Visit MPB Visit MPB Visit MPB

One MUST go !!

stu49
Posted 29/08/2010 - 22:28 Link
just acquired a FA-J 75-300 and already have a Sigma 70-300 DL macro super.

On testing today I find :

the Pentax gives better colour, weighs a lot less, but has a plastic mount !

the Sigma is slightly better wide open, weighs a ton, but has a metal mount !


Which do I keep ?? Any thoughts ???

Stu - K10D | DFA 100/2.8 Macro | DA 55-300 | AF-360FGZ |

So much to learn... So little time !
davex
Posted 29/08/2010 - 22:33 Link
Pentax, the difference between mount composition is irrelevant unless you are changing several times a day, each day. so keep the lighter weight, and better colour. IMHO.

Davex.
K5 + 8mm-500mm zooms and primes
Please feel free to play with any images I post.
My flickr: link
stu49
Posted 29/08/2010 - 22:36 Link
davex wrote:
Pentax, the difference between mount composition is irrelevant unless you are changing several times a day, each day. so keep the lighter weight, and better colour. IMHO.

Davex.

The Pentax is very soft below F11 though, the Sigma is better !?

Stu - K10D | DFA 100/2.8 Macro | DA 55-300 | AF-360FGZ |

So much to learn... So little time !
Daniel Bridge
Posted 29/08/2010 - 22:51 Link
And the Sigma does half life-size macro too. Does it really 'weigh a ton'?

Dan
K-3, a macro lens and a DA*300mm...
stu49
Posted 29/08/2010 - 22:54 Link
Daniel Bridge wrote:
And the Sigma does half life-size macro too. Does it really 'weigh a ton'?

Dan

But ONLY at 300mm !! which isn't overly useful

It's about 170gms heavier than the Pentax !!!

Stu - K10D | DFA 100/2.8 Macro | DA 55-300 | AF-360FGZ |

So much to learn... So little time !
fatspider
Posted 29/08/2010 - 22:57 Link
It does depend on what your using it for and how far your carrying it

As davex suggest the plastic mount shouldn't be a problem, however if the Sigma is a better lens wide open then given that these are 300mm lenses and probably used wide open quite often then it stands to reason to keep the Sigma, colour can always be adjusted later in photoshop whereas correcting softness from the lens is a bit trickier.

I assume the Sigma is a KAF mount (has an aperture ring) which would make it a more desireable lens if you came to sell it, the Pentax has limitations if anyone wanted to use it on an older body, which makes the Sigma the better investment, IMHO of course
My Names Alan, and I'm a lensaholic.
My PPG link
My Flckr link
MrCynical
Posted 29/08/2010 - 23:49 Link
stu49 wrote:
The Pentax is very soft below F11 though, the Sigma is better !?

How often would you be using f16 on a non-macro tele though?
stu49
Posted 30/08/2010 - 00:01 Link
MrCynical wrote:
stu49 wrote:
The Pentax is very soft below F11 though, the Sigma is better !?

How often would you be using f16 on a non-macro tele though?

So you're saying keep the Sigma if it's better wide open, right ??

Stu - K10D | DFA 100/2.8 Macro | DA 55-300 | AF-360FGZ |

So much to learn... So little time !
stu49
Posted 30/08/2010 - 12:56 Link
Just checked the data again, and the Sigma is definitely better up to F8 !!

Shame really as I wanted it to be the Pentax !

So it looks like I'm selling the Pentax, if anyone's interested !??
Will put it in classified shortly otherwise

Stu - K10D | DFA 100/2.8 Macro | DA 55-300 | AF-360FGZ |

So much to learn... So little time !
Anvh
Posted 30/08/2010 - 13:14 Link
Sell them both and get a Pentax 55-300

Serious though the DA-L version is very good value for the money and is sharper at the long end than the Sigma.
I only believe the AF isn't as fast as on the Sigma but I don't have any of the two so can't say from experience
Stefan
Comment Image

K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
Edited by Anvh: 30/08/2010 - 13:15
stu49
Posted 30/08/2010 - 13:25 Link
That would be nice Stefan ! Maybe I'll have a look

Depends what I can get for the other two !? No idea really ??

Stu - K10D | DFA 100/2.8 Macro | DA 55-300 | AF-360FGZ |

So much to learn... So little time !
Algernon
Posted 30/08/2010 - 13:33 Link
I agree with Stefan. The Sigma is poor at the 300 end. The 55-300 is a match for anything at f/8-f/11
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi
stu49
Posted 30/08/2010 - 13:38 Link
Anyone selling one !?

Looks like I could be selling BOTH then !!

Stu - K10D | DFA 100/2.8 Macro | DA 55-300 | AF-360FGZ |

So much to learn... So little time !

Add Comment

To leave a comment - Log in to Pentax User or create a new account.