PENTAX 55-300MM F4.5-6.3 DA PLM WR
Remarkably small and lightweight, the Pentax is an ideal go-anywhere tele zoom that makes a good travel companion
Despite being launched two years ago, around the same time as Pentax’s first fullframe DSLR, this lens is designed exclusively for APS-C format cameras. The required size of the image circle is therefore smaller, and the lens has a slightly slower aperture rating than usual, at f4.5-6.3. These factors enable a smaller and more lightweight build, but compactness is further boosted by a crafty design that’s based on a retractable barrel. With a retracted length of just 89mm, it takes up less than two-thirds of the room of other competing lenses for stowage. And whether it’s in use or in your gadget bag, it’s much lighter than the other lenses on test, at just 442g.
The Pentax beats 70-300mm lenses for overall zoom range, enabling a wider viewing angle on APS-C cameras than other lenses on test, at their shortest focal length. And while it’s a lightweight in physical terms, there’s no shortage of features and build quality is very good, complete with a full set of weather seals.
Autofocus is based on a steppingmotor system which is very quick and quiet, although it’s not quite as rapid or as completely silent as in the competing Nikon lens. Even so, it’s blissfully quiet compared with many other Pentax lenses. One thing that’s lacking in the Pentax lens is an optical image stabiliser. Pentax DSLR bodies feature built-in sensor-shift stabilisation, but the choice of optical stabilisation is nice to have for telephoto shooting. Image quality is very good overall, with impressive contrast and good sharpness throughout most of the zoom range, although it drops off a bit at the long end.