HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED WR Lens Review

HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED WR Handling and Features

The build quality of this lens is good for a lens of this price bracket, with high quality plastics being used for much of the lens barrel and a metal lens mount. This lens is also quite lightweight, only tipping the scales at 502g with the lens hood attached. It balances well with the Pentax K-5 IIs body used for testing.

Focusing isn't performed internally, so the lens barrel extends during focusing and zooming. Even so, the filter ring does not rotate, which makes it perfect for use with polarising and graduated filters. A deep circular hood is supplied with the lens that attaches via a bayonet fitting on the front of the lens.




The manual focusing ring rotates during auto-focus, but it is well enough out of the way to prevent it catching your fingers during operation. Manual focusing action isn't very well damped, although there is enough resistance in the mechanism to make applying manual adjustments relatively straightforward. The Pentax 'Quick Shift' focusing system has been implemented on this lens, which means manual adjustments can be applied once the lens has focused automatically. Auto focus is screw-driven, but is reasonably quick. The minimum focus distance of 1.4m is typical for a lens of this type.

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