I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $220.00
| Rating: 7
Pros:
compact, excellent optics, perfect companion to the kit lens
Cons:
slow, as most 'consumer' zooms are
I purchased this lens in September of 2005, and it has become one of the lenses in my compact travel kit (along with the kit lens). It is a perfect cousin to the kit lens and it is obvious they have the same heritage when viewed side-by-side.
Optical quality is outstanding. Construction quality is also pretty good. I have never heard or read one bad word about the DA50-200/4-5.6 ED lens. Didn't have the opportunity to take advantage of any of the rebates for this lens, but feel the purchase price was well worth the cost. Best thing about DA lenses is their clutch focusing ability, that allows manual focusing when in autofocus mode.
It is also possible to mate the 50-200 to the low-cost Tamron AF 1.4x teleconverter with very negligible degradation of image quality. With the kit lens and the Tamron converter you cover from 18mm to 200mm in just two lenses (or is that two and a half lenses?).
For a consumer zoom, there are few better and many worse.
Highly Recommended. Given a 7 rating because it is somewhat slow in its maximum aperture, but that is to be expected of a consumer zoom.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $180.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Great optics for price, lightweight
Cons:
Slow (aperture)
This lens is a great deal normally, an awesome deal if you can get the rebate! A perfect companion to the kit lens, but even better optically I believe. I have never seen a complaint about the 50-200's IQ. It's light enough to take everywhere and a very useful range. It extends quite a bit at the 200mm end, and the apertures are nothing to brag about - but this lens is a great value. Recommended for anyone looking for a little extra length from their kit lens.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $170.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Compact with good IQ
Cons:
Moderate speed, not a close focuser
This was the last lens I purchased. I bought it because rebates were on and it was a cheap LBA fix. I also wanted to phase out the Sigma 70-300 if possible.
It is a bit sharper than the Sigma, and is also about 1/2 the bulk. The trade off is that the minimum focus distance is not particularly close and there is no "macro" mode.
It is compact and light, and does not become the center of attention when zoomed out and close focused like the Sigma. The included plastic lens hood clicks into place, and has a removable (and lose-able) access hatch that allows you to get a finger on a rotating filter if so desired.
Recommened as anyone's first zoom unless you are into low-light sports due toi the average f4-5.6 speed.
Great bang for the buck even at full price, but the rebate made it a no-brainer.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $150.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
size, weight, price
Cons:
slow
I have the samsung version (AU$190) which by all accounts is the same lens. I sold the sigma 70-200 not long after buying this as there was so little difference in image quality (there are some differences esp that you no longer f2.8 but this much nicer to carry all day - popphoto tests shows very comparable to sigma 70-200 and that is pretty much what I find).
doesn't have that 'magic' of some pentax lenses but it's small, its light, its cheap, its sharp.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $180.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Light weight, small size, exceptional value
Cons:
slow, a little soft at edges, some CA
Versatile, solid performer, particularly for the money. Works very nicely with the AF540FGZ flash. Make sure to use in good light or with flash as it is a somewhat slow lens.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 8
Pros:
small, light
Cons:
slow
I usually have a wide angle zoom mounted on my camera, and I am carrying this lens as the rattle around in the bag telephoto for those occasions when you suddenly need one.
It's small size and light weight (and low cost) make it suitable for this usage. I own numerous telephotos, both primes and zooms, and if I am packing my bag for a telephoto shoot, this lens doesn't go. I have an FA 80-320, an FA 24-90, and an A 300 F2.8 prime so there are a lot of things that I don't need it for. But it fits in the bottom of my bag just fine, and I have scrambled it out of there a few times when the occasion struck.
I often carry camera equipment around 'just in case' and you can't take everything particularly since the K10 itself is so robust, but this is one that you can carry around, and if a UFO lands across the field you will have something besides a wide angle with which to record the event.
