Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThis is the one. Boom, baby.
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2018
I waited a lifetime for a really killer lens for my Pentax. First with my MX (film camera, quite some time ago) I got the 35-70 f2.8 SMCP, great lens, difficult time to do photography for me. Decades later I retired, got a K-1 (Finally a full frame digital Pentax; YAY!) and then when I fell into some money, I purchased this 150-450, the big one, same cost as the body. Worth every flippin' penny. I've been shooting Hummingbirds at my feeders (No, no, put away the Browning) and just wasn't getting the results I was after. (80-320mm Pentax brand lens) Printed at 13x19, they were good... I guess... Then this thing got delivered. Turn the page! Contrast! Sharpness! Vivid, OMG images! Heavy! (ok, that's not so great... but it's what it takes, I'm ok with it. Camera and lens weigh the same as an M16.)
The auto focus is fast and silent, too. It's still hard to get good images of hummingbirds, don't get me wrong; their colors are reflective and totally dependent on perfect lighting and they move like little feathered bullets. With my killer lens I can get a little distance and keep 'em large on the frame, and when I do my job the images are wonderful!
It's BIG and HEAVY! Read the specs. Comes with a lens carrying case; never thought I'd use one, but my regular camera case will carry all my kit, or the body and this lens. You will not be inconspicuous when you get this rig out; it's an OMG setup and will turn heads. There are cool and useful settings on the lens, more reading to be done. I'm learning, and it's the first time in decades where I got a lens and had to read the manual to understand how to work it! Excellent options! I'm using a monopod now, another first. After 20 minutes hand-held it becomes difficult to manage otherwise. I am supremely happy with this lens and my K-1.
ADDED: The sample images on Amazon do not tell the story. The sharpness, resolution, contrast are all next level pro class. When I print an image on my wide printer at 13x19 inches, the image is breathtaking. I've wondered over the year how the Nat. Geo. guys get those crazy razor-sharp images... now I know. Also, the K1 image stabilization works perfectly with this beast, allowing a photographer to break the rules (shutter speed WAY too low for the focal length/light conditions) and still get images of very good to incredible sharpness.
