Pentax HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE Lens

2024-10-15T04:48:02

Great lens! It's exactly what I was hoping it would be.

BRUCE H.

2022-04-01T09:06:56

Honestly, this lens is incredible with the Pentax K70. I originally purchased the Pentax K70 with the 18-135mm lens. I really enjoy my 18-135mm, but recently I found myself really enjoying wildlife photography and ideally a 300mm lens is just more capable for this type of photography. After comparing the two lens I?m blown away at the quality of images with the 55-300mm PLM. The focus is sharp and very fast and I have zero issues focusing in on moving targets which is a huge plus. I?m relatively new to photography so I?m learning a lot and this 300mm lens really is very capable. Additionally the added weather proofing as well as the light weight makes this my new go to lens when walking around parks for wildlife shots. I highly recommend!

NATHAN T.

2022-03-04T07:58:20

A bit soft at full zoom, but I can mostly deal with that in post-processing. Insanely fast focusing. If it ?hunts?, it does it so quickly that I don?t notice.

Robert T.

2021-12-16T09:27:38

This appears to be a very good lens to use with my Pentax KP. I like that it can be locked while retracted because when fully extended it is fairly long. When fully extended to 300mm I am concerned about the venerability of the lens if bumped on the side, just have to be careful. It is sharp up to about 300mm, it then is a little soft but easily corrected in post. I performed a 'Fine-tune calibration adjustment with the lens on the KP. After many tests, the lens showed a +1 at 55mm, 100mm, and 300mm. At 250mm no adjustment was needed, a "0". I ended up choosing the +1. The method I used to check the calibration was the "Dot-Tune",

WILBURN E.

2021-07-03T04:42:58

A very fast focusing and lightweight lens. Great for traveling when you don?t want to carry heavier equipment.

CHRISTOPHER R.

2021-06-13T08:33:05

This is a very nice lens and I highly recommend it to any Pentax user. I'm very happy with it and you can see how nice the pictures turn out that I took.

John R.

2021-05-01T04:59:19

Fasted focusing lens in Pentax's catalogue. Very compact, well built, weather sealed, sharp corner to corner through the entire range, good close up, and very decent bokeh. For its price it's no brainer for Pentax users. The only drawback is when it is in the compacted form, it takes an extra step to slide it to 55mm before you can start using it, but that's also a benefit for backpackers or needing ultimate compactness- tradeoffs indeed. 55mm is a bit wider than standard 70's, and it helps. Overall you can't go wrong with this one. Optically its the best bang for the buck for telephoto work in the K mount.

Carl G.

2020-07-31T08:59:27

Having a great time learning the ins and outs of photography and the many different types of lenses.

Liren T.

2020-01-07T09:05:37

super lens.

gary l.

2019-10-04T10:51:57

I added this lens to my K70 kit to compliment the 18-135 kit lens, I’ve also added the 35mm macro limited lens to complete this kit. I use this 55-300 mostly at the 300mm focal length for both distant shots and for macro shots that I crop. The lens is quick to focus and the images are sharp and crisp. Glad I got it. I definitely recommend this camera/lens combination.

Robert L.

2019-06-11T18:36:41

It takes very nice pics but tends to shoot a little on the dark side.

Bob H.

2019-05-25T03:09:38

I bought this lens for its reputation of fast autofocus and it doesn’t disappoint. It has very good image quality, which can be unusual in a zoom with this kind of range. I didn’t know the retractable feature would be so useful, it takes up so little space in a bag with the hood reversed. I had the Pentax DA 55-300 (nonWR) which was one of my favorites. This one has at least equal optics, but blows it away in autofocus, it’s so fast and silent. I know it has a slower aperture, but paired with the KP it is actually much better in low light than the old lens was with older camera models.

Tom R.

2018-11-29T20:44:00

Using it on my K3II-terrible focus issues-micro focus adjustments @ +7. Have to Post Process every shot. Didn’t expect a science project-definitely not recommended Would give it a zero if I could

Fred F.

2018-08-28T16:48:01

WR, electronic diaphragm, quiet, fast. Doesn't compare to the quality of my 24-70mm, but then I do not expect it to. Buy this if you need a nice size, light weight lens when you need extra reach.

NEIL L.

2018-07-13T11:42:37

Seems well made, light weight, size is good for camera bag, focus ring somewhat tight, 55-200 works best after that not as sharp. This is not a lens for fast action sports in continuous shooting mode,

Steven C.

2018-06-28T13:06:45

I do like everything about this lens except I have the same issue as another of the reviewers. I use this lens on a K3II and get extremely overexposed photos when in green mode. When shooting in manual modes, there is no issue though. I don't know if it's just some copies or if there's another issue at play.

Jeff M.

2018-04-12T10:44:35

Takes gorgeous pictures but cheap build quality. I went to grab the lens for a quick manual focus and the plastic barrel snapped in two. I bought another because of the cost vs great pictures. I'm just going to be real gentle with this one!

Bill B.

2018-01-24T17:04:57

Good quality lens. The PLM is quiet and fast to focus. I wish only that there was a way to focus manually. I also miss the distance markers. Otherwise it is doing just whay I wanted.

Thomas K.

2017-12-18T12:59:39

The plm autofocus is so fast and quiet that you don't realize it's already perfectly in focus. Very sharp ant beautiful bokah.

Dan T.

2017-09-26T17:13:10

Focusing with my K3 is rapid and silent thanks to PLM. The lens is well built and compact. Recommended.

Rodney S.

2017-06-18T10:43:04

This is just what I needed to get more grate pictures. Works good so even I can use it.

Richard M.

2017-05-23T08:39:37

First, I can't believe how fast and accurate the focusing is on my K-3! WOW! Second, the photo quality is better than I expected. Five stars all the way!

CHARLES B.

2017-04-19T09:40:51

Wonderful lens! Compact, not heavy, and autofocus is the best. Maintains clarity and sharpness in all focal lengths.

Rich B.

2017-04-04T11:01:27

I can only use this lens in Manual mode. In Green mode, all photos come out terribly overexposed. Unsure if it's the camera or the lens. I have no issues with three other lenses I use.

David E.

2016-12-20T11:23:10

Good service as always. Will be bavck

Jarrell T.