I don't see it ever being my lens of choice for telephoto work. That is what Primes are for (and zooms stronger than 200mm), but if you need a telephoto on a budget
or need one small enough to carry in your pocket this is a good choice.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Small, versatile
Cons:
slower, cheaper contruction
This was the first long zoom I had with my k100d (2-lens kit with the 18-55.)
Having only used point & shoot's prior to getting the k100d, boy did I have fun with this lens. Couldn't believe the sharpness of the photos, etc.
Since then I've acquired a couple more zooms and primes, and this one doesn't get used as much any more.
It's pretty small/light - barely bigger than the 18-55, so when I need to go light I'll take this (makes my Tamron 18-250 seem like an anvil on my camera.) Also, for me, it's easier to hold a lighter lens steady - camera shake is much less of a problem with this lens at 200mm than my tamron or even the FA J 75-300mm.
Highly recommended to get as part of a kit with the 18-55.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Small, versatile
Cons:
slower, cheaper contruction
This was the first long zoom I had with my k100d (2-lens kit with the 18-55.)
Having only used point & shoot's prior to getting the k100d, boy did I have fun with this lens. Couldn't believe the sharpness of the photos, etc.
Since then I've acquired a couple more zooms and primes, and this one doesn't get used as much any more.
It's pretty small/light - barely bigger than the 18-55, so when I need to go light I'll take this (makes my Tamron 18-250 seem like an anvil on my camera.) Also, for me, it's easier to hold a lighter lens steady - camera shake is much less of a problem with this lens at 200mm than my tamron or even the FA J 75-300mm.
Highly recommended to get as part of a kit with the 18-55.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: No |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $150.00
| Rating: 3
Pros:
cheap
Cons:
everything else
Maybe I was unlucky by receiving a bad sample but I'm absolutely not happy with this lens. It is almost impossible to make a good sharp picture with it. The corners are always unsharp and even in the center the pictureres are a bit hazy (ok, with an aperture f=16 or 22 they are acceptable, at least in the centre). Apart from that the distortions of the straight lines are considerable. So I totally agree with the review on www.photozone.de: this lens is cheap but that's the only good thing I can tell about it. I don't use it anymore, stored it in my garage and replaced it by a second hand old low budget Pentax lens: the 70-200 mm. That works fine.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $180.00
| Rating: 7
Pros:
Size, performance (for the price
Cons:
slow aperture, light construction
Good, as far as the sub-800 dollar zooms go. Construction is definitely on the cheap side, but my copy seems to be a rather good performer. I've been pleasantly surprised by the sharpness of this lens. It's not all that great for portraits if you're trying to through the background out of focus because of it's large aperture. my 200 2.5 does that far better, but it ain't autofocus. All in all it makes for a great beginning telephoto zoom lens.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: No |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $200.00
| Rating: 5
Pros:
Light & inexpensive
Cons:
Corners are fuzzy
I have to agree with myrdinn, I find that the center is sharp, but corners are very soft. Maybe I also got a bad example? After reading all the reviews I was expecting better. I guess it would make nice portraits with the subject in the center, but I mainly shoot landscapes, and I think I'll be looking for something with more uniform sharpness across the field.
I purchased a K10D body-only and this as my kit lens - at the price of the lens it seemed a better deal than the normal kit lens.
This lens stays mounted on the body almost as a dust protector since it is so versatile for the shooting I do - and I learned the hard way that frequently changing lenses also means frequently cleaning the sensor.
When using this lens in bright outdoor sunlight it is nearly as sharp as the best Pentax lenses and more than competent for a consumer/enthusiast. Color transmission is true and saturation is excellent for ordinary everyday consumer use.
I never even try to use it indoors any more due to the f/4 widest aperture setting. In low light, sharpness and color saturation fall off dramatically.
Additionally, due to the comparatively slow autofocus, this lens is not really suitable for fast-action photography.
