| Author: | | Showing Reviews 1-15 of 21 | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2010 Location: Eureka, CA Posts: 527
3 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: January 13, 2012 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $115.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Superb color rendition, excellent contrast, good resolution | | Cons: | Loses resolution as focal length increases | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
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With telephoto zoom lenses, it is usually feast or famine: either the lenses are very good and very expensive, or they're cheap and mediocre. What is lacking in the telephoto zoom space is a mid-range offering, something that fills the same role among tele zooms as the DA 16-45 fills among normal range zooms.
In K-mount lenses, the closest I have found to a mid-range performer is this F series zoom, the first auto-focus telephoto zoom ever produced by Pentax. From about 70mm to 135mm, it can hold its own against just about any mid-range zoom lens you would wish to compare it to. After around 135mm, while the resolution remains better than most consumer grade tele zooms, it nonetheless begins to fall just a tad short of the mid-range standard. While at 70mm there would not be a huge difference between what this lens produces and what you could get out of a high end professional lens such as the DA 60-250, at 210mm the difference in resolution would be very difficult to ignore.
Where this lens really shines, however, is with color rendition: rich, deep, striking colors that jump of the print or screen. To be sure, the colors aren't always faithfully realistic, but they are very distincitive. The original F series lenses (those introduced in the late eighties) are my favorites among Pentax auto-focus glass, largely because of the way they render color.
The F 70-210 features very good resolution at 70mm, and then gradually loses resolution as you zoom toward 210mm. Modern Photography ran some tests on this lens and found it nearly as sharp as comparable M series primes.
Below are samples from the lens:
At 70mm, f10:
100% crop at 70mm:
At 125mm, f8:
100% crop at 125mm:
At 210mm, f6.3:
100% crop at 210mm:
 | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2008 Posts: 3
1 user found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: June 13, 2010 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $60.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, colour, bokeh, build | | Cons: | Noise | |
Look at the images below. I don't know how much better a zoom can get than this and don't understand why it isn't enjoying stellar reviews. Maybe it is because it is a bit retro/ugly and reasonably cheap. Yeah, it is heavy but I like that. Much nicer than the DA 50-200 or the Tamron 70-300.
Here's a goat: k200D 135mm, 1/125s, f4.5
Here's the same image cropped 1:1. How sharp can you want? For a $60 zoom it is ridiculously good.
Here's a picture which shows the tremendous colours as well as the beauty of the bokeh and my daughters: k200D 125mm 1/125s f4.5
 | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2012 Posts: 3 | | Lens Review Date: May 15, 2012 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $80.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Very sharp at F8 and good wide open | | Cons: | heavy, slow and noisy autofocus | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 6
Value: 8
Camera Used: Ist*Dl2
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A very decent telephoto lens for a small price. I would just complain about the slow and noisy autofocus and the weigth.
Does it match a Sigma 70-300mm APO or Tamron 70-300mm? In my opinion yes. The Sigma get to 300mm but the quality drops after 210-250mm. So if you find it around 100$ do not hesitate.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2009 Location: Treviso (Italy) Posts: 86 | | Lens Review Date: July 28, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, colors | | Cons: | heavy | |
excellent landscape lens
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: April, 2008 Location: north of boston,Ma. Posts: 36 | | Lens Review Date: May 29, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: N/A
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Lens is great for me | | Cons: | what lens does not have any con's to it: | |
Listen I am a newbie to Pentax lens and those I do have are all very good even the M42
But I got this 70-210mm Pentax-F lens F:4-5.6 and fell in love with it at f-8 its great and f-5.6 is no slouch either : get one and enjoy your self yes its awkward and heavy in the front nothing that can not dealt with
| | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2010 Posts: 17 | | Lens Review Date: April 27, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $125.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Color, Bokeh | | Cons: | slow aperture | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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[FONT=Georgia]Got this lens used, in great shape. I just took the thing to DC and I am extremely pleased with the results. This is a very sharp lens, great color, and the bokeh looks the best out of any other lens I own (which is largely opinion, I know). I bought this along with a pentax-a 2x teleconverter (which actually cost more than the lens). The results with the teleconverter were excellent, even at the far end (which would be 420mm equivalent), which confirmed what a great lens this is. Many complain about the weight of it, but since it is not a very long lens (for a 70-210) the weight seemed fine, even with the teleconverter attached. I have both a tamron 10-24 and 24-135 which both weigh about as much (the 24-135 may actually be heavier), so maybe I am just used to it. I also have the battery grip on my k7 which helps balance out a heavy lens. [/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia]The focus is a little noisy (not a big deal to me) but it finds the focus very quickly. If you come across one, grab it. I didnt mark it as a 10 just because the widest aperture is a bit slow. Other than that, it is a 10 to me.[/FONT]
EDIT: I have found that my copy does not focus to infinity if the focal length is something other than 70mm. This is USUALLY not a problem since I don't typically use this lens for landscapes, but it does occasionally frustrate me when I do wish to focus at infinity. I won't mark my rating down as it is probably only my copy as no one else has mentioned this. I am sure this can be fixed, but not sure I want to pay to have it done. I am looking at getting a 100-300 f4.7... as this seems to have decent reviews. I will still use this for portraits though, as it excels in that.
