Should I stay with Pentax?

xmeda wrote:

If your copy produce dreamy look, you need service.

Nope I'll skip the servicing. At f/4.5 it's ok, not a big deal. Sometimes at f/4 it's ok but I don't yet clearly understand when it happens or not. I'm not used to the lens and its focusing either, so there's that. If I'm not lazy I'll shoot a chart some day.

I see you shared a photo taken at f/4.5. Any reason ?

Had one like that. Sold it and replaced. That is the problem of 2nd hand market in general. Only few guys do sell good lenses. Because these are keepers So the chance of buying lemon is quite high.

Yeah, that's another reason maybe to buy it "with caution"

Concerning sealing... yes HD DA55-300PLM WR is "sealed", but it extends and if you zoom few times with wet barrel, guess what happens

Never happened to me, I may be lucky. First time I used it it was under heavy rain, and I zoomed in and out a lot.

I read that a lot of time about that lens, but I've never read about anyone damaging his lens doing so. Usually, people do like to complain when there's a reason (the opposite is not true).

Definitely not lens comparable with single barrel IF/IZ lens. Unfortunately Penstax only has few longer lenses built like that. DA*50-135/2.8, DA*200/2.8, DA*300/4 etc

Yes, but similarly with the DFA 150-450, I never had any trace if water inside the lens (I didn't use it under heavy rain though).

What's for sure is that it's very difficult to get water on the front element of the sigma with such a hood