[slip]

I am looking at a good used DA *200 2.8 but need some options on other uses besides birding.
I read the reviews but need some more help trying to convince myself I need this lens?

Photo examples would also be great

thanks

Randy

[pacerr]

It's a fine garden, bug and flower lens. Use it to isolate things close in to MFD.

[Bob from Aus]

You might be surprised at how nice it will be as a landscape lens. I find my telephoto landscapes are the ones I like most.

[bschriver11]

I've seen some very nice portraits taken with a DA* 200.

[cali92rs]

Portraits definitely.
One of the reasons a 70-200 f2.8 is used so often for portraits is the 200 f2.8 end.

[normhead]

Really? No birds? I think I've seen some portraits ROndec did with his lens, but i can't find them.

A few of Tess'






A few of mine...








We've only had it about a month.

I'm going to add birds to this album soon, but I'll give you a few days to get to the slideshow before I do that.

SMC Pentax DA*200 ƒ2.8 images
<click here>

[Driline]

I purchased mine for indoor low light school functions, but have yet to use if for that But it's been fantastic at anything I've thrown at it.

[HudsonShooter]

you can definitly use if for field sports

[Billk]

Mine is currently broken (fingers crossed it can be repaired) but I have found it great for portraits and performance, as well as for flowers and bugs, and bigger animals.

[UncleVanya]

Here are some ideas...
https://flic.kr/s/aHskfXo1ZK

[chrisfer]

Portait


Sport


Wildlife


City


Landscape


And Special effect


Extracts from (for info, exifs) "My Pentax Gallery" or here

[jawsy]

200mm is perfect for school aged sports like baseball, soccer, footy, netball etc and does well in airshows too. Although I have a 70-200mm zoom, 99% of shots in the applications I've mentioned are at 200mm.

[TheGrandPrixKid]

I have the DA*300 f4 and I've loved some of the landscapes I've taken with it also good for photographing people at distant such as at horse racing events and parties.

[mario.abcunha]

Hello,

I guess one important question is what do you already have on your kit? What do you shot?

Trying to find a reason to "need" a lens make no sense unless you don't care about money or have a lot, but still makes no sense in my head.

[normhead]

It's not about "need" it's about use. It took me a long time to get around to buying this lens. I have a DA*60-250, which has been putting on weight. I used to be able to carry it but it's too heavy now. And Tess prefers primes to zooms. Having a couple of TCs really helps get over the "it's not a zoom" thing, but, I do miss shots I wouldn't miss with the 60-250. But overall, I think the focus is a little snappier and more decisive, the sharpness is definitely DA*, it's a half pound lighter, and because I can't stack and still have auto focus the TCs on 60-250, it's functionally longer than my 60-250, 476mm with the 200 and stacked TCs as compared to 425 for the 60-250 and 1.7.

It fits into my Lowenpro Slingshot, on the camera, the 60-250 doesn't. This is for me a big issue. I've pretty much settled on this pack as my camera bag of preference. There's room in there for the 200, both TCs, the 18-135, one of the Sigma 8-16 or Sigma 70 macro, the 21 ltd , 40 XS and FA50. Using the same set up, there isn't room in the camera bag for the 60-250 and camera body at the same time.

So there are a lot of things that make it functional for what I do. But I could do without it by doing things i don't want to do. Use a bigger heavier pack (thanks but no thanks), carry a heavier lens like a 70-200 or 60-250, (thanks but no thanks), carry a physically bigger lens (thanks but no thanks).

Those are all needs..... I'm not searching for reasons, they are right there in front of me. I didn't invent any of them. They just arise out of my work flow. You look at what you do and you think "something like this might be better than what i'm doing now". SO, once I bought this lens it surprised me. I looked at it before I bought my 60-250 and wasn't impressed by the teeny tiny little bit better it might be, so I passed on it. Here we are 5 years later and I'm taking it out everyday. Sometimes with he 60-250, but usually without. It's not that people are looking for needs, it's that they are trying to understand what a lens might do for them.

My opinion at this point is that this lens ha sa lot more to offer than people give it credit for.