On Sat, Sep 19, 2009 at 08:03:27AM -0700, Jack Davis scripsit: --- On Sat, 9/19/09, Graydon <[email protected]> wrote: > > Jack Davis scripsit: > > > Thanks, Dave. Seems a quite capable bargain lens. > > > > The DA 55-300 isn't a bargain lens; it is remarkably capable. > > > > I'm quite pleased that Pentax seems to have decided to produce a kit > > lens version; the 50-200 (which I have never owned or used) is > > reported as being really quite good optically, but the combination > > of the extra reach and the colour rendition out of the 55-300 > > strikes me as a better first impression to be making. > > > My use of the word "bargain" is a reference to it's price belying its > capability. Not a criticism.
Didn't think it was a criticism. Sigma 70-300 f4-f5.6 APO DG Macro is currently 330 CAD at Henry's. Pentax 55-300 f4-f5.8 is currently 500 CAD at Henry's. For a while there, it was a lot closer to twice the price; Sigma seems to have raised the prices on all the non-Sigma lens mount versions. (The Sigma version is still at 280 CAD, rather than 330 CAD.) So I was objecting to the "bargain" part; for the segment it is aimed at (consumer longish zoom), the DA 55-300 is actually pretty expensive. On the other hand, Henry's also has the K-x, the DA-L 18-55, and the DA-L 55-300 on for 1,000 CAD as a bundle. The K-x and the DA-L 18-55 bundle is 700 CAD. So it looks like either Hoya really wants to sell K-x kits or the DA-L version of the 55-300 is much cheaper than the DA version. (I am betting on the latter.) So at 300 CAD, and presuming no unfortunate tendency to mechanical failure, the DA-L 55-300 is unquestionably a bargain. (And can I just say how much I wish someone at Pentax had changed the series letters, instead of adding that L?) -- Graydon -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
