[matroxication]

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Hello Pentaxians,

Am looking for a telephoto lens to add to my collection for K1 and would like some recommendation's. Would like to use as a walkaround lens with family & kids and also for portraits (I like the compression and bokeh of 200mm lens. I already own Pentax-FA 77mm F1.8 Limited but still find the background to be busy sometimes).

Below are the ones which I have shortlisted.

1) Pentax D FA 70-200mm f/2.8 ED : Expensive but mainly worried about the focus breathing that everyone is discussing about. Apparently Pentax still have not fixed this issue when compared to competitors.
2) Pentax HD D FA 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR : Does not have focus breathing but quality is not good as 70-200 f/2.8 as per online articles. Also am not sure how much I lose with 1 f-stops especially for portraits.
3) Pentax DA* 300mm f/4 EDIF SDM : Can cover full frame. Very sharp edge to edge but am not too sure about fixed 300mm lens if it will be too long for my needs. The biggest zoom lens I have is Pentax D FA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC which is a great lens.
4) Pentax DA* 200mm f/2.8 EDIF SDM : Can cover full frame. Very sharp but fixed 200mm lens.

Kindly advise.

[Adam007]

The 300 may be the best lens here, but is totally unsuited for your stated purpose.

I also have the 70-210. It is a great walk around lens. I have used it for portraits. IQ is very good, and stopped-down a bit, it will impress. 5.6 or 6.3 will make for a nice background, if not as smooth as the DFA 70-200.

I do not love it for portraits as much as my primes, but that is not a fair comparison. None of my clients have complained,

You do not want to walk around with the DFA 70-200. If you were only using this for paid portraits, it would be the right choice here, but I think the 70-210 (which I got for $900 on Amazon, and saw it even cheaper this Black Friday season) will best fit the bill. Light and compact.

[ChatMechant]

I can also recommend the FA*80-200. It is fantastic on the K1. The DA300 is superb but probably too long. Alternatively, the older FA135 2.8 is very small, good for a walk around, family snapshot type outing.

[aslyfox]

any of the film era lenses will work on the full frame sensor as will the DFA series and some DA lenses

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

your examples show you don't particularly care prime vs. zoom

what do you care about ?

aperture

size

weight

lens' characteristics ?

cost

" experienced " vs. new

______________________________________

I have experience with

HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE
Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm F2.8-4 Macro Zoom PKA ( Komine )
Pentax D FA * 70-200mm f/2.8 ED
HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5 - 5.6 ED DC AW
Pentax DA* 300mm f/4 EDIF SDM

each have their benefits and detriments

if this is what you mean about " focus breathing "

Focus Breathing (Focal length variation with focus distance)- Bob Atkins Photography

I have not noticed any such problem with the above lenses

[pschlute]

Your mention of "walkabout" should rule out the DFA* 70-200. It is over twice the weight of either the 70-210 or the 200.

I dont own the DA* 200 but do have the 300mm. From everything I have read the quality of the 200 is the same as the 300 ...ie excellent. But it is a bit old-tech now with a slow AF motor.

2) has to be the obvious choice

[luftfluss]

Tamron 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD Macro Lens Reviews - Tamron Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

[termy]

Tamron 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD Macro Lens Reviews - Tamron Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

Agree. This Tammy is worth considering.

1) This Tammy is a great lens.

2) And isnt that heavy.
Certainly nowhere as heavy as the DFA 70-200.

3) has minimum focussing distance of 95cm (which could prove very handy in certain situations).

4) image output is more than decent (and superb value for money, considering its image output vis-a-vis price).

Other lenses that could consider will be:
1) DFA 70-210 f4.
2) Sigma 70-200 f2.8 (there's quite a few versions).
3) Tokina ATX 828 80-200 f2.8 (if you ok with pp to remove CA)

And if dont mind manual focus lenses, quite a number more that can consider.

[normhead]

DA*200 would be my only choice fr casual portraits. Lighter than a 70-200 by a large margin for easy use.



I also use the DA 55-300 PLM, for super light weight but the fastest aperture is ƒ6.3 in the long end.

[DeadJohn]

For walkaround with family, a fixed 200mm or 300mm is too long, IMO. The 700-200 f2.8 is heavy and bulky. That leaves the 70-210 f4 as the top candidate from your list. Build quality and image quality of the f4 is good, even if not quite as good as the 70-200 f2.8.
Will f4 be enough for you? See links below to help you decide.


This simulator can give you a feel for the differences between your 77 f1.8 vs 200mm f2.8 and 200mm f4. As you adjust the focal length, click the buttons below "Framing" to reset your distance from the subject. DOF simulator - Camera depth of field calculator with visual background blur and bokeh simulation.

This searcher makes it easy to find Flickr photos taken with specific settings. Here's saved search for 200mm f4 so you can see what it can do. shutterdial

[normhead]

200mm on a K-1 is 135mm on a K-3.

200mm is long for a K-1, but it can work.... this one taken at 200mm with the DA 55-300














DA*60-250 at full reach








Long lens portraits are in a class all of their own. IMHO something worth exploring.

The big advantage to the DA*200 is it's still 280 ƒ4 with the 1.4 TC and 340mm ƒ4.5 with the 1.7 AF adapter. It may not be a zoom, but you still have some flexibility.

[garywakeling]

Look at the old F series 70-210, great quality, small for walkaround and very good value

[angerdan]

Below are the ones which I have shortlisted.

