Pentax 300mm K mount.

I have finally decided on which macro lens to keep and now I can put the rest of them up on Ebay to raise some cash for a 300mm.
There is no way I can stretch to the newer AF lenses at present and to be honest I am quite happy using manual focus anyway.

Was just wondering if anyone has any experience of the Pentax 300mm F4 K mount (or KA at a stretch) as they seem fairly reasonable on Ebay and probably within my budget.

thanks.

The K 300mm/F4 and M version are beautiful crafted and built to last. But....,
if you have a K10D I advice against it. The light meter will go nuts at any given aperture except wide open, and not give you proper readings. And although these lenses are good, used wide open, stopped down one or two stops will increase sharpness dramatically. Better stick to the A version.
There are Pentax Dslr's working with no problems, but The K10D sure has that problem. See other threads about this issue. The A*300/f4 is a wonderful lens, but for a price. Expect to pay usd 700-800 for a near mint example. Otherwise look at the Tamron Daniel Bridge has on offer in the classifieds.
Martin.

You do know what brand whiskey i prefer, yes?
Martin.

There's a big difference between the K & M 300. The M is an M* and is the same optically as the A* (the M is also a hell of a lot smaller and lighter than the K).

My copy of the M* is terrific wide open and you don't need to stop it down to get it sharp!

I also think "The light meter will go nuts at any given aperture except wide open" is exaggerating somewhat

R

So I am presuming this one is a waste of time?

http://tinyurl.com/6jgw5m

£250 seems a bit high to me, although it does look in great condition

R

How about this one.

http://tinyurl.com/66abmd

Given that it's hardly been used and also stored in a leather case for a long period, I would check it carefully for fungus when you get it...

Good price, BTW

R

I sold mine, bought new in 1982, for 70.00 pounds to a dealer, so 250 seems quite a lot.

The lens is big, and quite slow to focus. In your shoes I would save a bit more and buy an F or FA. Or the DA if you save plenty.

G

He's bought one for £133, which was what I was referring to

R

Can anyone tell me how this would compare with the new DA 55-300mm?
I am thinking of selling my Tamron 28-300, DA 50-200mm and FA 80-320mm to buy the DA plus a MKII 18-55mm and if I do would the 300mm prime be of much use?
If not then I will just sell it straight on.

thanks.

the 300 F4 is a stop-and-a-bit faster than the DA 55-300, which is F5.8 @ 300.

From what I've seen so far of the DA 55-300, I would expect performance to be similar between the two. My Tamron 300 F2.8 is better, but not by the kind of margin you might expect.