| Author: | | New Member Registered: March, 2013 Posts: 11
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 1, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $1,300.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Excellent all round telephoto!! | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-r
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I switched back to Pentax from the dark side when I on a whim picked up a new K-r body for $350 AU earlier this year. After using a 50D + 70-200 2.8L I expected a fair bit out of my equipment. I wanted a smaller overall package as I found I was leaving the gear in the car or at home because it was so heavy. The 60-250 and K-r fit this perfectly! Although I see a K50 on the horizon 
I am definitely am of the opinion of using as much of your money on lenses which is why after narrowing it down to the 300 F4 and the 60-250 I went with the latter, and boy am I glad.
I use it mainly for aviation photography and whilst some may say 250 is short for aviation I find it more than enough at my local ports, and with the combo producing great sharp images I can crop if I find the need to.
Sharpness right through is excellent, the build quality as good as L series or Nikon equivalent. Aberrations appear quite well controlled, as does fringing - although primarily shooting aircraft it is going to be negligible anyway.
I find the only thing to give me a slight issue is the small zoom ring which is a little difficult to turn, not just because of its proximity to the camera body but on my copy it is quite stiff, but as I use it more it is getting smoother.
I thoroughly recommend this gem, and it fits a nice niche in the Pentax lens lineup.
 | | | | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2010 Posts: 91
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 11, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $1,500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Amazing image quality for a zoom lens, well built, WR, versatile range | | Cons: | somewhat bigger and heavier than I'd like | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
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I was choosing between DA*200, 300, 60-250 and FA*300/4.5. At the end I chose the 60-250 for versatility it provides and comparing prices on other items.
Here is my short review.
1. Handling
It appeared slightly bigger than I would like but not so heavy as I imagined. It was easily manageable hand-hold, even zoomed at 250mm. All in all, it handles nicely but I have two minor complains.
a) While I found mounting lens hood in normal position an easy process that can be done 'blindly' and quickly I always struggled with reverse mounting it to pack the camera back into the photo bag. Somehow it always tended not to lock in place.
b) I always touched zoom ring while mounting lens on and off the camera: not enough place for my hands to grip it near mount.
2. Build quality.
It is a well-built lens that feels solid and imposes feelings of a thing that could be used daily for many years ahead. No lens creep noticed. Zoom and focusing rings move with adequate amount of resistance. I even prefer manual focusing on that lens to FA 31 which focusing ring feels not enough dumped, though the focusing throw somewhat short to be truly excellent.
The only downside I found is very slight wobbling of inner tube when zoomed at 250mm, though even 16-50 I once had was worse at that, not to mention some superzoom lenses I tried.
3. Image quality
- Absolutely amazing for a zoom lens. Wide open it is extremely sharp at 60mm and very good at 250mm. I didn't hesitate to shoot wide open and stopped down mostly when I needed more DOF or longer exposure. Colors and overlall impression somewhat resembles 16-50 at 50mm (which I really liked) .
My intention for tele lens was to take pictures of distant objects, such as mountains, and the lens hadn't let me down in this respect:
IMGP7526 by disya2, on Flickr
IMGP7361 by disya2, on Flickr
I also found it excellent for close-up photos
IMGP7380 by disya2, on Flickr
Background blur looks like if painted with brushes
IMGP7618 by disya2, on Flickr
and the luminous spots at background become pleasantly-looking circles at f/4
IMGP7629 by disya2, on Flickr
though edges are clearly visible when stopped down
IMGP7516 by disya2, on Flickr
I'm more than satisfied with the lens, though for wildlife (which was also on my check-list) one needs something longer
IMGP7596 by disya2, on Flickr
I'm looking forward to the TC on roadmap. Hope they release it soon. I believe both combined will provide me absolutely everything I need from a tele lens.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: July, 2013 Posts: 14 | | Review Date: July 14, 2013 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp & Bokeh. | | Cons: | Heavy. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5II
| |
Had this lens for over a month now, shot hundreds of photos, and am blown away with the sharpness and bokeh. AF could be faster, but thats only a minor point, its worth every penny. I have some lovely wildlife shots, it lives on my K-5II all the time.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: New York Posts: 1,071
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 28, 2013 | Not Recommended | Price: $1,396.95
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Very sharp throughout the zoom range. Very good build quality. Well-designed tripod collar. | | Cons: | Relatively expensive. Slow and unreliable autofocus. Short focus ring travel. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 4
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-3 II
| |
After several years with as many as five different copies of this lens, including for college sports photography, I am going to have to say that I'm disappointed with the way the AF mechanism is designed on the DA* 60-250mm. It's a shame for me to have to write this because this lens is optically stellar and has always given me very pleasing output (when it works properly, of course).
