That's what a couple of us suspected. Down the line a bit, they may sell a few "L" copies simply because some won't remember the "L" designation as applying to the kit version.
Jack --- On Sat, 9/19/09, P. J. Alling <[email protected]> wrote: > From: P. J. Alling <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: PESO: Pigeon Secrets > To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <[email protected]> > Date: Saturday, September 19, 2009, 10:21 AM > You won't get much of a bargain as > the L series is a Kit lens only. > You'll have to get the standard 55-300 unless you're > planning to buy a > K-x as well. > > Jack Davis wrote: > > I get it, Gradon. My reaction to the "L" release of > the 55~30 was, also, that it would be less expensive.(?) > > Speaking strictly from an IQ standpoint, $350 for the > 55~300 was a heck of a buy. I made the decision to pick one > up upon reading IQ reviews. FWIW, most explicit of which was > that of Pop Photo who's SQF tests produced results rated > significantly higher than those of the DA* 300 f/4. > Sample deviations notwithstanding. > > > > Jack > > > > --- On Sat, 9/19/09, Graydon <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > >> From: Graydon <[email protected]> > >> Subject: Re: PESO: Pigeon Secrets > >> To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <[email protected]> > >> Date: Saturday, September 19, 2009, 8:13 AM > >> 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 > >> > > > -- > > > The free man owns himself. He can damage himself with > either eating or drinking; he can ruin himself with > gambling. If he does he is certainly a damn fool, and he > might possibly be a damned soul; but if he may not, he is > not a free man any more than a dog. > > --G. K. Chesterton > > > -- > 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. > -- 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.
