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SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM Review RSS Feed

SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM

Sharpness 
 9.7
Aberrations 
 9.6
Bokeh 
 9.3
Autofocus 
 8.1
Handling 
 9.5
Value 
 9.2
Reviews Views Date of last review
81 362,300 Thu August 3, 2023
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
98% of reviewers $1,034.58 9.56
SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM

SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM
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SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM
supersize
SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM
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Description:
The Pentax DA* 300mm telephoto lens features weather-sealing as well as Pentax's SDM focusing technology. It has a removable tripod mount.

SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
Full-frame / 35mm film
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
No
Diaphragm
Automatic, 9 blades
Optics
8 elements, 6 groups
Mount Variant
KAF2
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F4
Min. Aperture
F32
Focusing
AF (in-lens motor or screwdrive)
SDM
Quick-shift
Yes
Min. Focus
140 cm
Max. Magnification
0.24x
Filter Size
77 mm
Internal Focus
Yes
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 5.4 ° / 4.6 °
Hood
PH-RBK 77 mm
Case
S120-210
Lens Cap
O-LC77
Coating
SMC,SP
Weather Sealing
Yes (AW)
Other Features
AF/MF Switch,Tripod Mount
Diam x Length
83 x 184 mm (3.3 x 7.2 in.)
Weight
1070 g (37.7 oz.)
w/ Hood: +90g
w/ Tripod Foot: +80g
Production Years
2008 to present (in production)
Pricing
$1096 USD current price
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-DA* 1:4 300mm ED [IF] SDM
Product Code
21767
Reviews
User reviews
In-depth review
Unofficial Full-Frame Compatibility Tests by Pentax Forums
★★★ Full coverage at all tested F-stops and all focal lengths
Show details
Notes
Two ED elements.
Designed for APS-C but officially full-frame compatible per Ricoh. The Pentax K-1 includes full-frame correction profiles for this lens.

Features:
Screwdrive AutofocusSupersonic AutofocusQuick ShiftWeather SealedInternal FocusingAutomatic ApertureFull-Frame Support
Purchase: Buy the SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM
In-Depth Review: Read our SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM in-depth review!
Sample Photos: View Sample Photos
Price History:



Add Review of SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM Buy the SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM
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Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Ascending) Showing Reviews 1-15 of 81


1 user found this helpful
Review Date: May 29, 2008 Recommended | Price: $1,147.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Well built, SDM, weatherproof, sharp, size for F4
Cons: None yet

Have had this lens for a month now. Purchased to replace Sigma 100-300mm F4, as lighter option for hand holding for BIF. No regrets, lens is sharp and focuses fast in decent light. Still sharp with Kenko 1.5x Teleconverter (slower focus). Excellent color and detail, as a bonus works well as macro lens while keeping 4.5 Ft. distance from subject.

http://pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/28724-da-300mm-f4-bif.html

http://pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/28728-photos-da-300mm-f4.html
   
Veteran Member

Registered: October, 2007
Location: France
Posts: 804

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: July 22, 2008 Recommended | Price: $1,100.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Very sharp, SDM, sealed
Cons: Focus limiter missing
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 8    Autofocus: 8    Handling: 10    Value: 9   

The lens is so sharp that it clearly outresolves K20D sensor at 5.6.
Min focus distance appropriate for small wildlife (small birds, insects...)
Weight and weather sealed appropriate to take it for hiking
Also completely free of purple fringing; really stunning
Edit : works great on K5, does not seem to outresolve the sensor anymore
If AF miss, takes a lot of time to explore the large focus range; a focus limiter would have been appreciated
   
Veteran Member

Registered: November, 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 593

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: July 23, 2008 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Exceptional image quality, build quality
Cons: None
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 9    Autofocus: 8    Handling: 9    Value: 9   

This lens is superb with stunning image quality and excellent build quality. I cannot recommend it highly enough and it is the equal of the FA*300 f4.5 as far as image quality except that it also has SDM, focus clutch, tripod mount, f4 over f4.5, non scratch plastic over the painted barrel of the FA*300 and weather sealed.
   
Pentaxian

Registered: March, 2008
Posts: 355

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: July 24, 2008 Recommended | Price: $1,099.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharpness, IQ
Cons: AF not faster than older F*300 f4.5 lens

When I 1st got it, I thought at f4.0 it was soft, until I realised that my new K20D need AF adjustment. It sharpen up so much it is no different from f5.6.
AF is silent but it is not really very fast. It is about the same speed as the old F*300 f4.5.
But overall the IQ is excellent. The colour and contrast is outstanding.
   
Senior Member

Registered: July, 2008
Location: israel
Posts: 180
Review Date: July 31, 2008 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros:
Cons:
New or Used: New   

The DA* 300mm f/4 shows a field of view equivalent to a 450mm lens in 35mm terms.

The integrated tripod collar makes flexible use of a monopod easy .

It is possible to use the lenses for macro photography but it definitely won't replace a good 100mm macro lenses.

The DA* 300mm's minimum focusing distance of around 4.5 feet.

The DA* 300mm's range is perfect for sporting events, nature photography, or even a day at the zoo.

