Pentax SMCP-DA 300mm f/4 ED IF SDM Lens with Hood

2022-05-20T08:31:54

Tack sharp at full aperture. I have this paired with a K1, and this should be named a DFA lens. Great full-frame performance. quick focusing. I even tried it with the 1.7x converter and found it (the converter) focuses nicely in good light, and still makes good pictures.

ROBERT W.

2020-02-13T07:08:24

Great lens for wildlife. Sharp as a tack. And very quiet. Great Adorama service. Would highly recommend this lens.

DIANE P.

2019-05-12T09:08:16

Only had this lens a few days. Weight and handling are very good. Image sharpness is excellent. Manual focus is smooth. Many people indicate that the autofocus (AF) tends to be slow or hunts a lot. I had excellent results with "Spot" and "center weighted" focus and exposure settings. I have my AF and AE on back buttons not the shutter release button. I think that the slow and seeking results are from using multi-point, image wide settings and having too many small limbs and leaves in the image. I have it mounted on a K-3. I have not tried it on a K-1 or K-5 yet.

JAMES B.

2019-01-17T18:44:16

This is without a doubt, the best lens I’ve ever owned. I can’t believe how sharp it is. I’m using it on a K1 full frame and i don’t see any vingetting as some might suggest. It’s just superb.

MIRKO M.

2018-08-17T16:43:34

I'm very pleased with this lens. Very fast and smooth focus. The Pentax 1.4x works great with it.

Robert K.

2017-09-24T09:21:24

Great build. Pretty close focusing. Nice and sharp. Fairly quick focusing on the K1.

GREG L.

2017-07-26T05:52:26

Optically only Zeiss & Hassleblad are better. Rugged construction, dust & water resistant. Smooth operation, flawless autofocus, exact auto exposure, super easy to use in manual modes. Slides into mount and locks precisely in place. Much better lens than the other mass market producers for less money. Extremely good value.

Lee O.

2017-05-16T09:36:15

This is an excellent lens. It is high quality. Sharp images , the SDM motor is quiet and making focuses quickly. I like it very much.

Jeff z.

2017-01-18T10:44:58

The DA*300 has a well-deserved reputation. I waited for a long time to add this to my collection of Pentax lenses and can say it was worth the wait. It's responsive, light, and sharp. I shoot wildlife with a variety of focal lengths but find the 300-450 range is common for me. So I hook this up with the 1.4 teleconverter and have a great, light setup. So far, it's produced some great images and I'm looking forward to more as I put it through its paces. The quality of build on this is terrific. I enjoy a lens that makes me glad I spent the money.

KATHLEEN S.

2017-01-10T13:48:57

When I first began using this lens I thought: ''the autofocus isn't working"! Then I realized it was perfectly in focus, but was not making a sound getting there. Impressive focus speed and sharp, bright images.

JAMES H.

2016-12-18T15:21:29

This lens came highly recommended from friends in the Pentax community. It lives up to it's reputation. It is one of the sharpest lenses I own. The images of birds show amazing detail in the feathers. While not a macro lens, the images of butterflies and other insects on flowers are excellent. It is quiet and focuses quickly. The only thing I miss is a ring for manually setting the aperture. Yes, I'm old school! There are other options for achieving 300mm with less expense. In my experience, none of them match the output of this lens. You won't be disappointed.

ROGER K.

2016-05-12T08:35:39

This is a great prime lens. It produces extremely sharp images and, although not the least expensive 300mm, it's also not the most expensive. I find the autofocus to be fast and accurate. The constant F4 is fast enough for most outdoor conditions. Even wide open this lens is sharp.

Robert F.

2015-12-20T10:10:05

I saved for 2 years to be able to afford this lens. I have read so many great reviews for it and I have been so disappointed in all of the other 300mm options I currently own. This lens lives up to all the hype. Crystal clear, contrast is awesome, excellent bokeh, and super quick auto-focus. I have used this lens for air shows, surfing, baseball, shore birds, and even MACRO work with a set of extension tubes. Take my advice, buy this lens.

RAYMOND S.

2015-12-19T06:13:21

This lens continues to amaze me every time I use it. I have had two other Pentax 300mm lenses in the past, the SMC 300mm F4.0 (K-series for film) and the Pentax SMC-F 100mm-300mm f5.6. This lens shows no noticeable fringing even when shooting into the sun, which I do alot of shooting surfing on the east coast of Florida. It is a tad heavy, but not more than my older Pentax 300mm was and this one has a tripod ring that the older did not. The weather sealing come in handy when I am at the beach. If you have the money, buy this! Anyone looking for a used k-series 300mm......LOL!

RAYMOND S.

2015-11-25T05:44:46

There aren't too many options for Pentax long lenses, fortunately, this one does not disappoint. Sharp, contrasty and with nice bokeh. Overall a lovely lens and a nice complement to the Pentax system.

Acel S.

2014-12-29T19:00:00

It is a prime lens of high quality. Quiet, fast, focus, overall smooth. Everything you would expect for the price. This is a great birding and outdoor lens. The low light usage is limited but logical considering the focal length vs diameter.

PAUL C.

