first and then AF. The focus ring is not really dampened and not much fun for precise manual focusing. At least on my copy the zoom ring isn't really smooth but tends to stick a bit during zooming, which is a bit annoying. But considering the low price this certainly is no deal breaker.
I'd wholeheartedly recomend this lens to anyone needing a bit of range without having that much money to spend.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2017 Posts: 146 | | Review Date: December 29, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $201.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Lightweight and fairly small, Overall IQ, Simplicity | | Cons: | Dreadfull AF speed, Sharpness not great at max aperture at 300mm, Quite expensive (would never buy it new) | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 4
Handling: 8
Value: 6
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-70
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Decent compact wildlife lens.
| | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2013 Location: Odessa Posts: 19 | | Review Date: February 8, 2017 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Cheap, Graet Reach, overall sharpness, Bokeh | | Cons: | Really NONE | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K30
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I rate this lens true 8.
It's nearly glued to the body. So great for walking! I do like it's bokeh and IQ. You can use it wide open and it will give you great results. There is no near any lens to compete with it. Solid build, nice look, easy to use.
I bought it instead of 70 lim which is limiting me a lot. And I am very happy.
What else I must say? It produces pics in cold tones with so sweet reds!
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