For the price I paid this is a great value. For more specialized uses I have other lenses.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $169.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Lightweight, inexpensive, good range
Cons:
Soft at corners, a bit slow
This is obviously the pair with the 18-55 kit lens. At least it was until the 55-300mm came out. Overall this is a decent lens and good value. If you are in the rain taking photos of your kid's soccer game, this inexpensive tele-zoom will get the job done with little worry and about as much quality as you could expect for the price. It takes good photos.
I bought this lens after having used the DA 55-300 (a great lens for the money). I find that the 50-200's size is great for my backpacking/everyday setup. I don't feel that I give that much in IQ--certainly worth the trade-off for such a small, lightweight lens. Not only is the picture quality satisfying, but the feel of the lens--the zoom ring and focus--is super for the money. I would say that for around $100 nowadays on the used market, this is one of the best bargains going--certainly the best bang-for-the-buck lens I have ever had.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $150.00
| Rating: 7
Pros:
Colour, contrast, size, weight, build, price.
Cons:
Soft corners, slow
For under $200US it performs very well from f8 to f11, not terrible wide open but likes to be stopped down. "Quick-shift" AF to MF feature is excellent, metal mount and just over 200 grams means it's easy to tote and well built. Stronger at 200mm and close focus distances than you would expect.
Sharpness is not particularly strong, it really does like to be stopped down. However sharpness is not everything and the colour and contrast this lens displays is first rate and peroduces better images than the resolution charts may indicate.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $200.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
Light and Compact. Great Price. Good Color.
Cons:
Rather slow.
I've had this lens for a while (as you can see from the price I paid), but even at $200, I thought it was worth it.
Perhaps I was just lucky, but my sample is quite sharp. Much better than the 18-55. Colors are well saturated and snappy. Focus is fast and sure in good light. (Given the aperature, this is a fair weather lens. People really should try not to use it indoors or when light is poor, that's too much to ask). Even though it is relatively slow at f4 on the short end, I find that it is brighter than some comparable consumer zoom lenses at the same aperature.
This lens goes great with the 18-55 kit lens. It makes for a super compact 2 lens set. It is really light and doesn't protrude any more than the kit lens so it fits in the same bag. This lens shows of the advantages of APC quite well over FF. It is much smaller and lighter than the same lens in a FF format. It is also priced very competitively.
Normally, I'd only give this lens an 8, but recently with the steep drop in price, you can get this lens used for under $100. You cannot find a better piece of autofocus glass at this price range. For less than $100 (or $150 new), it definitely deserves a 9 based on value alone (provided sample variation isn't too far off).
This lens should definitely be in every low-priced kit.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $220.00
| Rating: 6
Pros:
Small, lightweight, inexpensive
Cons:
Slow, not very sharp, limited range
We bought this lens for my wife to take on a trip to India, as she didn't want to lug a big lens along. For what it does it does a good job, as of now it is my longest lens.
It focuses quite quickly on a K10D, but is not very good at tracking, the long end lacks contrast and is too slow.
Sadly a crop from my Vivitar S1 105mm Macro is sharper than this lens at 200mm.
This is a good little lens, especially stopped down to f8, it excels where weight is an issue.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 8
Pros:
great kit lens, light
Cons:
slow
I have the DA L version of this lens, and as with the 18-55mm, I'm happy with it for a kit lens. Very light, lots of plastic but a metal mount, but it doesn't feel bad at all. Seems to do alright at 200mm with a steady hand and good lighting.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $80.00
| Rating: 7
Pros:
Price, color & contrast
Cons:
soft
I bought this lens from here on this forum for ~$100 CDN. I normally shoot on the wider end of the focal length spectrum, but wanted to increase my photographic versatility. This was the logical lens to buy - best bang for the buck.
This lens is definitely soft - to get the sharpest photos one must stop down to around F8. Despite the lack of sharpness, the colors and contrast are really good and make up for it.
