| Author: | | Senior Member Registered: September, 2006 Posts: 181
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 21, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $1,000.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, SDM, Weather Sealing, Build Quaility | | Cons: | | | New or Used: New
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The lens is an excellent, modern, fast telephoto. It is sharp at all apertures, the SDM focusing is fast and accurate, and build quality is very good. The only other fast 200 I have owned to compare it to is the K200mm f/2.5, which has been my favorite lens for many years. The DA* compares very favorably. I believe the K is a little better optically, it is slightly sharper wide open, and has better (at least different) bokeh. However the DA* is also excellent in these aspects, and the modern conveniences, closer focusing, and lighter weight more than make up for the slight loss in image quality.
(Non working links removed)
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: EU/Slovenia Posts: 774
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 22, 2008 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | build quality, focus ring travel, weight. | | Cons: | a bit soft wide open | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: New
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First let me tell that softness at f2.8 really isn't an issue. It's only less than perfect - perhaps just right for portraits. Apart for that the optical quality is excellent. The lens is as sharp as K10D can handle from f4 onward. Purple fringing is kept at minimum.
Focusing was accurate and AF-C works well as long as you can steadily track the moving object. Focusing ring has approximately 220°travel which makes manual focusing feel like in the good old times. The ring does not spin when performing AF so you can hold the lens as you please
Finally a lens that should put the some ease on bidding wars over older Pentax tele lenses.
DA* 200/2.8 @2.8
DA* 200/2.8 @4
DA* 200/2.8 @5.6
DA* 200/2.8 @8
DA* 200/2.8 @11
DA* 200/2.8 @16
If you find my review helpful please add reputation
EDIT 18.3.2009
Here are some real life samples.
 f4  f2.8  f4  f5.6  f2.8  f2.8  f2.8  f2.8  f4  f4  f2.8  f4  f2.8
Edit 13.3.2013
I replaced dead links with working ones. All files are now full sized.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2009 Location: Sydney Posts: 86 | | Review Date: January 26, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great bokeh, solid bulit, slient motor, relatively cheap vs other brands, weather resistance | | Cons: | quite hard to suggest | |
I got this lens in a lucky win off an ebay auction.
My first opinion of a DA* lens is that it will forever change one's view of beginner photography.
With its SDM system, this lens focuses (in my rough guess) 2X faster than the dslr body built in motor at much higher accuracy. The best better part, it does it with none motor noise (quite shock during the first time this lens focus) without me noticing it had already focused while I was still waiting the motor sound to come (so, wow) !
Secondly, a 200mm at f2.8 gave superior images. I said this because I also have a Pentax DA 18-250mm superzoom and Tamron 70-300mm macro zoom lens. Comparing all three at 200mm, the 2.8 apecture was just beyond my expectation.
I never thought I would spend this kinda money on a lens, but I did and think that it was worth it.
One week later, I brought a k200d body just for this lens.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2008 Location: near Amsterdam Posts: 14 | | Review Date: March 3, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $1,160.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Optical and build quality, SDM, size | | Cons: | none | |
The perfect lens for handheld shooting. The SDM works quickly and accurately. Razor sharp where it needs to be and a beautiful bokeh. Very usable length in different circumstances. I really love this one.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2007 Location: France Posts: 804
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 6, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $1,000.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | SDM, fast AF, sharpness stopped down | | Cons: | Purple fringing wide open | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 8
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The perfect lens to work handheld for sports, and with some restriction wildlife (a bit short for most situations but very useful if you manage to get close from your subject)
Color rendering, sharpness and bokeh excellent from f4 onward.
Have a noticeable flaw with purple fringing wide open in case of high contrasts situations (gone at f5.6) :
I have made a lots of excellent shots with this lens like this robin :
100 % crop
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2008 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,369
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 9, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $800.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Great image quality, weathersealed, small for its focal length, quick and silent AF, great build quality | | Cons: | Sort of a tweener focal length, I've read about purple fringing problems | |
I wanted to add another review to this lens because I feel it has been overlooked a bit over the years it's been out. I think that's because for nature shooters it's just not the super long telephoto lens that they have in mind, and for event shooters, most have chosen to go with the DA*50-135 or 70-200 lenses from Sigma or Tamron for the flexibility given by a zoom.
I myself struggled with this before pulling the trigger on a used copy from a nice member on this forum. And I am really happy I did so. You won't know this until you buy it, but the lens is actually quite a bit smaller* than 70-200 zoom lenses available at this time. For those of you out there who want a handholdable, candid telephoto lens that does not draw attention to yourself or give you wrist pain at the end of the day, this is a good choice. The smaller profile along with the silent autofocus and great image quality has made it my lens of choice for weddings and photojournalism events I've covered.
