| Author: | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 195 | | Review Date: July 17, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | This lens was a steal. Very sharp for such an inexpensive lens | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: k1-II
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This lens is a steal. It does have some pretty noticeable purple ringing, but it is quick to focus and very sharp.
 | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2015 Location: California Posts: 35 | | Review Date: February 19, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $79.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Lightweight and AF works well | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax KP
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I just popped this on my KP and started shooting- AF worked flawlessly in Auto as well as AV. I can't believe how sharp the images are for a zoom lens at 70mm, 100, 150, and even at 260mm. Except at 260mm, the lens is as sharp as my 21mm Limited and sharper than my 35mm 2.8 Macro (which makes me wonder whether the 35mm is a bad copy). And at 260mm, it is still quite sharp. I see no chromatic aberrations, fringing or distortions.
Also, this is remarkable lightweight for a lens of this generation, and yet it feels solid and substantial.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: November, 2014 Posts: 272
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 24, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $70.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Excellent value, fast AF, vibrant colors, light weight. | | Cons: | A little purple fringing at 300mm | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1, K-3
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I purchased this lens to replace a Sigma 70-300 that I sold to a friend who needed a lens with 300mm reach. I am very pleased with it as a general walking about lens for nature watching. I will often bring it when birdwatching, hiking, or at events like airshows, auto races, or other places where I don't want to swap out lenses often.
The image quality is fantastic especially for such an affordable lens. It's no high end limited lens but on the other hand it's not bad at all. I have found the colors to be quite rich for a lens in this price range.
The autofocus works great with my K-1 and K-3. The macro feature is awesome for insects, flowers, and small animals. If for some reason I lost or broke this lens I would happily buy another one to replace it. My only reservation is the little bit of purple fringing at 300mm but it can be diminished by narrowing the aperture. It's not terrible fringing at all and this lens doesn't pretend to be apochromatic nor would I expect it to be at this price range. Overall a great bargain.
EDIT: I am editing this review to add some newer photos taken with this lens. Both of these photos were taken from about 5 feet away. This lens performs very well on the Pentax K-1. I should note that the sample photos I provided were taken with a Hoya HMC UV(0) filter attached to the front of the lens.
  | | | | | Forum Member Registered: May, 2013 Posts: 81 | | Review Date: October 17, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, light, decent macro | | Cons: | purple fringing, lens cap | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5lls
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I found this on Craigslist for $15 and decided to give it a try. It has turned out to be a very usable lens. Putting this up against my DA 55-300 I would say the Promaster images are noticeably sharper. The only downside is that the lens cap refuses to stay on and there is some purple fringing to remove post processing.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2013 Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 25, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $160.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | decent sharp lens, fair macro, solid made | | Cons: | little soft at 300mm, mine came without a hood... | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 8
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It's given very sharp results over my expectations, and it's a joy to use this lens outdoors to walk around. The price of the lens is a good advantage, especially for limited budgets. It's nice to handle this lens, giving you a solid feel, not light and plastic like some other kit zoom lenses.
Hardly recommended, brother of the Tamron lens which comes from the same manufacturer. A budget lens with decent results, good bokeh, sharp images, ideal for mid level users but not pros certainly...
| | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2013 Posts: 23
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 25, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great value, macro mode, sharp pictures | | Cons: | none for the money | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
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Optically, this is the same as the Tamron LD 70-300 1:2 Macro. Decent lens with great reach. Except for a flimsy lens cap, the build is solid. Focus is slightly stiff, but nothing feels wobbly or cheap. AF is good in bright light on my K5.
Images are very sharp and provide a wonderful DOF. I've used it for sports and wildlife photography and in both cases this lens certainly came through. For the money this lens is certainly hard to beat for the beginner strapped for cash. This is a great lens that got my photography started and perhaps its also the perfect lens for you.
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