2014-08-18T21:00:00

This lens is simply the best lens I have ever owned. The clarity and accurate focus is overwhelming. The motor is whisper silent. It is expensive and I really had to think a long time before purchasing a lens that cost more than my first car but worth the money indeed.

PAUL C.

2012-12-12T19:00:00

This is a great lens. The build quality is superb and the focus and silky smooth. The removable tripod mount is well thought out and the lens handles very well.

JOSEPH H.

2012-12-12T19:00:00

Living in Western Colorado, I try to get out as often as possible to photograph wildlife. In just a couple of weeks time I have captured the wild horses of the Little Book Cliffs and the bald eagles that have returned to the valley to fish the small streams and rivers. This lens has done a beautiful job of capturing the various wildlife on the western slope. By using the 300mm, I didn't have to get too close to the wild horses, thus disturbing them. I am really enjoying the clarity that this lens produces.

LAURIE J.

2012-05-25T21:00:00

I don't often write reviews for the photo gear I have purchased, but this lens DESERVED a review, and a very high praise one at that. I am primarily a wildlife photographer so I needed a high quality lens that would get me up close to the action without interfering with the wildlife. I primarily photograph marine mammals so it was very important that I could hand-hold the lens that I purchased since having a tripod on a boat is absolutely useless. While this lens is a bit on the heavy side, it small enough that I can easily carry it around on a boat or on hikes without it being too much of a burden (although I do recommend investing in one of those nifty Cotton Carriers if you will be doing a lot of walking around with this thing). This lens takes absolutely stunning images. The photos are tack-sharp, very nice bokeh, and wonderful clarity. Even when I crop in 100% or even 200% the photos still look fantastic. In short, I am very impressed. The only cons of this lens is the weight (it is a bit heavy, but it will help build muscles ;) ), the auto focus is slower than I would like sometimes however it is still very fast, and the hood can be a real pain to get on and off. Otherwise this lens is all aces and I've attached a photo to prove it.

Spyhopper

2011-09-17T21:00:00

I bought this lens for my trip to Alaska. Wow! I'm so glad I did. I have attached some photo's from this trip. The bears and whales are right up front with this lens.

Cindee S.

2011-09-03T21:00:00

good use with SDM macro tube(i use kenko 1.5and remove all lenses), so that i can use this as a macro lens, 1:2 ratio. high performance, from about 0.4m-5m. useful range!

Tablelo

2011-09-03T21:00:00

This lens is great! Fast auto focus, sharp and accurate. The lens is heavy, but what would you expect in a weather sealed, 300mm lens. You can really reach out and get that impossible shot with this one.

Cindee S.

2010-11-22T19:00:00

Been using a sigma 170-500 non hsm lens. Finally got the combination right with this purchase. Staying in AUH, donot get many choices for Pentax. Thanks adorama for having such a good variety for pentax.

rajesh

2009-08-22T21:00:00

As I write this review, I'm looking at a image of a Lanner Falcon (native to the middle-east and a favorite of the Arab shieks) in my photo browser that I took on 8/22 at the Cinti. Zoo. The bird show keeper brought out three birds for members of my photo club to shoot. Wish you could see the detail in the feathers of this beautiful bird. I'm still getting used to the lens on my K20D. I used a bushhawk shoulder stock and shot @ 125 to 180th and between F4.5 and 8 (ISO 400). They weren't quiet as sharp as the birds on my backyard feeder, but those were shot on a weighted-down tripod using a cable release. The zoo shots were very good and the bokeh was wonderful! I'm looking forward to using this lens on a tripod at the zoo soon. Well worth the investment. By the way, just sold my older FA* 300MM Pentax [...] for 89% of what I paid for it six years ago! Pentax rocks!

Michael R.

2008-09-11T21:00:00

I had a Bigma (Sigma 50-500mm), which I used on an Alaskan Cruise. But when I got back I decided to sell it and get this lens (Pentax DA*300/4) because of weight, better aperture, and weatherproof. I found while trekking about Alaska, that my backpack was starting to feel heavier and heavier as the day wore on. The biggest problem was the Bigma, it was the heaviest lens in my backpack. Also, while out on a boat shooting photos of whales, I had to be careful not to get the Bigma wet because of the salt spray and drizzle. In a nutshell, I decided to get the DA*300/4 for the weatherproof sealing, larger aperture for better focus in the less than ideal light, and it is much lighter to pack around. I wasn't disappointed in performance either! The first thing that I noticed is - what seemed to be broken focus. Nope, it wasn't broken - it was super quiet! The SDM focusing in this lens is fast and quiet. The lens is sharp, sharp, sharp too! I have a K20D, and pixel peep to see what a new lens resolves. This lens out-resolves what the K20D can show. That's right, the lens is sharper than the camera can resolve. So, when Pentax comes out with the next higher sensor, this lens will work just fine. I can't say what the negatives are, I haven't found any yet. It also works just fine with a standard 1.4X teleconverter. The images show very little degradation (another testament to how sharp the lens is to start with!).

TomInJax

2008-05-22T21:00:00

Very sharp wide-open and continues through f16. High quality build. Bokeh is smooth and buttery.

Ted