If I decide to shoot more in the telephoto range of focal lengths, I would definitely upgrade to a sharper telephoto zoom.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $193.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
Lightweight. Uses 52 mm. filters. Sharp. Good value.
Cons:
Just a bit slow in aperture.
When I bought my K100D Super it came with the 18-55 mm zoom. A decent lens
but didn't have enough 'reach.' I like to photograph butterflies, birds, and nature
scenes. This 50-200 mm gives me addes distance to my subjects. The lens seems
to be a bit sharper than the kit lens too. I bought it through Amazon.com. I really
wanted to give my business to my local camera shop, but I saved $85 bucks at
Amazon. I think the lens will really improve my photos with less cropping.
Very pleased indeed.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 9
Pros:
Small, light, sharp and affordable
Cons:
wide end
This lens is one of the most versatile of Pentax lenses in my bag. In good to decent light this lens is quite sharp at very useful speeds (f4 to f5.6).
I just got this lens, and took a ton of shots with it on a *ist DS in my backyard in good day light. Most picture came out with stunning detail. This lens seems to be made just for walk-around and street photography.
It stays on my *ist DS more than any other lens.
EDIT: Adjusted the rating to 9 because of the reviews received on several (outdoor) portraits I've done with this lens. May be its just this copy, but when used with fill flash, this lens produced some stunningly sharp outdoor portraits with creamy bokeh in the FL 60-100mm range.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: No |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 5
Pros:
Very cheap for decent build quality, Very light and small for its range. Useful range. 52mm filters and cheap and it mataches the DA 18-55 kit zoom. Front element doesn't rotate when focusing.
Cons:
Very soft and fringed at 200mm. Slow maximum apertures. Manual focus ring would be difficult to use.
Note on the 'no' for recommending this lens: I swapped it for a Sigma 70-300mm (non-APO) which I got for the same price and I prefer. The Sigma is bigger and heavier, but much more useable up to 200mm. I still think the Pentax is a decent lens though.
This lens gives OK image quality but at the 200mm end it is really almost unusable, becoming very blurry and with a lot of fringing. I got some good shots in the middle of the zoom range, and sold in 2nd hand for a decent price.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 7
Pros:
light, compact, cheap, decent color & contrast, very little PF
Cons:
not terribly sharp even stopped down, a little CA
I have the DA-L version of this lens, which came bundled with the K2000 2 lens kit. The DA-L differs from the standard DA in that it has a plastic mount, no lens hood, and lacks quick-shift capability. I find the general color and contrast generally pleasing, although sharpness is not great, even stopping down 2 stops. The lens is wonderfully small and feels nearly as light as a feather, the zoom ring has a great feel, although the MF ring is a little light for my taste. The K2000 "2 lens kit" was $80 more than the K2000 + 18-55, so I figure this lens costing $80, which is a good deal IMHO.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $100.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
sharp, clarity, lightweight
Cons:
I don't have any
I recently purchased this lens brand new on Ebay and I could not be more satisfied! I sold my Sigma 28-200 because it was not very good in helping the already struggling K200D to focus in sort of low light/contrast scenes. In addition, the Sigma lens simply did not have the clarity/sharpeness I was looking for. However, since I've acquired the 50-200 DA ED lens, I have been more than happy. My first photoshoot with that lens produced amazing results. Viewing the images @ 100%, every detail of the model's skin was visible...something the Sigma only produced 50% of the time w/ a quick fall off even at apetures 8 or above. I can only imagine the quality of te DA* lenses, but those are out of my budget right now.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $200.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Light, cheap and performs reasonably
Cons:
Could be sharper and faster.
It is hard to rate a lens like this. It was the second digital format lens I owned. Its sharpness is acceptable, and I have taken some nice shots with it. Its focus is quick, and it is feather light. It won't knock your socks off when you shoot a newspaper on the wall, but its sharpness is good enough at F/8 that if you are dissatisfied with a shot, it is probably not the fault of the lens. The max aperture at 200mm is slow, at 5.6, but you won't want to use it at that setting, either.
