Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR USA

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

I use this for short range birding. It is very sharp handheld. I use it with a Novoflex Shoulder Pod. I can find no fault with this lens.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

I use this lens for a lot of wildlife photography. The focusing is super quiet, but can search a bit when trying to focus, so its not always the fastest. The images I have been getting are very good. I did read a detailed review online that tested the sharpness as being best at f/11 and 2nd best at f/5.6, so I try to use these apertures as much as possible. I haven't done a detailed examination of photos from other f-stops, but the pictures i have looked at have been fantastic.

It is heavy, which is too be expected, but the weight has not been a problem for me in a normal day of use. I have yet to use a tripod with this lens, all my shooting has been solely by hand and the pics have been great on my K-5!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

I use this lens mainly for wildlife and birds. It is sharp and relatively fast focusing. The SDM is quiet and does not disturb the animals. Its size is quite handy for birds in flight pics and it can be handheld easier than a lot of bigger lenses like the Sigma zooms. B&H had the best price and got the lens to me quickly.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

Solid construction. Perfect placement of tripod mount. Tack sharp. Very quiet focus. This is a large, heavy lens but great balance.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

i mainly used this lens for wildlife, it is great for larger mammals and its small minimum focal length allows for close ups of reptiles. it produces sharp images with a pleasing Bokeh. The only improvement to this lens would be the inclusion of a focus limiter as it occasional goes through the whole range after losing focus

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

I was looking forward to this high quality Pentax lens. By far the most expensive lens I have purchased. Right out of the box it took sharp photos, both near and far, around the room and through a window, the motor quiet and smooth. A few days later when I took it outside for some nature shots the auto focus froze on infinity. I switched to manual and adjusted the focus and it solved the problem temporarily. But as soon as I went back to autofocus it locked again near infinity. Another reviewer at B&H had a similar problem with the 300 mm autofocus jamming so beware that there may be a hidden defect lurking in this product. This may be a five star lens manually, but a risky investment if you are looking for reliable autofocus. I have returned it to B & H (they are great with returns) and will replace with the 55- 300 Pentax zoom for now.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

I have only had the DA*300 for a short time and used it mainly for photographing birds and small animals. The results have exceeded my expectations. Fast acurate focusing and excellent image quality.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

Stellar performer. Very sharp, and works well with in-body stabilisation, which is more noticable/effective at this focal length.

Suprisingly good bokeh! This has now become my default lens bushwalking, with a shorter macro and wide prime in the bag. Very versatile thanks to close minimum focus distance.

Not as big as imagined. About as heavy as expected (not light, but probably good for this class of lens). Overall GREAT and well worth the investment.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

Incredible! From the very first moment you look through the view-finder, you'll see the difference. It puts other lenses to shame, especially zooms. Razor sharp!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

I previously owned the 300 F4 when film was popular and it had no tripod mount the new lens is wonderful. The quality and size lives up to Pentax reputation. I have no complaints with the lens or B & H photo. I would recommend this lens to anyone.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

Pros-
Integrated tripod collar
Build quality
Weather sealing
Colour
Sharpness

Cons-
It maybe just me but I find the lense hood fiddly and not up to the quality of the rest of the lense.

I shoot wild life, mainly birds, mostly hand held. While this lense was a lot of money for me you get what you pay for.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

Superb image quality, quick and quiet focus, compact for a 300mm telephoto, good build.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

I have purchased this lens to photograph sports, including cricket, soccer, rugby, bmx, dog trials etc. My first impressions where the very solid and stylish construction. On camera the focusing is smooth, fast and silent-I have a K10 and suspect the K7 will be even quicker. Results are very sharp with exceptional contrast.Is heavy but lighter than expected for such a well constructed 300mm.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

I bought this lens on March 2009 and took it on a vacation to Panama (Central America). The lens/K20D had occasional jamming (near the infinity mark) of the AF system while shooting at a beach. I thought that the problem might have been caused by the lens/camera getting very warm under the tropical sun. After returning to Califonia, the problem became increasingly annoying over time and clearly heat had nothing to do with the jamming. I finally sent the lens back to PENTAX USA (on Oct 6 2009). The lens was returned on Dec 17 2009. The repair description states 'replaced HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor)'. Repair was covered by the 1-year PENTAX warranty. The lens looks fine but more testing needs to be done, this time also using a K-7.

I have not read complaints regarding the SDM system for the DA*300mm/F4. If you observe jamming return the lens at once! (I took too long as my copy saw only occasional use).

Otherwise I am happy with this telephoto lens. I have been able to take some very sharp and contrasty photos handholding the camera! I would hate to part with it again and I hope that the new SDM will last.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

Works very well with my digital Pentax. I'm enjoying it every minute.

Do need to get protective cover for it.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

PHOTO'S OF BIRDS,GEESE,EAGLES,SWANS,MAGPIES[MY FAVORITES AGAINST A SNOW BACKGROUND].SHARP WIDE OPEN AND EASY TO FOLLOW FAST ACTION. THESE DA STAR LENSES ARE IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN.

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

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 .
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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!!!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

I would say this lens is reborn of the legendary lens known as Pentax-FA* 300/4.5 for Pentax film cameras. No exaggeration! But now it also has water and mud resistant design and excellent SDM autofocusing system! If necessary you can switch to manual focusing very fast or do manual focusing after the automatic has finished.
The lens is sharp, pictures are very clear. SDM focus is fast and very precise. For exmple, took cherry-tree 10-12 meters away and could see veins of its leaves and sharp green cherries on the picture - and all this hand-held! (thanks to K10D stabilization)
Rain or drizzle is not a problem - the mount is very tight, lens is sealed and its blend effectively protects the front element.
My general impression is that K10D works with SDM lenses better than with previous motor systems.
Once again... I was impressed with the results like peoples' faces in the ports of landing aircraft or human's hairs from 50 meters!

Comments about Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens for Digital SLR:

Build quality is superb. AF quick, silent, and reliable. Very sharp between f/4 and f/16. Bokeh is world-class.