EDIT TO THE EDIT: Ok, with the great posts of some members here, I was easily able to correct the infinity focus issue by simply moving the focus to infinity on the scale, unscrewing the 3 screws around the barrel of the lens, moving the focus on the scale slightly to the right, then screwing the screws back in. Problem solved, now focuses to infinity. I probably doesn't focus as close as it use to, but that doesn't matter.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: July, 2010 Posts: 2,376 | | Lens Review Date: March 20, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $50.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | image quality is tops for a consumer tele | | Cons: | ergonomics | |
Really really great wide open for a consumer tele zoom. Very impressed there.
If you are shooting portraits, head to the middle of the focal range (about 135mm) and leave the lens wide open. Sharp subject, creamy background. Awesome.
Snappy autofocus.
Low marks for ergonomics (manual focusing is terrible, sort of "rigid" design).
Colours and contrast without a hood are great. With a hood, stunning.
Good for portraits and general tele. Nice bokeh, sharp, good colours.
Really good deal for what you get. This one is a bit of a sleeper IMHO. It's not f2.8, and it loses a mark for the crappy ergonomics, but it's still a great performer and should be at the top of you list if you are looking for a budget tele.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2011 Posts: 4 | | Lens Review Date: March 18, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: N/A
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | everything | | Cons: | non found | |
Hi
i looked on the forum looking for a 70-200 lens and i kept coming back to this one which i bought second hand I LOVE IT !!!!! optics are second to non colours are fantastic noise when focusing love that to dont need to look i can hear when its on the mark and its built to last. Guys forget the new stuff you see this lens for sale buy it it wont leave you wondering what if id bought that other lens would it be better
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2010 Posts: 577 | | Lens Review Date: December 9, 2010 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $85.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharp! Relatively fast AF, cheap | | Cons: | Heavy, not the fastest | |
For its value, this is a pretty great lens. I got it to replace my M200/4, and with its AF and zoom range, it was a pretty great deal. I did lose the speed at the long end of the M200, but it makes up for it with its versatility and sharpness - in the center, stopped down at 210mm, it's only barely discernibly less sharp than my FA50/1.7 at 5.6, which is a pretty tough benchmark to compare to.
As far as CAs go, I was pretty impressed in that this lens seems quite impervious to them - previously, I had thought that most older lenses were much more prone to it, but this lens seems to challenge that paradigm. That said, I haven't shot any tree-branches-against-white-clouds yet, but where some other lenses have failed to impress, this has succeeded, in this area.
Coming from a user of small, compact primes, the weight was a bit of a shock to me, a good deal heavier than my next-biggest lens, the D-FA 100 WR. Those used to lenses ~500g, though, (ie, most modern quality zooms) should be fine with it. However, the weight and the AF give the impression of a sluggish performance, even though this is not the case. It's just that when you half tap for AF, you can literally feel the elements moving through the lens, and when it locks onto something, you don't need to check the viewfinder to see if the hexagon's there; the entire lens shakes when the lens elements come to a halt. This may be a turnoff to some, but it doesn't really affect my usage of it; still worth mentioning though. The sound is more or less in line with other screwdrive AF lenses, in my opinion.
What also may be a turnoff to users is its rotating filter thread, though I don't use filters currently, so again, this does not affect my usage of it. What is nice, however, is that it shares the 49mm filter thread that all of my other lenses (excluding the kit) has. So, lost lens caps are pretty easily shared in this case.
