| Author: | | New Member Registered: August, 2015 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 4 | | Review Date: November 17, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Solid build, smooth operation, very sharp | | Cons: | Ricoh pin, heavy and a bit slow (mine is the f4.5 Lambda version) | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-70
New Or Used: Used
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I bought this lens to use with my 35mm Pentax cameras, but I've only tested it on my K-70 so far. The focusing ring turns a long way, making it easy to get very accurate focus. I didn't notice it had a Ricoh pin until I mounted it on my K-70 and got it stuck when trying to remove it. Turning the focus switch back to auto was enough to let me remove the lens, but I've since removed the mount and removed the pin. It just takes a bit of care and attention when reassembling, as there's a small ball bearing for locating the aperture click stops which could easily be lost. All in all, this is a nice lens. | | | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 14 | | Review Date: December 8, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very sharp at f 8-11,very nice bokeh, excellent colors | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: k-5, k-s1, k-x, k200d, k-s1, mz5, z20p
Autofocus: 9
New Or Used: Used
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an excellent very well corrected lens
somewhat better than the later, smaller 70-300 constructions 
++ excellent sharpness 
++ high contrast
+ very few CA's wide open
++ excellent color rendition
++ scarcely flare
heavy because of glass lenses
this is a very good sigma lens
highly recommended !!! 9.5 points
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: August, 2009 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 30 | | Review Date: May 21, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $8.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | IQ, smooth operation, smallish, cheap | | Cons: | None! | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Sony A7
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I've only tested it for part of a day on my Sony A7, but this is obviously a "best in class" lens (on a full frame sensor).
I really didn't expect much from this lens -- heck, my pristine (but no caps) copy just came along with two film bodies and two lenses I really wanted (for $30 total). However, I have yet to find anything to fault about this lens. Ok, I have better lenses, but not a better 75-300mm. In fact, this does better at 300mm than most zooms do by 200mm. There is a little purple fringing, but aberrations are minimal for a long zoom and it doesn't even vignette badly. Absolutely usable wide open at all focal lengths, and even macro is beautiful and is entered by continuously focusing -- without any hassle. Macro bokeh look like airbrushed backdrops:
I'll update this after I've done a more detailed set of tests. Maybe it will be less impressive trying to paint 24MP APS-C? For now, it's a clear 10 overall.
Note: My lens is fully manual focus, and absolutely identical to the one pictured except in that the rubber grip pattern is straight, not angled. It is marked as the Lambda II version and happens to be in Konica AR mount. Sigma's museum page lists the Lambda version as being introduced in 1984. A quick WWW search doesn't find many folks impressed with it: "sharp as a butter knife" was one comment. I don't know the explanation... but I do know what I'm seeing. Perhaps this is another one of those infamous "if you get a good one" situations that Sigma seems to have more than its fare share of?
Update: Ok, I've tested it on my NEX-7... and it looks as good on it as it does on the A7. Wow. Still more than usable wide open at all focal lengths, with just a bit of glow near 300mm. Still peaks well in magnified view, although not at full magnification wide open at 300mm. The only catch is that it has a bit of a strange form factor, long and narrow, which means you need to shoot at faster than 1/focallength no matter how steady your hands are. I can only guess that people got soft images from camera shake....
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: February, 2014 Location: Warsaw Posts: 76 | | Review Date: April 27, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $110.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | decent IQ, price, decent sharp | | Cons: | Bad Lens paint | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: k-500
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Encouraged by reviews on Pentax forums I bought this lens.
Lens offers good IQ and is significantly sharper than previously owned by me Pentax F 100-300. At 300mm and wide open f5.6 it is a bit soft closing it to f7.1 helps a lot, maximum sharpness lens provides after f11. 
At 150mm and f4.5 lens is again bit soft but closing it to 5.6 makes it sharp.
In general lens is a bit soft when full open but closing it one step (its not tragedy) makes it at least decent sharp.
I am satisfied with this lens, as for zoom it provides really good IQ even for its final price of 110$. If you can get it for around 100-140$ and it is in good condition I would recommend it.
| | | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 9
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 26, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Sharp. Good colours | | Cons: | Barrel coating decay | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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      One of my better budget 300mm lens . Value for money
Picked mine up for £15 on eBay.
Not so good in low light. But to be expected
Typical colour rendition with pentax Nice punchy greens and reds.
I have compared this with the 55-300mm and other 300mm lenses and have to say this sigma gem is my favourite . I think the tamron 70-300mm usd VR on canon has the edge on image sharpness.
Set your camera to Tav mode. Sharpest sweet spot is f7.1. I usually get shutter speeds over 1/1000sec and get ISO values at 800 or less for outdoor sports and wildlife using Tav mode.
It hunts a little for continuous AF but for if you get lucky it's on the money for very nice shots .
This lens is for the price fantastic and at 300mm I haven't seen any of the other lenses matching it. And it looks so good and balanced on my K5 body.
I am on the look out for another one .
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: May, 2010 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 34
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 28, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp even fully zomm out, PK-A | | Cons: | Bad Lens paint (sticky make zoom ring stuck!) | |
  Come as spare part due to zoom ring jammed by outer paint , restored and cleaned and it work !
Sigma 75-300mm APO PK-A, fully zoom out, amazing sharpness!
Look at it eye, tell me how sharp this l ens is!
All photo are original without editing, see to believe , taken with Pentax K-x in aparture priority.  | | | | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2008 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 276 | | Review Date: May 14, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Decent color and bokeh | | Cons: | Can be soft when pushed | |
I have had this lens for a little over a year. I got it for free when I bought a hard camera case at a charity auction and found this and two other lenses inside. It is a manual focus "A" lens.
I'm not a Macro shooter by any means, but I don't find the macro on this lens useful.
Saying that, it is a good general purpose lens. I find that it gives decent results and decent colors. It can be soft at full zoom. Mine is a little stiff on focus and zoom and the lens is a little long at full extension.
The attached pic was taken at full zoom, F11, ISO 100, 1/15.
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