[jatrax]

What I meant to say was that if he slightly crops the FF image in PP or uses software to add more exposure to the corners he can get away without modifying the lens.

That is of course true. However, I found that on the 60-250 the amount of crop required was more than I felt comfortable with. Which is why I modified the baffle on mine.


Regardless the 60-250 is good and very versatile lens that can work on FF with some caveats.

[BarryE]

I love the DA*200 since my K5 and now with the K1 it is superb again. I can really recomend it. It is nicely build, has silent SDM AF and has a better coating than the FA*200, which is optical nearly the same. In the DA* there is a newer glas formula in one of the lenses without lead as far as I know. The DA*200 is super sharp, has nice colorrendering, is build full metal. The CA only can be a problem with f2.8-f3.2 on hard contrast, but no problem to get rid of in post. Buy it you will love it.

Thanks. I think that makes it 3 positive votes ...

[phoebus]

Also used DA*200 on K5 and K1. Focus seems a bit quicker and slicker on the K1, plus it has lovely rendering. Really didn’t expect to use it much when I got the DFA 150-450, but the focal length is nice and size/weight positively refreshing compared to the big zoom. Biggest problem is keeping it away from my wife, now she has a KP...

[shardulm]

I was looking at the FA*200 thinking it would be cheaper. To my surprise I actually found a DA*200 for a $100 less than the FA* listing I was watching on eBay. So I would just ask you to hunt for 1. This lens is a resolution monster on K-1 in bright light. PF, yes but does get under control stopped down. Images taken of a seemingly far subject turn out clean and sharp (only know it when you pixel peep how much detail and sharpness it renders in some situations). And DA* is a WR, a definite bonus over the FA* let alone the silent AF.
Btw DA*300 f/4 is equally impressive and similar in weight albeit slower. Stunning @ 5.6 each time.

[normhead]

DA*200 and F1.7x AF Adapter, with a good TC it's still quite sharp. I'm looking forward to the new Pentax DFA 2x TC so I can push it to 400 ƒ5.6.

[BarryE]

Also used DA*200 on K5 and K1. Focus seems a bit quicker and slicker on the K1, plus it has lovely rendering. Really didn’t expect to use it much when I got the DFA 150-450, but the focal length is nice and size/weight positively refreshing compared to the big zoom. Biggest problem is keeping it away from my wife, now she has a KP...

Thanks phoebus. I'm surprised I have not received any real negativity about this lens so far for the type of use I'm considering ...

---------- Post added 05-22-18 at 08:47 PM ----------

I was looking at the FA*200 thinking it would be cheaper. To my surprise I actually found a DA*200 for a $100 less than the FA* listing I was watching on eBay. So I would just ask you to hunt for 1. This lens is a resolution monster on K-1 in bright light. PF, yes but does get under control stopped down. Images taken of a seemingly far subject turn out clean and sharp (only know it when you pixel peep how much detail and sharpness it renders in some situations). And DA* is a WR, a definite bonus over the FA* let alone the silent AF.
Btw DA*300 f/4 is equally impressive and similar in weight albeit slower. Stunning @ 5.6 each time.

Thanks shardulm. Your point about distant subjects is interesting, as picking out distant subjects or abstracting near ones by getting in close is a lot of what I do ...

---------- Post added 05-22-18 at 09:02 PM ----------

DA*200 and F1.7x AF Adapter, with a good TC it's still quite sharp. I'm looking forward to the ne Pentax DFA 2x TC so I can much it to 400 ƒ5.6.

What's the bird, Norm?

[normhead]

That's a Cedar Waxwing.
The biggest negative with it is every now and then you get some purple fringing, after all, it's basically an old film design. But I'm not convinced there is a lens out there that never purple fringes under any conditions. I'd be interested in hearing from owners of the DFA 70-200 and DFA 150-450 which are more modern designs if they are better.

[normhead]

If you're still interested, I don't see how you can beat this price..

Pentax DA 200mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM Lens - PentaxForums.com

[mikesbike]

I chose my fast tele kit as DA* 50-135mm + DA* 200mm f/2.8 instead of a 70-200mm zoom lens. Reasons being my preference for lighter on-camera use, as well as the greater range of being able to get down to 50mm. The trade-off, of course, is the convenience of zooming without lens changing out to 200mm, but for my needs the versatility of choice in what FLs to carry for what I want to do, and the lighter on-camera handling works very well. I get great results from both lenses!

