Kudos for Pentax's 55-300mm

I haven't gotten any auto shots with it yet, but the Pentax 55-300 served very nicely at a couple of late evening horse races over in Charles Town, WV. The lens handles nicely. It's light enough for easy use, but feels substantial enough for durability. I hope so.

With car races, you get several chances at catching the action as it goes by, but with horse races, it's over by the time you blink. A couple minutes and the whole story starts again, but when it's nearly dusk before the first race starts, getting in a couple of races is about all that's going to happen, especially if you work from a railbird's position. That is, from the rail because you don't have a press photographer's pass.

That can be all sorts of fun, trying to get around and over those using P&S cameras held out so far in front of them the camera is in front of your own camera.

Life's like that at times. I got some shots I liked and we lost very little money, while hearing some good Appalachian music, and popping many quarters into slot machines (fortunately, my wife walks among gods with Charles Town slots--she's won both times we've visted. Not much, but enough for a couple of meals).

The lens is sharp at all of the settings I used. It handles very easily, so following action is a simple matter.