The DA* 300mm f/4 uses Pentax's supersonic drive motor (SDM) technology to drive the AF system on compatible bodies.

Full-time manual focus can be selected either via the lens's onboard AF/MF switch or the camera body's control.

The lenses have excellent contrast and vibrant color .
.
I think that for nature photography there is a need of good AF teleconveter 1.5x compatible with Pentax DA* (DA-Star) zoom lenses which I did not found in the market!!!

I have found same problems of sharpness of pictures !!

It may depend of the distance which I shoot the object .


Koper

Non working links deleted. To see Koper's album, please go here:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/user-album-8011/
   
Veteran Member

Registered: September, 2006
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 431

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: August 12, 2008 Recommended | Price: $1,175.95 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Build Quality, Color & Contrast, Sharpness
Cons:

The DA* 300 is a superb lens. The color and contrast of the photos are excellent and the lens is sharp wide open. Focusing is relatively quick even on my DS with rechargeable AA's. It has a nice weight to it and can be used hand-held in decent light. Definitely worth the price!
   
Veteran Member

Registered: January, 2008
Location: Munich, Alps, Germany
Posts: 6,871

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: August 15, 2008 Recommended | Rating: N/A 

 
Pros: This review is only about full frame capabilities
Cons:

I have checked a number of DA lenses for their capability to be used on a full frame (24 x 36 mm) body.

On a scale of (-, o, +, ++, +++) this lens got this verdict for suitability with a full frame body from me:
++


Read the full review, incl. test shots of an ISO chart on film, here:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/317890-post29.html

Please, contribute own sample shots on film for any DA lens in this thread. Thank You.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: December, 2007
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 531
Review Date: August 16, 2008 Recommended | Price: $1,000.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharp, weather proof, excellent contrast, quiet focus
Cons: none

I had a Bigma for several months, and took it on an Alaskan cruise. I resolved to get the DA*300 when I got back. After the cruise, I decided that I needed a lighter, weatherproof lens. This week I finally made the switch. My backyard photography confirmed my decision to purchase this lens. It is extremely sharp and is relatively lightweight for a lens of it's size. It is a pleasure to use.

I also found that the lens is sharp enough to use a 1.4x teleconverter without losing much image quality.

Pros:
- Sharp
- Relatively lightweight (compared to Bigma for example)
- Autofocus works well. It is so quiet, at first I didn't know it was working!
- Quality build. Excellent workmanship.

Cons
- ?

   
Site Supporter

Registered: February, 2008
Location: Hawkesbury
Posts: 1,897

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: October 2, 2008 Recommended | Price: $1,300.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Weatherproof, quiet, robust, excellent colour reproduction.
Cons: Out of focus highlights can be distractingly "edge heavy".
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 8    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 10    New or Used: New    Camera Used: K20D, K5   

I have been using the DA*300 on a K20D and find them well matched. Like other reviewers here I find the lens to be a class act. All my following comments need to be taken in the context that I consider this to be an expensive lens.
I have found some limitations that need to be considered when using the DA*300.

Sharpness - Others claim it is very sharp, but I would describe it simply as SHARP ENOUGH. I think if I was a real pixel peeper I wouldn't be satisfied. There does not seem to be any significant sharpness drop towards the edges (nice). It is also notable that sharpness is maintained at a wide range of apertures, notably wide open. Sharpness is maintained at least down to f11.
Edit: I'm not seeing any drop in per pixel resolution when increasing the pixel density with the K-5, so perhaps it is just my technique that is at fault.

Bokeh - This will come down to taste. I find out of focus highlights to be very edge heavy, particularly in front of focus. The point highlights can form doughnut rings and linear features tend to make series of parallel lines. For some shots this can almost make the shot, while in others it can be very distracting. The work around for this is to use an aperture that sets the critical out of focus distance somewhere other than the most distracting highlights. Obviously this is not always possible.
In some situations the behind focus highlights can become somewhat posterised, giving a pleasant water-colour effect. Again this can require careful aperture selection. (will post examples if requested)

Chromatic performance - Really good. Nice neutral reproduction. Also no problem with colour fringing of any noticeable kind. Flare is also absent, even when using f32 for shooting sun spots.

Handling - The lens is suitable for hand held shooting in a wide range of situations. I find I can reasonably reliably shoot down to 1/60. This is considerably faster than I find for light weight 300 mm lenses (1/20), but being able to go to f4 counters that to some extent.
As usual Pentax has implemented a fantastic focus clutch giving precise manual focus control even when used in auto mode.
I have hardly used the tripod mount yet but it seems excellent.

Weatherproofing - This was my main reason for buying and I love it, but the hood seems to be very good at catching raindrops and splashing the lens or filter glass. I'll have to make a top-only hood extension.

Build - All feels very solid and the paint finish seems tough. I did have some issues with sticky aperture blades when I first used the lens but this seems to have gone after about 50 exposures.
Edit: after 3 years I've managed to chip quite a bit of the paint on the tripod mount. I have also had intermittent failures with the focus clutch, but it has all come good again now.

