Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED Telephoto Zoom Range Lens Features

The versatile DA 55-300mm ED zoom lens offers an extreme telephoto zoom range, perfect for those moderate to long shots. ED elements compensate for chromatic aberration, while the PENTAX SP coating which protects the exposed lens elements. Developed specifically for PENTAX digital SLRs, the DA 55-300mm ED zoom has a focal length equivalent to 82.5mm to 450mm in the 35mm format.

• Extreme telephoto range zoom lens
• PENTAX SP coating protects the exposed lens elements
• ED elements compensate for chromatic aberration
• Developed specifically for PENTAX digital SLRs
• Focal length equivalent to 82.5mm to 450mm in the 35mm format

What's in The Box:

• Pentax DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED (21720)
• Lens Hood PH-RBG 58mm (38761)
• Lens Cap O-LC58 (31523)
• Rear Lens Cap B (31006)
• Lens Soft Case S80-160 (33925)

The versatile Pentax DA 55-300mm zoom lens offers a focal length equivalent of 82.5 to 450mm in the 35mm format, making it ideal for moderate to long sports and wildlife shots. The lens is outfitted with multiple ED glass elements, which are designed to minimize chromatic aberration and makes images look crisper and sharper than ever before. The Pentax Super Protective coating, meanwhile, protects the exposed lens elements against dirt and contamination. Other features include a focusing ring that permits easy manual focusing, a 4.6-foot close focusing distance, and a 58mm filter diameter. Specially adapted for high-quality Pentax and Samsung digital SLR cameras, the lens carries a one-year warranty.

Specifications

• Focal length: 55-300mm
• Maximum aperture: f/4 to 5.8
• Minimum aperture: f/22 to 32
• Lens construction: 12 elements in 8 groups
• Angle of view: 29 to 5.4 degrees (when used with Pentax digital SLR camera body)
• Number of diaphragm blades: 6
• Minimum focusing distance: 4.6 feet
• Maximum magnification: 0.28x
• Filter diameter: 58mm
• Diaphragm control: Fully automatic
• Hood: PH-RBG 58mm
• Objective cap: O-LC58
• Case: S80-160
• Corresponding AF mounts: Pentax and Samsung
• Dimensions: 2.8 inches in diameter and 4.4 inches long
• Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Warranty: 1 year

Technical Details

-Extreme telephoto range zoom lens
-PENTAX SP coating protects the exposed lens elements
-ED elements compensate for chromatic aberration
-Developed specifically for PENTAX digital SLRs
-Focal length equivalent to 82.5mm to 450mm in the 35mm format
See more technical details

 "Good deal for the price" 2010-06-13
By J. Buckwalter (Pa)
Purchased this lens for a Pentax K2000 so my wife would have a 300mm zoom for her cruise of the inter-waterways of southeast Alaska. She does not like to take pictures. With only a half hour training session on how to use both the camera and lens she came home with only 500 hundred photos and no frustrations in using it. Great lens for the price.


 "This was a gift" 2010-06-04
By Thia B. (Mpls, MN USA)
This item was a gift but the recipient seems to be very pleased with it. Once she was shown how to take off the existing lens and place this one, she has had no problems and is very happy with the quality of the photos, not to mention that she no longer has to get within 3 feet to take a picture of a bird or other wildlife.


 "An Exellent Budget Option" 2010-04-13
By V. Waldron (Indiana)
The DA 55-300 is a great budget option to get to 300mm. It is quite sharp throughout its range, is compact, light and benefits from the in body shake reduction that is present in Pentax dSLRs. Just a quick comment about the shake reduction. I am able to shoot comfortably at 300mm and 1/8 second and have very sharp images.

The DA 55-300 includes a lens hood and has quick shift capability in which you can tweak the focus manually, without flipping a switch on the lens. In my experience, this is quite useful as it is easy to have the camera focus on a branch rather than the bird you are interested in.

The negatives of this lens are three: first of all, it has a maximum aperture of f4-5.8. This means that shooting low light is pretty much out, although by pushing the iso on your camera, you do have some ability to take photos in these situations. The lens does stay at f4 -4.5 until 210mm. Second, the auto focus is noisy. Third, the auto focus tends to hunt in low light. I have used this on my K20 and K7 and it is much more prone to hunt on the K20 than the K7.

All in all, this is an excellent lens and to beat it, you would have to move up in price significantly to the DA *60-250 f4 or, the Sigma 100-300 f4, both of which are much more expensive (and bulkier) options.


 "Very Good Ergonomics, Good Image Quality" 2010-03-27
By Sparkling Pix "Don" (Monument, CO USA)
I got this lens as an upgrade to the Sigma 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6. I mainly use these lenses at the long end, 200-300mm, and need a fairly high shutter speed to capture moving animals in daylight. Particularly wide open at the long end, the Sigma (non-APO model) has significant chromatic aberration (CA), isn't very contrasty, and is soft below f/8. For my main use shooting outdoor dog shows, neither the CA nor contrast were an issue, but sharpness was. More on this later.

The Pentax has a solid feel, smooth zooming, and a non-rotating front element allowing effective use of polarizers. CA is minimal and contrast is very good at all focal lengths. Could be easily carried all day on camera or in the camera bag.

Pros:
- Excellent mechanical build. Smooth zoom and manual focus.
- Minimal CA and very good contrast.
- Surprisingly small and lightweight. Smaller than competing Tamron and Sigma lenses; not a lot, but enough to make it easier for me to handhold (and I have fairly large hands). Easy to use handheld in good light.
- Ability to manually focus when in autofocus mode by just turning the focus ring, rather than having to disengage autofocus.
Cons:
- Barely acceptable sharpness at f/5.8 at longer focal lengths. Improves steadily to good sharpness beginning at f/8.
- Automatic focus too slow for critical focus on fast moving objects, such as a jogger running towards you, but no worse than comparable lenses.

All in all, this lens is very comfortable to use, and clearly at the top of its class. If you use the lens often, the build quality and superior ergonomics make its additional cost, relative to the Tamron and Sigma offerings, worth it. I really needed a notch or two better sharpness when nearly wide open at the long end, and better autofocus capabilities, so ended up using a Pentax DA* 300mm f/4 for dog shows. (Of course, that prime lens is more special purpose, costs about 3x as much, and is not in the same class).


 "I love this Lens" 2010-02-06
By Matthew J. Baker
This is a really good lens. Upgraded from the smaller 55-200mm it has a good focal range and great clarity. I am really looing foward to taking this lens to an airshow to really try it out.


Read more Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras

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