Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots

2009-04-23
I added new lens just for the birds. I got the used lens from Kerrick James, the diehard Pentaxian not knowing it was his lens. It was an instant story telling for me when I played the Pentaxian video showing my boys where my lens come from.The lens is pretty beaten up on the outside but the inside is as clean as I would like it. Whenever I see wonderful and compact lens like this from Pentax, I just wonder why the heck Pentax is doing in not continuing to produce this fine jewels. It is small and compact and I can whine less about heavy load in gear. It is the most compact 300mm that I have handled and I wish the size and weight of every tele-lens is like this F* lens. A pure sweet and joy to use.
Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots
Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots
I don't have a comparative shot for the lens but I can assure everyone that this is a small and compact in size for that focal length. Rose may be stunned to see the paint loss. I go easy on the cosmetic and compromise for this lens. I still wonder if it is worthwhile to touch up with paint from a toy shop as in model plane and others.
This is a random casual test shot in f/5.0, it is very sharp taken for indoor
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Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots
And I did some random shots yesterday around sunset time and this morning
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Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots
I learned from others that I ran into this morning are Black Crowned Nighted Heron. And I started turning SR off after reading up Daniel Tong's suggestion on Birds In Flight (BIF) using high shutter speed with SR off.
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Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots
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Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots
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Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots
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Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots
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Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 Test Shots
And now I wish all my other lens this small and compact in size. I am pretty happy with the lens. I debated with myself a couple of times whether to get the DA* 300mm f/4.0 and it is a tough call. I chose it based on my intuition on size and weight. Kerrick James sold his F* after he got DA* 300mm f/4.0.

Impressions & Notes
  • Weight is 880g, very light as compared to other 300mm
  • Size is absolutely compact, a joy to hold and use in the field
  • Filter size is 67mm
  • F* lens come with ED glass that work better than the A* lens on PF/CA
  • I dislike the default tripod mount that seems to get in the way to hand-holding the lens
  • Shots at indoor at f/5.0 turn out amazingly sharp. I am yet to test it wide open
  • Color is amazing with this lens
  • Built in lens hood very nice and practical
  • Auto vs Menu focus has a push and pull toggle ring very similar to Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG EX Macro, manual focus ring is well dampened for fast focusing need
  • Bokeh is excellent as soft and creamy
  • The best value in this prime is in the ease of use
  • AF is reasonable and in general, I find the initial AF from close to infinity very bothersome to get first shot in focus. This is not the lens' fault but rather how Pentax bodies work. It is slow to get to first shot in focus.
  • I am experimenting on turning SR off in shutter speed about and faster than 1/800 sec to make room for faster reaction in between shots and less overcompensation in panning.
  • Many of my test shots are done in f/5.6 and sharpness is excellent even in that aperture

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Welcome to Hin's Photo Corner, this is my learning blog on photography, blogging and advertising. And I hope you enjoy your visit. For contact, please comment in blog post or email me directly hintheman at gmail.com.

 

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