Speaking of autofocus, it is actually pretty fast. I wouldn't say it has the fastest AF out there in the world, but the AF lock is both fast and sure enough that I've used this lens multiple times for sports photography, where it has become my main lens for that as well.
With all of the advantages this lens has over the well regarded Tamron 70-200, I rarely use the Tamron anymore unless I absolutely need the flexibility of a zoom.
Image quality: I don't think I'm the best authority on this one since I don't test my lenses to the degree of nitpicking that some on here require of their lenses. I have read that this lens suffers some purple fringing wide open, and also isn't eye bleedingly sharp when stopped down. I haven't really noticed either of these problems and the lens seems sharp enough for me, but I'm not going to say they don't exist under testing circumstances.
What I do know is that this lens from my usage is that this lens produces great images with nice contrast and color. I am totally confident shooting with it wide open and love the bokeh it produces. In general the images produced from this lens seem to have their own character to them, which I have come to love.
Final rating: I gave it a 10 on here, but for this review I'll give it a 9.5 since no lens is perfect. I highly recommend you give this lens a try. To just look at the measurables I think is where people miss the point of this lens. It is as a total package where it really shines.
Some photos:
* Note: Even though it's small in profile, the build quality is very good and this is not a light lens. I think another review of a FA* or DA* 200 f/2.8 mentioned that this is a lens you could hammer nails with, and I would concur with that description.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: February, 2011 Location: Bretagne Posts: 3 | | Review Date: February 7, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Quality, luminosity, well-built | | Cons: | | |
This lens is a jewel. First time you'll look at it, you'll be impressed by the quality, and the beauty of this lens.
Take a picture with, the color are so bright, the contrast is excellent, and the resolution is significantly better than all my lenses ( Pentax SMC-F100mm f2.8, Pentax SMC-F 50mm f1.7, Sigma 24mm AF f2.8 )
A lense to have
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2011 Location: Manchester Posts: 12
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 4, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $1,000.00
| Rating: 4 |
| Pros: | Light, short, reach | | Cons: | Purple fringing | |
I realise this lens is highly rated which is part of what led me to buy it after much research but unhappily my copy had the worst purple fringing I've ever seen, worse than the cheapest kit lens or 10 x zoom I've seen, and I've owned a lot of lenses. And I'm not talking about pointing it at a backlit tree to deliberately produce CA, I mean just regular use, on the street etc. My copy was sharp, though not bitingly so. Had it not been for the CA I'd have kept it. Oddly turning on/off the chromatic abberation software on my K5 made no real difference.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2011 Location: Calgary Alberta Posts: 16 | | Review Date: August 4, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $825.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Metal Construction, Silent, weather sealing, SHARP! | | Cons: | Nagging fear of SDM failure... focusing speed isn't quick, but it's quick enough | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
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What is there to say. It's a fantastic lens. I've used it everywhere from the rainforests of Bali to a local ball game on a Friday night. Forget all the tests done, in the real world, this lens produces great shots!
For theatre/performances, sports, even some wild life here and there, there's nothing better. In fact, this lens was the catalyst for my entrance into the world of primes. (P.S. it's not a world I recommend living in without a little coin in your pocket!!!)
It boasts the same quality that the limiteds with superb metal construction…something that I just can’t say for the 50-135…honestly thought the guy was selling me a fake the first time a held the 50-135!....but that’s a story for another time.
Besides the nagging fear of SDM failure, I have nothing bad to say about this lens. It’s a gem! | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 10 | | Review Date: August 30, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $959.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp & Fast. Nothing beats a large glass out front. | | Cons: | Yes, it's heavy, but I don't care. The results are worth it. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
New or Used: New
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(Non working link removed)
I bought it to mate with the higher mpi of the K-5. I have a Sigma 70-300 that I've used on my K-10 and have enjoyed good results, but not great results. (Non working link removed)
Abberation and less-than-stellar sharpness are my main complaints, but then, price was a factor.
The DA* 200 brought a whole new appreciatation for capabilities of the venerable K-10 and, coupled with the K-5 I was blown away! There is no substitute for prime lenses. Once I was able to justify spending this kind of money, I've never looked back. I love it.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2011 Location: The Canadian WetCoast Posts: 384
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 5, 2011 | Not Recommended | Price: $1,000.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | IQ. f/2.8. Build & finish. Relatively light weight. | | Cons: | Slow focusing, espeically at low light. No tripod socket. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 5
Handling: 9
Value: 7
New or Used: New
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This lens disappointed me mainly on the AF performance. Knowing this is pretty much the only f/2.8 AF 200mm prime on the market for Pentax dSLRs, and photog like me who shot medium distance in low light need this lens. Pentax unwitty apply the typically slow SDM to it. The result is extreme frustration at concerts & stage shows. Instead of put a limiter on the lens like Canon did to speed up focusing, Pentax let the lens hunt the entire range and totally lost at time. The SDM did marginally better that my MF prime lenses as far as focusing speed concern. A trip to the factory with the camera did not improve low light performance.
