| Author: | | New Member Registered: June, 2016 Posts: 3 | | Lens Review Date: August 13, 2019 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $672.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Tack sharp, solid, weather sealed. | | Cons: | solid means it's hefty! | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K1, K3
| |
I just picked up this lens brand new through a major e-tailer for a price I couldn't say no to. Today was my first day running it through its paces.
I mostly shoot with a K1, so will eventually be looking at de-baffling it; however, my initial field test (i.e. backyard and dog photos) was stock, and I shot with both my K1 and K3 to get a flavor for what the lens can do.
Handling:
As you've probably noticed in the specs, it's not a small lens. I think for a medium telephoto the size and weight are on point, and I REALLY like how it balances on my K1 - a perfect counter balance. The K1 and lens are just big enough together to fit lengthwise in my camera bag. I found the lens on my K3 was a bit less balanced. Some have commented that the zoom "sticks" in the middle, and my copy feels the same... For me, it gives me more tactile information on where I'm at, not something I really found myself thinking about.
Image Quality
I did a full round of test shooting with both my K1 and K3 to test the sharpness, edges, and inevitable full frame vignetting. My conclusions thus far:
1. On a K3 or crop shot, the lens is as sharp as I could possibly ask for. You'll see some sample photos below which demonstrate the detail captured.
2. On a K1 the vignetting is real when shooting over 100mm, but edge sharpness, even at F4, is crisp
3. On a K1, vignetting after f8 is minimal
4. Really happy with the bokeh given that I'm shooting this at f4+
Auto Focus
I played around with the lens on both cameras, shooting still subjects, my black dog (who is very hard to get photos of), and objects in dark spaces. Even in my basement, with only residual light from upstairs trickling down, I was able to lock focus, so I have no concerns so far. I did run into some auto-focus issues with the K1 when using Live View, but it never seemed to be an issue when using the OVF or when using LV on my K3, so I'll chalk that up to operator error / camera config issue.
Thoughts
After my first day I am very happy with the optical quality of the lens and handling. The lens is for some upcoming travel and I believe it will fair well as an all-around weather proof lens which I can use on my K1 for day-to-day, and my K3 with a teleconverter for when I want to get more into wildlife / sunset / etc. shooting.
Sample photos
As I was running my test photos, I was mostly interested in f4 full frame with my K1, as that seems to be the most stressful test on the lens. As such, all photos below are from my K1 at f4 and are intended specifically to demonstrate vignette, sharpness, and bokeh. Except for the flower photo, all photos just had an exposure bump in Lightroom (the flower photo got the "auto" treatment in lightroom).
These first two photos of my dog demonstrate vignette and sharpness (VERY sharp!) 250mm, K1, f4
This photo of a flower demonstrates bokeh and sharpness. 250mm, K1, f4
This photo of a cedar demonstrates edge sharpness at f4 on full frame
These photos of my shed are at 128mm, f5.6 and demonstrate overall vignette at mid-zoom, and sharpness. The bottom crop demonstrates the bottom centre edge.
 | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2018 Posts: 233
1 user found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: March 18, 2019 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $1,200.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Exquisitely sharp and contrasty. | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K3
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   | | | | | Senior Member Registered: April, 2007 Location: Toronto/Victoria Posts: 262 | | Lens Review Date: February 4, 2019 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $800.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great sharpness and colour, relatively compact, AW | | Cons: | SDM hesitates from time to time | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-1, K100D
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I am very pleased with the 60-250, even on a K-1. While it does not fully cover FF on the K-1, it is not a big enough deal for me to want to crop; the sharpness is excellent pretty much until it darkens. I use it to good effect even wide open.
In addition to the sharpness, the colour of DA* and DA Limited lenses is quite vibrant and noticeably different than FA lenses which tend to be a bit more muted but warm.
The AF is good; the focus ring does not turn when autofocus operates, and it is compatible with my K100D which does not have the PZ/SDM contacts. Once in awhile it fails to lock focus even in good light, but most of the time it doesn't bother me and the best part is the smoothness and minimal noise compared to screwdrive.
While obviously bigger than a small lens like the F70-210, it slots in much smaller than the 70-200/80-200 F2.8 lenses, and has a smaller/more economical 67mm filter diameter. It's also way more compact partially because it extends when zooming.
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2012 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 2 | | Lens Review Date: August 29, 2018 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $700.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Delicate balance between IQ and usability, custom-made FF compatibility, solid build quality | | Cons: | Autofocus, price for new copies | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-1 & K20d
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This is one of the most respectable lenses of DA* line. More-than-enough build quality and balance, convenient ergonomics, image quality marginally inferior to DA* telephoto prime lenses and custom-made compatibility with Full Frame's image circle all make it a very attractive package compared to counterparts from other brands. Its image quality can only be overpowered by DA* 200 F2.8 or 300 F4 when experienced users care about the subtle changes of light and colour as well as the transition between subject and background. Yet, similar to FA* 80-200 2.8 (the best telephoto zoom only second to DFA 70-200 2.8), this lens presents the interesting swirling bokeh, which should be refreshing to those new to it. While there is a DFA 70-200 F4 waiting next year as in the roadmap, you can surely buy a 2nd-handed 60-250 F4 for considerably less than the coming new zoom lens. Based on the photos I have taken with K-1, I expect this lens can at least work with upcoming APS-C DSLRs satisfactorily in terms of resolving power. It is a safe buy.
