FS: SMC Pentax-A* 300mm F2.8 ED [IF]
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.
Not one I can surreptitiously slip into the lens collection... excuse me while I buy a lottery ticket.
I'm struggling to find decent information on whether there is any advantage/disadvantage of using the filter on a Digital body - if anyone can contribute their knowledge that would be helpful
Two more images of the Fuschia bush just outside the Patio window today (lazy photography)
1. at f2.8 for the Bokeh

2. at f7.1 for depth and sharpness

When I had mine it had a Penfax rear filter although I'm pretty sure it wasn't a UV. I was under the impression it was needed for opitimal performance.
Fabulous lens, works very well with the 1.7x
And yes, I've used it with the 1.7x very successfully
Sometimes the rear filter is actually part of the optical formula and might be necessary. Obviously it can be changed for a coloured filter, but some filter may need to be there.
Also is this 2.8 version weather resistant?
What’s this like compared to the newer da* 300mm f4 SDM?
Also is this 2.8 version weather resistant?
As to what's it like compared to the current DA* f4.0 version, well that's extremely difficult to answer!
There are the obvious differences of it being significantly heavier, manual focus, 1 full stop faster, etc. but in terms of image quality then you really have to read opinions already posted on various forums (the Reviews section over on PF can be very useful).
My personal opinion is that it is the best 300mm lens I have ever used. It is capable of rendering beautiful background with wafer thin depth of field and incredible detail. It works brilliantly with the A series converters that were designed at the same time (particularly the 1.4x-L and 2x-L).
I wouldn't use it as a day-to-day lens - it is simply too heavy - but if you have the time and strength it can deliver absolutely top quality results.
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7028 posts
17 years
Worcestershire
I'm tentatively listing my fast A Star series 300mm - it's has the best IQ of any 300mm I have ever used but it hardly ever gets used nowadays (except for in the garden) due to it's weight, it needs to go to a younger and/or stronger Pentaxian
This is definitely a User copy and not a collectors copy. It is complete (I believe) in that it has the original leatherette lens cover, filter holder and metal case.
Cosmetically it is fairly good, no dents or major scratches. Mechanically it's excellent - a nice, clean and snappy aperture.
Optically it performs beautifully, it has some minor coating marks on the front element (typical for age) and excellent coating on the rear element. There is some notable dust and internal coating marks throughout the lens elements. There is almost no damping of the focus - it is very "free" but it tends to stay where left probably due to the weight? There is a slight "rattle" when it is moved, I can't work out exactly what it is but seems to come from the filter holder (near the rear of the lens). Discussions with another owner several years ago revealed that his copy also rattled, but I don't know if this applies to all or not.
So I've probably not done a great job of "selling" the lens (but if you've bought from me before you'll know that my descriptions are accurate) - but the big plus points are all about the image quality. It is simply superb and of course that fast aperture allows low light use and thin depth of field.
Another great strength is the fact that there are 2 "matched" converters that work beautifully with this lens, the A-1.4xL and the A-2xL - IQ degradation is minimal with either of these. The F 1.7x AF adapter also works beautifully (making this a limited range AF 510mm lens) and the HD - 1.4x WR converter also works really well (MF only) on APS-C.
These are the User Reviews over at PF:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-A-Star-300mm-F2.8-Lens.html
Here's a few photos of the lens:
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50431895072_55b72df385_b.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50431243991_74b0a3b79e_b.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50430554133_db893fcab0_b.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50430554238_f5d2c8998a_b.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50431417282_bc58c917ce_b.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50431245591_87977ac5c8_b.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50430554328_661ac0d9a8_b.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50431414827_480883d2b8_b.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50431415512_513506a976_b.jpg[/IMG]
And here's a Flickr Album of images taken with it:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62460860@N05/albums/72157678371965434
Here's a small selection from that album:
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49745908207_f6bedd8e4c_h.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49141384811_b15b655dbe_h.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49140892638_7808545cac_h.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49141384976_e7cd060c6f_h.jpg[/IMG]
These are withe the A-2x-L matched converter attached:
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/2835/34200363595_5e4ccbd578_h.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/4156/34159597426_80323192ac_h.jpg[/IMG]
And with the A 1.4x-L converter
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49591668753_aa17155c25_h.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49747294721_a67544abaf_h.jpg[/IMG]
And with the HD WR 1.4x converter on the K5iiS
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/4782/40083666725_10b8f55e67_h.jpg[/IMG]
I also have the A 2x-L converter that I would be willing to sell with the lens if wanted.
Price: offers around the £1100 mark
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