All in all, for the ridiculously cheap price and at the compact size and weight, this lens is far better than it should be. It is an excellent choice to throw in the suitcase for traveling.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $165.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Cheap, small and lightweight
Cons:
looks fragile, a bit soft at 200mm
General: there are some lenses that simply do the dirty work. The 50-200 is one of them, a kit lens that does its works without any claims. You really don't pay much for it, after all.
It really pissed me off, until I fully got the hang of it. It seemed not to be that sharp, until I found that it had some backfocus problems on my K10. Hence I set the focus to work properly.
Sharpness: don't take my words as a dogma, maybe it was just my piece, anyway... at full aperture, it is pretty sharp until you reach ~115mm, then it becomes as softer as you go on with the focal range. By softer, I don't mean it is blurry. It is always decently sharp.
If you want to make that softness go away, then you have to tight aperture by some stops. The higher the focal length, the more the stops. I've noticed that at 200mm you have to close to f/11 in order to enjoy a good and precise sharpness (especially when in hyperfocal). The f/5.6 at 200mm is usable and neat anyway, it just comes with a massive softness.
Building: it is probably the thing I like less about this lens. It has a plastic and fragile feeling, especially when the front element is extendend with longer focals. Then the AF element does the rest... I can almost never hold this lens tight because of the AF movements. But it's just my whim, since I'm used to old manual focus, metal built lenses.
On the other hand, it is because of its build quality that it is so light, and nearly as small as the 18-55.
AF is good, by the way. I can focus and shoot flying seagulls, I guess it's ok for me.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $300.00
| Rating: 8
Pros:
Small size, sharpness, well handled CA, nice bokeh
Cons:
Slow aperture, small metal focus ring
My first reaction to the lens was - so small (compared to Tamron and Sigmas of that class) - I wonder how it plays. To my surprise I didn't see a trace of CA at all. That's well above what I'd expected for the lens of that price. AF speed is good for not IF lens. Front element is not rotating, which only adds to the overall positive feedback to this lens. What first looked like toy in my hands appeared to be very good performer. I'll show you some of its images with exif and large original files on click.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): N/A
| Rating: 9
Pros:
Light weight, small, very useful focal range, contrast and sharpness
Cons:
the hood (see my review)
Just like the 18-55 kit lens the DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 is another winner.
This lens deserves more attention and respect. For $200 Cdn it's as good as anything out there under $700 and just as fast aperture-wise. I really don't care for lens charts and resolution tests, look at the photo and decide from there. The DA 50-200 has very good contrast and sharpness along with a great focal range. If I needed something considerably better I'd be after a f/4 prime or something faster like a f/2.8 zoom.
The only fault I can find is the hood. It vignettes some images. I've stopped using the stock hood and just use the hood off the 18-55 lens, works great and saves a little more space in the bag.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $145.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
lightweight, affordable, quality
Cons:
none
This lens is the perfect compliment to my K-x's 18-55mm kit lens. Its price could not be turned down. I cannot afford the pricey lenses, so this was the perfect choice to go with my K-x. I tried the similar Sigma and Tamron lenses first, but they felt to be lower quality. Plus, once I found this lens for $145 new, the other brands were no longer cheaper. Also, the non-rotating front element was a plus over the other brands, as well as having the same filter diameter as the kit lens.
I've been completely satisfied with the image clarity to the extent of my current shooting abilities.
I can recommend the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED: Yes |
Price (U.S. Dollars): $150.00
| Rating: 9
Pros:
Sharp and Light
Cons:
not long enough.
Awesome Lens. Great for portrait and mid range telephoto. The lens is light as the 18-55mm kit lens, but very sharp, color is rich and focus is fast on my k-x, it still able to create nice bokeh at f5.6 or higher. 200mm is not long enough for a telephoto lens, but for the price, performance and weight, this is a bargains for under $200.