Features for the future - I would like to see a focus limiter as a way of improving auto-focus speeds. I don't think there should be any attempt to change the motor speed as it seems to be doing a nice precise job as is. A focus limiter could nicely cut those situations when it completely misses and goes through the whole range which wastes over a second.
Edit: Focus with the K-5 is now much better. A focus limiter is probably not important any more.
This is going to sound petty, but could Pentax try and finish the lens with a simpler colour scheme? Gold trim seems reasonable but why three different shades. Then there is metallic green, silver (flat), chrome (shiny), red, deep green, pale blue and white all on black. Many of the colours signify some feature or standard but it just looks confused.

It is surprising how much magnification you loose at minimum focus due to the internal focusing!

All of my issues with the lens are minor; so minor that I would give it a 10 if it was 3/4 the price.
Speaking of price, the Australian distributor (Kennedy) has priced this lens over $2100 (USD $1800-2000). For the extra cost we get a single year warranty with some really ugly fine print.
Edit: CR Kennedy has seen fit to reduce the price of the DA*300 to globally realistic levels. It now sits cheaper than the similar offerings from Canon and Nikon so I have to up my value rating to a 10.

Sample on K20D at f4. Scaled then 1:1 crop:



This level of sharpness is maintained across the entire frame. Not retina slicing but adequate, and birds are soft after all!
   
Veteran Member

Registered: September, 2006
Location: EU/Slovenia
Posts: 774

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: October 22, 2008 Recommended | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: build quality, focus ring travel, weight.
Cons: none
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 10    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 10    Value: 8    New or Used: New   

The lens is quite sharp at f4 and very sharp from f5.6 onward.

Focusing was accurate and AF-C works well as long as you can steadily track the moving object. Focusing ring has approximately 220°travel which makes manual focusing feel like in the good old times. The ring does not spin when performing AF so you can hold the lens as you please.

Finally a lens that should put an end on bidding wars over older F* and FA* 300/4.5 lenses.

DA* 300/4 @4


DA* 300/4 @5.6


DA* 300/4 @8


DA* 300/4 @11


DA* 300/4 @16


If you find my review helpful please add reputation

EDIT 18.3.2009
Some real life photos.

f5.6 f5.6 f5.6 f4 f4 f4 f4.5 f4

EDIT 13.3.2013
Replaced dead links with working ones. All files are now full size.
   
Senior Member

Registered: August, 2007
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 269
Review Date: November 21, 2008 Recommended | Price: $1,100.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharpness, bokeh, high quality build
Cons: weight

This lens is a joy to use. It is sharp from wide open to f/16. The bokeh is as good as it gets in my opinion. Weather sealing is nice to have and the AF is silent and deadly accurate.
   
New Member

Registered: July, 2007
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 2
Review Date: February 27, 2009 Recommended | Price: $1,200.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: All
Cons: Non (or maybe the price, altrough its worth it all the way)

Our first goal was the DA* 60-250. We bought the DA* 300 because we want it to use it in the summer of 2008 in our holidays.
Whow, what an awesome decision that was. We came back with tons of brilliant windsurfing pictures and a lot "close-up" pictures of our friends kids with verry nice bokeh. The majority of the windsurf pictures where taken at F4 for the max. shutterspeed and the majority of the Kids pictures where also taken at f4 for max bokeh.
Wildlife and other sports, I meanly use this lens only. Highly recommend I would say.
   
New Member

Registered: April, 2009
Location: Berlin, Germany
Posts: 2
Review Date: April 19, 2009 Recommended | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: great build and optical Quality - finest Lens
Cons: no aperture Ring!

real Pentax!
fantastic like the limiteds!
perfect build, perfect sharp, even at f:4,5
high contrast, but not to high
Its better then the old FA* 4,5/300 mm and even better then the 2,8/200 mm.
I would say its the sharpest Tele lens beyond 135 mm from Pentax yet!
But without aperture ring it makes not much sence on a LX or Super A or all the other great Pentax cameras!!!!

Its a very bad idea to follow Nikon and get rid of the aperture ring - shame on Hoya-Pentax!
   
Site Supporter

Registered: January, 2009
Location: Québec
Posts: 8,251
Review Date: June 2, 2009 Recommended | Price: $1,350.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: weight, size, clarity, easiness of use, sharp!
Cons: None

Compared with my Sigma 100-300mm F4, this DA*300 Prime lens is shockingly better in terms of focus, sharpness and colour rendition. Coupled with a Tamron MC4 1.4X teleconverter, it does render adequate images, although I find the combination lens-T.C. , as with any T.C. for that matter, somewhat slow and "hunting".
The lens itself has been a great addition to my ever-increasing collection (LAS = Lens Addiction Syndrome). I must say that this has been my best buy this far.
JP
   
Senior Member

Registered: August, 2008
Location: Langen, Germany
Posts: 106
Review Date: June 7, 2009 Recommended | Price: $1,400.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Sharp, weather proof, build, SDM
Cons: weight

This lens ist fantastic. I think it is the best Pentax lens in production.

The build quality ist perfect. It is very sharp even at F4. SDM is very silent.
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