Overall, for its price/performance ratio, a pretty great lens - jump on it if you have the chance. Though I don't have the 55-300mm, if the performance at each lens' respective long ends are about the same, than you may as well save ~$200 and buy this instead if you have the chance, as this lens at 210mm is plenty sharp enough to give you wiggle room to crop.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: October, 2010 Location: Baltimore Posts: 2,080 | | Lens Review Date: November 27, 2010 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $30.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Color, Contrast, Sharpness | | Cons: | Heavy | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 10
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I got this lens along with the smc-f 35-70 and I love this lens much more than the 35-70 and to me, it seems to produce just a little bit better!!! For the FL, this is a pretty good lens, the only thing that bothers me is how much it weighs... I find myself using this as my walk around lens. Much better than an eight and just 2 hairs under a 9...
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink | | | | | Senior Member Registered: April, 2010 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 129 | | Lens Review Date: June 2, 2010 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $120.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness on the long end, shorter than the A version, AF is precise, small threads | | Cons: | Very loud AF, loose focus ring | |
I took this lens out for the first time on a hiking trip in the DC Aquatic Gardens. I really enjoyed the hike and took lots of good pictures without disturbing the wildlife. The lens is very sharp at the long end, which is in contrast with the sharpness found on the short end in the A version and is its main sticking point for me.
Like other reviewers have said, the AF is loud, but so far it hasn't disturbed my subjects and that's a good thing. When I have to fine tune with some MF, I would have to manually switch it and it is definitely noticeable that the focus ring is loose. It doesn't give that tight mechanical feel that I find with the A version.
Anyway, for the price and being a zoom lens, it is very capable, very sharp, and an excellent buy.
Here's a sample photo taken during my hike. It was taken with a Pentax K-x at 210mm f/5.6.
 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: November, 2008 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 95 | | Lens Review Date: December 6, 2009 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $140.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, great colors | | Cons: | somewhat heavy | |
Great, super lens. Compared to similar "slow" zooms of this range (Sigma, Tamron, Pentax FA) and even to some primes, for example Tamron AF 90/2.8 this one performs better in my opinion. Nice saturated colors and sharpness. It is heavy but manageable. I noticed however that sometimes when I shoot fast (press the release button almost without a pause) some pictures come out slightly underexposed. It might be the camera and not the lens so I am not sure.
The bottom line -- highly capable lens at a very moderate price.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Netherlands Posts: 340 | | Lens Review Date: December 4, 2009 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $120.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Sharp, nice colors, nice bokeh | | Cons: | Noisy, rotating front element | |
Very good lens for a zoom. Good sharpness, nice bokeh, nice color rendering. I haven't noticed any fringing from it. I have shot a few of my favourite photos with this lens.
The negatives are: noisy AF, rotating front element.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2008 Location: Romania Posts: 21 | | Lens Review Date: November 28, 2009 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $150.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, fast focus, excellent color rendition | | Cons: | heavy, noisy, rotating front element | |
9 because 10 remain for primes with *.
This is a revelation. I never expected to be THAT sharp, but also never expected to be that noisy. Be sure that many will turn their heads toward you when using it. If that`s a problem, turn to manual focus... Though you`ll loose the fastness, this lens being one of the fastest focusing. I never measured how it takes from wide to tele, but it`s so fast and heavy that the lens moves (literally) 1 or 2 milimeters in the mount due to momentum.
Very good sharpness till 210mm, still at the long end there`s still a touch of softness wide open. Stopping down to f8 will solve the problem.
The lens is heavy because of the large glass elements.
The rotating front element is something you must get used to, if you are a filter (polarizing, graduating, etc) maniac. But even without filters, the colors are warm and pleasant, with good contrast. Therefore, this lens gives its best for portrait in natural light.
No doubt, this 20 years old lens is a keeper, despite its weaknesses.
| | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2008 Location: Detroit Posts: 19 | | Lens Review Date: January 10, 2009 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $104.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp Focus, Excellent Color, Sturdy Build | | Cons: | Noise level takes a bit of getting use to...but worth it! | |
I'd love to get all techie for you but the simple truth is this...get this lens if you can.
Happy Pentaxian Snapping!
P.S. This currently serves as my portrait, wildlife and cityscape lens. Oh yes, some people don't like to give consumer lenses a rating of 10. I prefer to give consumer lenses that perform like pro grade lenses a rating of 10. This lens deserves it!
P.P.S This lens has character...learn it and appreciate it...you now have a lens that...let there be sun light and good internal lighting...can bang with the best of them...seriously!
If you don't believe me...see how many you find on ebay...not many, if any...no one wants to sell.
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