There are only two mild weak points here. One is undeniably the autofocus system. I am using K-1, with which 60-250 focuses faster than my K20d. Still, it is hard to use it for any serious sport photography. I mainly use it for birding in close range. Its AF efficiency leaves me wanting at times that I switch to MF. I am used to MF lenses anyway. Another thing is its current high price as new. In 2018, looking forward to 2019, if Pentax is not going to update her DA* line drastically, she should lower the prices of these legendary lenses of the digital era a bit more to promote sales and guarantee future development of the whole system.
However, if you are looking for a Pentax high-end zoom lens for portraiture on APS-C bodies, DA* 50-135 would produce much nicer images.
You may take a look of how it performs with K-1 for birding here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.922916954522954&type=1&l=3d272fb378 | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2012 Location: Trail, BC Posts: 389 | | Lens Review Date: April 12, 2018 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Weather sealing, zoom range, bokeh, sharpness | | Cons: | Autofocus | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 8
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K5
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This is a great lens in almost all respects, with auto-focus being its major issue. Ninety percent of the time it focuses fast enough and produces excellent results. I may even go higher and say 95% of the time. But in some circumstances it is hit or miss, such as being out on the water in low contrast situations trying to capture whales and other wildlife that may spring into view suddenly and you only have moments to frame the shot and shoot. I have adapted my technique to compensate for this as much as possible. In clear conditions, prefocusing on the area where you anticipate a whale may surface, or switching to manual when the light is low or the environment is misty/foggy and inherently low contrast.
Don't get me wrong, even though it has a little heft I don't have any trouble in carrying it around on the camera for a days shooting and love the results it gives. It is sharp, low CA and nice bokeh for a zoom. I wouldn't part with it for the world.
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2016 Posts: 2
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: June 9, 2017 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $900.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, excellent max. aperture, weather resistance, bokeh | | Cons: | bit heavy, expensive, not too reliable SDM | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 8
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
| |
After modification the image circle can cover the 135 full frame! and the weather resistance and autofocus are still fully functional. Extra range from 60-250mm is more useful than typical 70-200mm.
It can make a good balance on K-1 and has enough resolution for the 36MP sensor.
Below is my review blog with large size photos:
http://iplaylens.blogspot.hk/2017/06/pentax-da-60-250mm-f4-sdm.html | | | | | Junior Member Registered: July, 2016 Location: Alps Posts: 35 | | Lens Review Date: November 22, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $1,295.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | IQ, sharpness, contrast, colors, silent AF, great range of focals... | | Cons: | bulky, external zooming, autofocus could be faster | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-3 II
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Used mainly for sports (Rafting, mountain bike, ski...) and nature / wildlife.
I loved this lens, stunning IQ.
I've also owned the HD 55-300 (the old version, no PLM) and there's no comparison in IQ, not speaking of difficult light conditions. And the autofocus is way better than the small 55-300 which misses focus a lot more in same context.
The new 55-300 PLM that I now own is somehow not far behind in terms of center sharpness, but not on the edges/corners. Also the color/global rendition/resolution/micro-contrast are better on the 60-250 (DA*/Limited rendering, as opposed to DA lenses).
Downsides for me are :
1) too bulky, no smooth zoom ring
2) external zooming / long barrel extension
3) autofocus is just OK, some of the best Pentax I guess... but no match to other big brands.
I ended up selling this lens for getting the DA* 50-135 : handling is MUCH better, internal zooming, lightweight & compactness, 1 stop aperture (& bokeh!)... at the cost of magnification, which is a more than acceptable trade for my use, having the PLM 55-300 if needed. And the DA* 300 in mind...
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: May, 2016 Posts: 1,548
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: October 22, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $550.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | versatile, good quality | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3II
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This is a versatile lens for sports, the range lets you cover the entire width of the field for soccer, football and such. It has some focus breathing but it's only noticeable for very close distances and especially at 250 (almost but not quite 400mm equivalent on 35mm); if the subject is across the field, 250mm really helps and focus breathing is not an issue.
AF tracking works nicely assuming camera settings are right for the situation, but point-to-point af could be a little faster. f4 is fast enough for me, especially since image quality is solid at max aperture, but it is a little softer at 250mm. If you are able to stay under 200mm, no worries at all. Using the lens hood is a must, the lens doesn't flare badly but it is no hd prime either.
Mounted on the k3ii with no battery grip it is hand holdable and it's small enough to move quickly, but not if you are planning to keep it to your eye constantly. I need to look around anyway for what's going on on the the field, so I find using it with no mono/tripod just fine.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 339
1 user found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: September 7, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $1,100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Great balance of size, weight, speed , range | | Cons: | none! | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5
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This is the best lens I have ever used. I love it more than Pentax Limiteds and any other lens I have seen. It's the perfect size for a telephoto, which can be carrtied all day. I have never used the collar and do not see a reason to use that. It might not look like a "walkaround lens" when in city, but in the field, or at zoo, etc it might be it.