1. Pentax D FA 70-200mm f/2.8 ED : Expensive but mainly worried about the focus breathing that everyone is discussing about. Apparently Pentax still have not fixed this issue when compared to competitors.
2. Pentax HD D FA 70-210mm f/4 ED SDM WR : Does not have focus breathing but quality is not good as 70-200 f/2.8 as per online articles. Also am not sure how much I lose with 1 f-stops especially for portraits.
3. Pentax DA* 300mm f/4 EDIF SDM : Can cover full frame. Very sharp edge to edge but am not too sure about fixed 300mm lens if it will be too long for my needs. The biggest zoom lens I have is Pentax D FA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC which is a great lens.
4. Pentax DA* 200mm f/2.8 EDIF SDM : Can cover full frame. Very sharp but fixed 200mm lens.

Kindly advise.

My advise in order of recommendation for your situation (most leighweight first):
<= F4 Lenses between 550g and 1960g with Autofocus | PentaxForums.com

1. F 70-210mm F4-5.6 - lightweight, cheap, sharp
2. HD D FA 70-210mm F4 - flexible, sharp
3. FA* 200mm F2.8 ED[IF] - sharp, lightweight
4. DA* 200mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM - sharp, lightweight
5. DA* 60-250mm F4 ED [IF] SDM - flexible, slower AF
6. DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM - very sharp, slower AF

[matroxication]

Thanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions. Always proud to be part of the Pentax world �� Getting “used” Pentax gears is challenging when you are living in down under (Aussie). Also, only handful of retailers are selling new gears as well (dcxpert, Pentax online, digidirect) and most of the items are on special orders. And the import duty for buying it outside kills it further.

Based on past experience with my Samyang (replaced it 3 times to get a good copy) & Sigma 35mm ART, where I constantly had to send my K1 & lens multiple times to CRKennedy for calibration, am more inclined to buy a new lens. Especially when the older lenses are costing AU$1000 or more.
Also, I prefer having weather sealed on the telephoto lens and I believe the lenses from my list should all be weather sealed.

Below picture gives an idea of what am expecting from a 200mm lens when doing portraits.
People | Today in Turin look like a summer day !! Happy East? | Flickr

Also based on everyone’s feedback, I can assume Pentax DFA* 70-200 is not a good walk around lens, not good for travel primarily due to its weight. If weight is removed from the equation, does this lens lives up to its hype and cost?

@Adam007, I completely agree that primes are great for portrait. But I believe 200mm will be effective for subject isolation better than my 77 ltd. Also having 77 ltd and 35mm ART, I don’t want to invest in any more portrait lenses such as DFA* 50 and DFA* 85 unless am doing any paid work. Pentax 28-105 WR is a great walk around lens but I wanted bit more telephoto to be away from subjects to take natural shots. Especially with kids where they react to camera is directly pointing at them ��

@ChatMechant, FA*80-200 seems to be nice lens but getting older lenses is challenging in Australia. If it costs about $1000 or more, I can rather buy the new ones.

@aslyfox, definitely there needs to be balance in everything that you mentioned. If taking portrait, I would require the best isolation possible with good bokeh, faster autofocus for kids. I can’t say difference between f4 and f2.8 on 200mm since I have not used one. But will be using the lens as well for any indoor play activity/sports for my kids and am not sure if f2.8 is more suited there. Regarding weight, the heaviest lens I have is sigma 35 1.4 ART which is 665 gms in weight. But if am carrying 70-200 f2.8, then I won’t be carrying any other lens with me. And yes, the link about focus breathing is correct and was told 70-200 f2.8 is plagued with it.

@luftfluss, I have to import Tamron lens from ebay and its costing about AU$1000 or more I guess for the new one.

@termy, yup the reviews on Tammy looks promising. Manual lenses are bit of challenge especially if its heavy. I always wanted to buy Samyang 135mm F2 for its sharpness and bokeh but since its manual, its holding me off.

@normhead, nice pictures and I read great reviews about 55-300 PLM lens as well. But am looking for bit faster aperture than f6.3. Are the TC compatible with K1 being full frame? I thought they are compatible only for APSC cameras.

@DeadJohn, these are valuable links. Based on the DOF simulator, F2.8 provides creamier bokeh. Assuming rest of the characteristics of both 70-200 f2.8 and f4 lenses are the same.

@garywakeling, Is this the lens you are referring to?
SMC Pentax-F 70-210mm F4-5.6 Reviews - F Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

@angerdan, out of all the lenses in your recommendations, Is DA*300 sharpest?

[luftfluss]

@matroxication - I just peeked at ebay.com.au and found a couple copies of the Tamron 70-200/2.8 for less than $1000 from international sellers... give it a look!

tamron 70-200 pentax | eBay

Also, you could post in Wanted Items - PentaxForums.com and see if someone has something for you.

[termy]

DFA 70-200, image quality is top notch.

But you are intending it as a walkabout lens with family n kids and i will have to assume, it will mean quite a lot of snapping pics of them.

That being so, the DFA, weighing in at 2.x kilogramme, is really up to your own assessment, whether you can tolerate walking about with family n kids with a 2.x kilogramme behemoth, for anywhere between 1hour to, 3/4/5 hours?

And cuz you indicated wanted something faster (than being restricted to f5.6 or f6.3 at long end, else, the 55-300 PLM really is bang for the buck)

Realistically, that means something of a 70-200 / 80-200 f2.8 type will be more suitable (and preferably not too heavyweight type).

The 60-250 is also definitely worth considering, and also the DFA 70-210 f4.0 (they are much lighter than the DFA 70-200, and both offer constant f4.0)

A 200 prime isnt necessarily more or less suitable.
Although the fixed focal length could be rather restrictive (if there is no room to back-up any further).

The Tamron and various Sigma 70-200, definitely not as heavy as the DFA.

One lens that is a bit of an outlier here, is the Sigma 100-300 f4.0., coming in at 1.4kg.
Hugely useable at f4.0