slrgear's DA* 60-250 review imminent

08-23-2009, 05:03 PM

They posted the technical data (charts) without the body of the review: Pentax Lens: Zooms - Pentax 60-250mm f/4 ED IF SDM SMC DA* - SLRgear.com! and I think the review will follow soon early into the next week. The zoom was tested at: 60, 88, 140, 200 and 250mm.
My (brief and biased) interpretation of the results:

Sharpness: tloader

- very good sharpness @f4 across the range (except @250mm);
- excellent sharpness @f5.6 for both ends 60 and 250mm;
- tack sharp @f5.6 for the 88, 140 and 200mm and not only that but also very even across the frame in sharpness. Really impressive!
- @200mm about equal in sharpness to DA*200 for f4 and sharper @5.6. Also more even across the frame than the prime!

Chromatic aberration: caloader

- reasonable @ 60mm, small @ 88, 200, 250mm, negligible @140mm. Nothing to worry about in the field IMO regardless of focal length and aperture.

Vignetting:

-negligible @f4 and 200, 250mm and virtually absent from the wide open at lower focal lengths. Looks like a FF designs all the way!

Distortion:

Again nothing to worry about IMO.

My feeling is that the review is very close to the views of almost all the owners of this beautiful lens. It surely mimics my findings and opinion and for people with need for the focal range, money to spend, tolerance to the 1.2 kilos of weight and of course fortunate enough to have a Pentax DSLR

this lens is a must!

Regards,
Radu

Mike.P® · 08-24-2009, 07:23 AM

Personally I think this is one of the best Pentax lenses to date.

ghelary · 08-24-2009, 07:39 AM

The 2 biggest French magazines "Réponses Photo" and "Chasseurs d'Images" (this last one being also the biggest photo-mag in Europe) published also their test.

Their verdic is that from 60 to 200 the lens is very good from full aperture. At 250mm, it is only good fully open. It is never on the best.

All in all, that with a very good construction and a hudge focal range for this class, they juged this lens to be very good. The 60-250 is simply a unique lens and a very good one.

I badly want to buy one, but even if I have the money, I prefer to wait until I have the use of it, as I would use it almost exclusively during the summer season and it is almost finished.

Regards,
Guillaume

gazonk · 08-24-2009, 08:02 AM

Ooh, I was thinking about saving for the DA200... but now I want this lens :-)

To the owners: Is this lens easy to use hand-held? I've managed to shoot hand-held with the DA50-200 at 200mm down to 1/20 seconds - would that be more difficult with such a heavy lens?

*dnaseigel* · 08-24-2009, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by gazonk

Ooh, I was thinking about saving for the DA200... but now I want this lens :-)

To the owners: Is this lens easy to use hand-held? I've managed to shoot hand-held with the DA50-200 at 200mm down to 1/20 seconds - would that be more difficult with such a heavy lens?

The lens is very managable hand held. The balance is fantastic although you will want to remove the tripod mount to reduce weight and so you don't have to figure out where to put it so it doesn't interfere with your hands. Fortunately you don't have to think about where to put a clumsy tripod ring since the mount is simply this very cool block with the tripod socket in it.

Amazing lens but so is the DA*200 f/2.8. The great thing about the DA*200 is if you lose your hammer you could use the lens to bury nails

. I have never felt such a well built lens.

bymy141 · 08-24-2009, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by gazonk

Ooh, I was thinking about saving for the DA200... but now I want this lens :-)

To the owners: Is this lens easy to use hand-held? I've managed to shoot hand-held with the DA50-200 at 200mm down to 1/20 seconds - would that be more difficult with such a heavy lens?

I've done 250mm @ 1/60 sec with good results.

- Bert

*pixel r0n1n* · 08-24-2009, 08:53 AM

save for the 50-60mm range, it seems to overlap the 50-135mm.
is it worth considering replacing a 50-135mm with the 60-250mm?

*Ash* · 08-24-2009, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by pixel r0n1n

save for the 50-60mm range, it seems to overlap the 50-135mm.
is it worth considering replacing a 50-135mm with the 60-250mm?

Depends what you're using it for...
You have f/2.8 in the 50-135, excellent for portraiture, and f/4 in the 60-250, still OK for portraits but probably suited for even longer requirements...

*Ash* · 08-24-2009, 08:59 AM

Only thing missing is MTF data...
Would love to see how it stacks up resolution-wise with the 70-200s and the 100-300/4...

*Wheatfield* · 08-24-2009, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by gazonk

Ooh, I was thinking about saving for the DA200... but now I want this lens :-)

To the owners: Is this lens easy to use hand-held? I've managed to shoot hand-held with the DA50-200 at 200mm down to 1/20 seconds - would that be more difficult with such a heavy lens?

The more weight, the easier to handhold. Inertia is your friend.
I've handheld my 60-250 at fairly low speeds, but I tend to put a tripod under it whenever i can.

Mike.P® · 08-24-2009, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by dnaseigel

The balance is fantastic although you will want to remove the tripod mount to reduce weight and so you don't have to figure out where to put it so it doesn't interfere with your hands.

I just slacken it off and turn so that the mount is up the top and then tighten.

I never use a tripod (even for my Bigma) so I could take it off permanently but I think it just looks cooler with it on

opiedog · 08-24-2009, 10:22 AM

this is certainly a great lens optically.
it's the sdm i'm concerned of.
anyone knows if the SDM in the 60-250 is more reliable than say to the 50-135's?

*séamuis* · 08-24-2009, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Wheatfield

The more weight, the easier to handhold. Inertia is your friend.
I've handheld my 60-250 at fairly low speeds, but I tend to put a tripod under it whenever i can.

I have found this to be true as well. the first time I used a battery grip was with my recently acquired istD, and quickly found that I could achieve slower shutter speeds with a 55 than I could with either the K110D or k-m. (though I still don't care for the grip) I also found that my very large and heavy Takumar Zoom is easier to work with than my small and light Takumar 300mm for the same reason. the downside of course is muscle fatigue and magnification of movement by long focal lengths.

*jbinpg* · 08-24-2009, 10:48 AM

Why take off a tripod collar when you can just rotate it 90 or 180 degrees and get it out of the way? I flip the one on my DA* 300 90 deg to the right. Doesn't interfere with anything.

08-24-2009, 10:55 AM

from the slrgear's home page: "Up next, an interesting Pentax zoom"! :P

Radu