IQ on this lens is great, but not by much from vintage M200/4 prime or new Sigma 70-200/2.8 APO OS zoom at wide open. That is the second disappointment to me.
  | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2009 Location: USA Posts: 351 | | Review Date: March 11, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $675.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | quite sharp, build quality, weathersealing, SDM | | Cons: | some CA, (SDM?) | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: k-5
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I saw this lens for a good price here on the forums and couldn't pass it up. It has had an SDM repair, but I'm crossing my fingers that it won't happen again. On to the lens itself - the handling is lovely, and the autofocus is magic - almost completely silent, and very quick - I'd say that it focuses nearly as quickly as my F-135, which is very quickly indeed. I'm quite happy with the images I'm getting, though my long-lens technique certainly could use more work. Some might say that it's a bit of a 'tweener focal length, but I find it quite good for many things, and somewhat more flexible than I imagine a fixed 300mm lens would be. Very much looking forward to taking this lens with me on a trip to Alaska this summer.
Taken at the Cheyenne Mtn zoo:
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 243
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 25, 2012 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Everything! | | Cons: | The hood is annoying at times. VERY rare PF | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
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My new favorite lens. I do not understand why it has less than a 9 on the overall score, because it is simply a fantastic lens!
sample shots:
 Pentax DA* 200mm f/2.8 by NickBrunerPhotography, on Flickr
 Liftoff by NickBrunerPhotography, on Flickr
 On Fire. by NickBrunerPhotography, on Flickr
A portrait at f/3.2:
 Erin by NickBrunerPhotography, on Flickr
And here is one from one of my most recent shoots @ F/3.2
 Erin by NickBrunerPhotography, on Flickr
This lens has AWESOME IQ and sharpness with some very pleasing bokeh. The build quality is outstanding, I will definitely be purchasing this lens soon. My only real problem with the lens is the minimum focusing distance, but it is still quite short for a lens of its class(not being a macro). It is still quite good for macro photos, but I would appreciate a MFD of maybe 3 feet?
Overall, this lens is fantastic and I cannot wait to actually purchase it.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: Near Sydney, NSW Posts: 331
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 15, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $1,530.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Handling, image quality, beautiful build, bokeh, quiet AF, WR | | Cons: | Love it so much that I try to shoot things that should be wider with it | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
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I've pretty much said everything already. Unfortunately (for me) I needed to buy this from an actual shop, which I never ever ever do - because a particularly important event was coming up and my order of the DA* 300 didn't turn up. I went to the store hoping they'd have the 300, or the Sigma 70-200 for about $900 - but thyey only had this... and when I saw the price I considered just bolting of the shop with it - but regrettfully, I paid the money.
THEN, I used it at the event and thought "Wow, this IS really nice." and THEN I saw the pictures, and printed many of them - and suddenly $1530 seemed like it was free.
When I see that some of the FAs get the 'royal review' treatment over the DAs - and then I see the pictures from this, and my 50-135mm, I think "Surely it's a placebo." If you wrote "FA" on this baby, it would be worth $2500.
Just a beautiful beautiful piece of lens making.
| | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2012 Posts: 8
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 17, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $1,465.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Much quicker to list the negatives | | Cons: | Price | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
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I suppose when you add up ALL the aspects you can rate a lens on, you end up with quite a few, but this is a really simple review so I'll give a score out of 10 for each aspect:
Image quality: 10/10 - That's a given. It's a *star prime. I've never seen anything less from them.
Focussing: 9/10 SDM is very fast, at least on this lens. It can keep up with my kids running towards me in day light.
Handling: 10/10 Nice, chunky stoutness that makes keeping it still very nice and reassurring. Also fits in bags attached to the camera.
Accessories (hood, pouch etc.): 10/10 - People have complained about the hood but I don't get it? It clicks on very nicely and feels like it'd be $100 by itself. The little sport to turn a CPL filter is great too. The pouch is great with a sort of belt/carry handle.
Aesthetics (what it looks like): 10/10 - I think that most Pentax lenses, but especially the DA stars smoke ANY competition for sexiness.
I won't give a score for price because if you get it cheaper it's cheaper and if it's full retail price... well it's still a good price but it's different so, I can't rate anything except the price I got it at, which is irrelevant.
So all up it's a score out of 50 and it gets.. 49/50. To me that's worth whatever it costs.
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