Scenic Aperture

smc PENTAX A* 600mm f/5.6 ED IF

Martin, from southern California, recently contacted me to inquire about the Pentax smc A* 600mm f/5.6 ED IF super telephoto lens. He is considering investing in this fine piece of glass produced by Pentax from 1984 to 2000. I’ve been using this lens to shoot wildlife for a couple of years now. So for Martin, and other Pentaxians out there, I will attempt to provide some information about this lens and a recommendation as to whether it is a good investment for the wildlife photographer.  Here’s the short answer: the smc PENTAX A* 600mm is a fantastic lens – buy it if you can find one.

The longest lens in the current Pentax line up is the DA* 300mm f/4.0 ED [IF] SDM.  It is an exquisite lens but at 300mm is a bit short for wildlife. So if you’re committed to Pentax and need more reach, the no longer manufactured A*, F*, and FA* lenses are your only choice today. These beauties are well known for their image quality and are still in high demand but their availability is limited.  Although I have heard rumors some can be special ordered from Pentax Japan, I believe they are primarily obtained today from such places as eBay and KEH. Occasionally you see them on eBay – I bought mine from a Japanese eBay seller about two years ago. For reference, I paid $2,600 USD plus $125 for shipping. Mechanically the lens was fully operational and the glass was perfect. However, there were a few dings and scuffs on the barrel which kept the price down a bit. Even so, it was an uneasy leap of faith to send that much money to an unknown seller in a foreign country, but I have not regretted it for a moment.

I currently use the A*600mm with Pentax K7 and K10D DSLRs. Both combinations have served me well.  With a maximum aperture of f/5.6 it is not the fasted lens around but wide open it produces tack sharp images with creamy bokeh. The biggest limitation of this lens is manual focus. You have to be quick to shoot wildlife. For me, “manual focus” and “quick” do not necessarily go together. However, to become efficient with any long lens you must emphasize your technique and spend lots of time in the field practicing. Despite manual focus,  over time I have become fairly proficient with it. Here are the technical specs:

• Optical – 8 elements in 6 groups
• Aperture Range – f/5.6 ~ f/45
• Number of Aperture Blades – 9
• Minimum Focusing Distance – 18 feet
• Maximum Magnification – 0.12 X
• Special Features – extra-low dispersion element(s), internal focusing
• Front Filter Diameter – 112 mm
• Rear-Filter Diameter – 49 mm
• Max Diameter – 5.25 inches (hood retracted)
• Length – 15.2 inches
• Weight – 7.25 lbs
• Special Features – tripod collar, built-in hood
• Cap – soft leather tie-on cap, 112 mm
• Case – aluminum trunk

As you can see, like most high quality super telephoto lenses, it is big and heavy (somewhat top heavy) which makes your choice of tripod and head very important and a key factor to getting good results.  My support solution is a Feisol Tournament carbon fiber CT-3342 tripod with a Wimberley II gimbal head and P-50 mounting plate.  I’ve also used a Manfrotto 393 head which is less expensive than the Wimberley head yet quite functional. I like the Feisol line as I believe you get a lot for your money and the Wimberley II head simply reeks of quality.

Traveling by air with the A*600 is tricky but can be done.  I have two camera bags that can accommodate this lens that fit in over-head bins on most airplanes. The one I use most frequently is a Tenba  Shootout Large backpack style bag. The A*600 fits down the center of this bag with room left over to accommodate one or two DSLRs and a couple additional lenses. I am currently on my second Tenba bag as the main zipper failed on the first one. To Tenba’s credit, they replaced it for no cost and the zippers on the second bag were considerably heavier than the first. I’ve had the second for well over a year now, traveled with it extensively, and have had no additional problems.

The other bag I use with this lens is a Thinktank Airport Security v2.0 roller board style bag. It is designed to meet USA domestic carry-on size standards and has some nice security features for traveling. Like the Tenba, the Thinktank can accommodate the A*600 and one or two DSLRs and a couple additional lenses. If you use the optional short dividers, it will also accommodate a laptop computer. My only complaint is it weighs about 12 lbs empty so once you have it loaded up with gear, it is VERY heavy. However, with the weight comes a lot of padding and serious durability; both necessary for frequent air travel.

The bottom line is this:  The smc PENTAX A* 600mm f/5.6 ED IF is a great lens for wildlife photography if you are able to manage its size and manual focus. Here are a few sample images taken with this lens (click FS in the lower right corner for full-screen images):

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