Norm, that is quite a deal!

[KDAFA]

As there does not seem to be much chance of a prime between 135 and 200mm emerging, I find myself pondering the DA* 200. (I don't need the 300).

I don't really like big, heavy lenses. I find the 24-70 heavy, so as the 200 is a similar weight, I've always discounted it. But I do like to pull out details in the landscape, which the 200 could usefully do, therefore I'm re-thinking, again.

I sometimes resort to a 50-135 on K3 when I'm in this mindset, but there's seems to be nothing in the pipeline available on FF. The DFA zooms are too heavy. Maybe a f4 version will appear sometime ...?

So I come back to the 200. I know it suffers from chromatic aberrations which concerns me as I do like backlit shots. I don't care about slow AF.

Ricoh state it's FF compatible, but there's no decent reviews of this lens on FF that I can find. Tricky to draw any conclusions as to how it actually performs on FFs - edges, IQ, 3D, pixies etc., etc.

Anyone used it much on FF that would care to offer an opinion, please? Perhaps I could hire one ...? Perhaps I could try and find a 2nd hand copy, though to be honest I'm not that inclined to buying second hand, when I can buy new... ? Maybe there's an older 135 or 200 that I could look out for ... ?

Hi, I use the DA*200 on K-3.

Lovely Pentax-typical colours.

Excellent contrast.

Superb bokeh, and not just at wide apertures.

Very sharp, even when images are zoomed in. Fine detail is beautifully rendered. Images come out well-balanced and "just right" - not exaggerated sharpness, yet never lacking detail.

Overall, it rewards with really beautiful, excellent image quality in its pictures.

Utterly rock solid construction.

Comparatively slower AF.

The lens hood has a very handy rubberised edge that enables the lens to be placed end-down with good stability.

PF can occur at larger apertures shooting into the light. Personally, I've not encountered it often. Can usually be addressed in post.

Hope this is of some help. Thanks.

[normhead]

OH, one more complaint... unlike the DA*60-250 and DA*300, there's no tripod mount on the lens. SO when using a lightweight tripod, it can be hard to guesstimate how much the lens barrel will drop after tightening the tripod. That can be annoying.

And the above post is great summary.

[Sandy Hancock]

Big and heavy is the future. Embrace it.

The DFA*70-200 is an awesome lens

[BarryE]

If you're still interested, I don't see how you can beat this price..

Pentax DA 200mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM Lens - PentaxForums.com

Thanks Norm. I'm still considering it. Exchange rates and taxes will not help this price ...

---------- Post added 05-24-18 at 05:01 PM ----------

Hi, I use the DA*200 on K-3.

Lovely Pentax-typical colours.

Excellent contrast.

Superb bokeh, and not just at wide apertures.

Very sharp, even when images are zoomed in. Fine detail is beautifully rendered. Images come out well-balanced and "just right" - not exaggerated sharpness, yet never lacking detail.

Overall, it rewards with really beautiful, excellent image quality in its pictures.

Utterly rock solid construction.

Comparatively slower AF.

The lens hood has a very handy rubberised edge that enables the lens to be placed end-down with good stability.

PF can occur at larger apertures shooting into the light. Personally, I've not encountered it often. Can usually be addressed in post.

Hope this is of some help. Thanks.

Thank you. That's clocking up the positives ...

[twilhelm]

DA*200 in FF mode K-1

I couldn't help it when I saw him a bit ago. Bad light since it was noon here in Florida.

[LennyBloke]

The IQ is excellent from the DA*200 on the K1 but simply because of flexibility I no longer use mine at all

I use the DA*60-250 (and crop the edges if the vignetting interferes) which provides similar IQ but is a bit bulkier/heavier. If I'm going lightweight and don't need the speed I use the F 80-200 (but it does need stopping down to get decent IQ).

They come up in UK for around £450 every now and then, I listed mine on the UK forums last year but got no takers even at what I thought was a very low price, so it's settled back into the collection - loved but little used