The lens can safely be left wide open and the bokeh is great for the range, Sharpness and colors are great too.
Like every other zoom you may sometimes hit the reach limits, but really not often. All in all, if you have not tested it, and reading this, it means you need the lens! Go and buy one  | | | | | Otis Memorial Pentaxian
Loyal Site Supporter Registered: March, 2015 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 6,095
1 user found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: August 2, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $1,050.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Build quality, image quality, sharpness, bokeh | | Cons: | None for me. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-3
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This is a very high quality lens. The AF has been faultless on my K-3, and the image quality is superb. It is reasonably heavy, but quite hand holdable for long periods for me. Being only f4 has not been an issue for me with the type of photography that I enjoy doing. The " All Weather " sealing makes this lens very safe and pleasing to use in all conditions.. When combined with the Pentax HD DA 1.4x AW rear converter, this lens becomes even more versatile. I can highly recommend the DA* 60-250 as a wonderful addition to your photographic equipment.
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2012 Posts: 109
1 user found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: May 29, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $1,000.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | A star * 300mm - but zooming. | | Cons: | It's not under 100 grams | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K5IIS, K3 and K-1
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Read the other threads here under - I loved it now just more!
Now a new lens Fully FF as described here:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/304092-da-60-250-mod-ff.html
Link does not work? - Copy and paste it in the address field above.
A real tele on the K3 and a Master on the K-1.
/Gutta Perka
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2012 Location: Gloucester Posts: 1,105 | | Lens Review Date: May 18, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $1,600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Relatively light and compact; Renders well, Fairly close focussing | | Cons: | Autofocus could be faster | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-1
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I have had this lens for a few years now, and without doubt it is my favourite Pentax lens, narrowly pipping the 77mm f1.8 Limited. It has a very useful focal range, and focuses fairly close, too. And it is very sharp, even wide open. Although it is designated as a APS-C lens, I have found that it works very well on the full-frame K-1 body, with only a little vignetting at the longer focal lengths. The vignetting is small, but quite noticeable at 250mm, reducing with focal length. I didn't do any specific tests to see when the vignetting actually disappears, but it seems to be all but gone at 120 mm at f5.6, as evidenced by the photograph below. In all cases, it will allow a much larger crop than just APS-C sized. The bokeh on the lens is quite pleasing, though I don't tend to use it in situations where background blur is particularly important.
  | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2015 Posts: 13 | | Lens Review Date: April 5, 2016 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp telezoom, low CA, silent AF, water resist. | | Cons: | not so big aperture, sharpnes loss @60&250mm, lazy AF, overpriced new | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3
| |
So I bought a copy for a fairly reasonable price, so I can not say that I was disappointed lens. But I would not buy it at the price of "B&H". Someone having more fat wallet may think otherwise. In relation to the optical lens is almost perfect. This "almost" means that if you want to get razor-sharp picture on the extreme focus, you need to stopped down the aperture (at f/5.6 it perfect). Autofocus is very quiet and smooth, thanks to the SDM. But it is more thoughtful than I would like - you can miss the object, if it is very fast. Aperture just slightly out of reach entirely comfortable number, so bokeh can not qualify for a high score, despite the long focal lengths. Just because of this, we will have to increase the ISO in low light conditions. Size and weight are not a problem - they are quite reasonable for such a lens. Size and weight are not a problem - they are quite reasonable for such a lens. In general, the lens is quite compact and reliable made, comfortable to use. There is no backlash.
I also should mention that this is the second instance, which I held in my hands, when I bought it. The first was an internal defect because of which he could not focus to infinity at a focal length 135mm. Something jammed inside so that the focus stop 15 meters. I had to return it to the owner. The second proved to work, and I hope to do a lot of good photos this summer.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2011 Location: Hanoi Posts: 199 | | Lens Review Date: August 27, 2015 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $1,200.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | good build, WR | | Cons: | autofocus | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K3
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It would be a great statue in the museum of zoom lenses systems. However, the speed of autofocus need to be improved. I would expect to the next generation DFA 70-200 f2.8.
 Rock concert 2014 - Battle ship, on Flickr
 Rock concert 2014 - Battle ship, on Flickr
 5C, on Flickr
 5C, on Flickr
 5C, on Flickr
 Oringchain, on Flickr
 paragliding, on Flickr
paragliding, on Flickr
 paragliding, on Flickr
 paragliding , on Flickr
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: February, 2010 Location: Carlisle Cumbria England Posts: 68 | | Lens Review Date: May 29, 2015 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $1,400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | light for focal length, sharpness, size, ergonomics | | Cons: | Autofocus not the best for fast action | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K3
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I don't normally bother writing reviews but, I can't let this lens get a bad rap!
For a four and a bit times zoom it is simply fabulous! The range is far more useful than a 70-210 and no doubt sharper than the latter with a 1.4 convertor. One of the Jewels in the Ricoh/Pentax crown.
Add the HD tc to this lens and you have a very versatile and high quality set up.
Thoroughly recommend!
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