[asko]

I know, it´s officially an APS-C lens, but I also heard, that it´s lens design comes from an older full-frame lens.
According to Tony Northrup you should neither use a APS-C lens on a full frame body, nor a full frame lens on a APS-C body . Either way, it results in a loss of image quality.
I´m considering buying this lens, but I don`t want any kind of image quality loss.

I would be grateful for a good advise

p.s. I did read the in depth review of this lens on our forum, but the quality loss issue was ( shamefully ? ) ignored

[Adam]

The DA* 200mm is officially a full-frame lens. It started being marketed as such following the release of the K-1, along with the 300mm and 560mm. Full overview of DA lens performance here:

Full Frame Coverage of DA Lenses: Comprehensive Test - Gear Guides | PentaxForums.com

[Wheatfield]

I know, it´s officially an APS-C lens, but I also heard, that it´s lens design comes from an older full-frame lens.
According to Tony Northrup you should neither use a APS-C lens on a full frame body, nor a full frame lens on a APS-C body . Either way, it results in a loss of image quality.
I´m considering buying this lens, but I don`t want any kind of image quality loss.

I would be grateful for a good advise

p.s. I did read the in depth review of this lens on our forum, but the quality loss issue was ( shamefully ? ) ignored

If you want good advice, stop looking to Tony Northrup thinking you will find it with him.

[pepperberry farm]

If you want good advice, stop looking to Tony Northrup thinking you will find it with him.

bingo....

[aslyfox]

" it's a conspiracy I tell you " meant to mislead us, the owners reviews, the in depth review and the testing report

Sharpness
9.5
Aberrations
8.6
Bokeh
9.
Autofocus
9.1
Handling
9.7
Value
9.3

Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
94% of reviewers $950.11 9.09


SDM Reviews - DA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database[/url] Full-Frame Compatibility Tests by Pentax Forums
★★★ Full coverage at all tested F-stops and all focal lengths
Show details
Notes
Two ED elements.
Designed for APS-C but officially full-frame compatible per Ricoh. The Pentax K-1 includes full-frame correction profiles for this lens.

Read more at: SMC Pentax-DA* 200mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM Reviews - DA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

. . . it's well-crafted, with a lot of attention to detail and robustness along with unique features such as weather sealing. As we can observe in our test, its sharpness is top-notch. On minor optical issues such as vignetting and distortion, the performance of this lens is practically perfect. Its durable and compact construction is a value-added feature that greatly adds versatility and usability to this telephoto prime . . .

.

Read more at: Pentax-DA* 200mm F2.8 Review - Conclusion | PentaxForums.com Reviews

DA* 200mm F2.8
200
WO A
F5.6 A
F11 A

Read more at: Full Frame Coverage of DA Lenses: Comprehensive Test - Gear Guides | PentaxForums.com

[pschlute]

I know, it´s officially an APS-C lens, but I also heard, that it´s lens design comes from an older full-frame lens.

The DA* 200mm has full frame coverage. When Pentax released the K1 they included in the firmware lens correction parameters for this lens when used in both FF and aps-c mode. They would not have done so if the lens was not fully FF compatible.

According to Tony Northrup you should neither use a APS-C lens on a full frame body, nor a full frame lens on a APS-C body . Either way, it results in a loss of image quality.

TN is a competent photographer. However this statement is complete rubbish. If he actually said that as you quoted, he is wrong on both counts.

[StiffLegged]

According to Tony Northrup you should neither use a APS-C lens on a full frame body, nor a full frame lens on a APS-C body . Either way, it results in a loss of image quality.

I must be doin' summat wrong, my last two lens purchases were full-frame and image quality on my K-7 has improved markedly. Off to ask Dr. Tone what...

[mirocal]

After having used the DA* 200/2.8 extensively with K1 and K1II for a few years, I thought I may give it up after getting the DFA 70-210/4. However these two lenses are for different experiences and while I don't carry it any more in the field, the 200/2.8 still is a pleasure to use for portraits and astrophotography. Sharp wide open, beautiful bokeh, excellent handling, decent autofocus, all that defines a keeper.

[jatrax]

According to Tony Northrup

That was your first mistake.

I did read the in depth review of this lens on our forum, but the quality loss issue was ( shamefully ? ) ignored

So you believe a quack like Northrup who is only interested in clicks and accuse this site of intentionally misleading you?

[jgnfld]

If you want good advice, stop looking to Tony Northrup thinking you will find it with him.

Ouch!

[Sandy Hancock]

According to Tony Northrup you should neither use a APS-C lens on a full frame body, nor a full frame lens on a APS-C body. Either way, it results in a loss of image quality.

As others have already pointed out, that is total bollocks. Quite a number of crop lenses work brilliantly on full frame cameras, and all full frame lenses work fine on crop cameras.

I used the DA*200 solidly for a month in August, nearly exclusively on the K-1 Mark II in full frame mode. It is absolutely, unequivocally, 100% full frame compatible; vignetting is negligible and image quality holds up to the extreme corners even wide open. The only downsides are sluggish (but very accurate) autofocus and moderate (but easily managed) lateral chromatic aberration.

Here's an album. I have no pretence at being a great photographer, but the images should help to illustrate the qualities of the lens.

[baro-nite]

Agreed that it is an outstanding lens, either on APS-C or full frame. Another strong point of the lens is the short (1.2 m) minimum focus distance. The one disappointment for me was the SDM (focus) motor, which began to fail after 8 or 9 years of use. I converted it to screw drive before selling it earlier this year. (That wasn't why I sold it; I decided the D FA 70-210 would work better for me for the situations where I had been bringing the DA* 200.)

[swanlefitte]

Tony made a valid point that if an apsc lens vignettes on full frame you have to crop the full frame and lose quality. You do NOT have to crop the 200mm on the K1 so it doesn't apply. He also specifically says there are Pentax apsc lenses that are NOT affected by this problem. He does explain the reason is noise because to view at the uncropped size you have to expand the cropped image. he shows the 18-55mm kit on K1 taken at 18mm at about 2:05 around 2:30 he points out the 18-55mm at 55 is fine on the K1. By 2:49 he says alot of apsc Pentax lenses are just fine on a full frame body.

You Tube

You Tube

[StiffLegged]

Thanks for that swan, saved me the trouble. I’m not quite able to endure watching the Northrup’s videos through just yet, it’s too trying of an old photographer’s patience.

[aslyfox]

As Adam and I noted in the early responses to this thread

the folks here at the forums have tested the DA series of lenses to indicate what happens if any of those lenses ( developed for the ASP-C sensor ) is used on a K 1 or K 1 II

Full Frame Coverage of DA Lenses: Comprehensive Test
Which DA lenses cover the full 24x36 mm frame?
By PF Staff in Gear Guides on Jan 7, 2019

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/articles/gear-guides/full-frame-coverage-of-da-...#ixzz6aSYGJAdc