The most recent replacement unit from about a year ago originally worked fine, but in recent months has been increasingly unreliable. The autofocus mechanism seemed to be suffering from an abormal amount of internal friction, and would sometimes jam up altogether (even manual focusing would not turn the focus position) until the lens is unmounted. It also sometimes takes several tenths of a second for the AF motor to start moving, with a characteristic squeak noise; this can cause fine adjustments during the final steps of the AF process to take a very long time, up to several seconds. The result is that the lens cannot reliably focus on fast-moving subjects, whether it's in a basketball court or on a soccer field.
Apparently, the way the hybrid screwdrive/SDM Quick-Shift Focus System mechanism is designed can cause the screwdrive part of the mechanism to jam normal movement and apply an excessive amount of friction to the focusing cams. The problem has gotten to the point where I cannot rely on the lens for serious, professional usage.
I am replacing this with the D FA* 70-200mm lens, which should have none of these issues as it does not have screwdrive AF support and uses a completely different type of AF motor which is known to be very reliable.
Original review follows.
This lens is incredibly sharp throughout the zoom range. Even at 250mm, where there is a small amount of softness wide open, the lens produces razor-sharp output at f/5.6. Chromatic aberration is virtually absent, a big revelation compared to the usual consumer-grade zoom lenses. The lens handles well despite its weight, and the design of the tripod collar is very clever, allowing rotation of the lens and body from landscape to portrait and vice versa while mounted on a tripod or monopod. The build quality is excellent, with a solid combination of metal and high-quality plastics, with full weather sealing throughout. The SDM is virtually silent, and while it is not particularly fast, it is definitely adequate for me.
The focus ring does have short travel, only about 65 degrees, which can make it difficult to manually focus accurately. It's also expensive, at some US$1400, but I would say that it's worth it when you compare it to similar options from C&N.
In the end, this is an excellent professional-grade lens for sports and wildlife photographers. | | | | | | | Forum Member Registered: February, 2013 Location: Zhukovsky, Russian Federation Posts: 92 | | Review Date: June 4, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $1,840.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness, autofocus, WR, handling, build quality, universal focusing range for crop | | Cons: | None, except little CA at 250mm | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
| |
A great lens for all kind of photography usual for tele lens: sports, street portraits, animals, astro, landscape, genre. It's very sharp through the whole focusing range, and it's very sharp and vivid across the frame. No vignetting, excellent back- and side-light protection. Fast focus.
Having thoroughly used this lens for about a year I haven't found any flaws. Even autofocus, which is not a Pentax advantage, works good enough for motocross, car races, alpine and other fast sports.
A little CA occured at 250mm with backlight.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2012 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: March 16, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $1,307.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | optic, beautiful shape, I like the 1020g, feel good | | Cons: | just a little big | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: k5
| |
very good lens
60-250 is more useful than 70-210
67mm filter is better than 58mm or 77mm
I use a 67mm close-up lens to it, you can know, it behave just like the FA*200 f4 macro ED [IF] in some level (max to 1:1.6).
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2012 Location: Boise Idaho Posts: 466
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 14, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $1,250.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | AF, IQ, Range, Handling | | Cons: | Lowlight | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 5
Handling: 8
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K5
| |
Killer lens. It's my go-to lens.
(image at 250mm)
(250mm 1:1 edited and sharpened) (photoshop smart sharpen %100 and .4)
 | | | | | Moderator
Site Supporter Registered: February, 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Posts: 11,272
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 19, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $1,400.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | zoom range, WR, build quality | | Cons: | minimum focal distance, size at 250mm | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 7
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5 IIs
| |
I had very high expectations from this lens, but the bottom line is I preferred my Sigma 70-200 in every respect apart from the weather resistance.
It is *huge* when fully extended, and it looks kinda silly (not that that should be a deciding factor).
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Posts: 5,744
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 3, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $1,219.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Stunning IQ for a zoom | | Cons: | Price | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5
| |
This lens really surprised me. I always do tons of research before buying a lens and especially for an expensive one like this.
I started out with a DA 55-300 Pentax lens and was quite happy with it. In the right conditions it really is a good performer. But, I always had my eye on the DA* 60-250 as the ultimate zoom in this range. It took me months of reading everything I could fine plus look at every image available. I knew I wanted it, but the price was out of my range.
Finally over the winter, I decided to start saving up for it plus knew I could sell my 55-300 to help pay for it. Finally, in the last week of March 2012, I pulled the trigger. I was very fortunate since that 5 days later, the price of the lens went to $2000.00 overnight.
This was my first DA* lens, and it is everything that the DA* line is supposed to be. Very well built and feels good in your hands. This was also my first SDM lens, and it was such a treat to hear (or not hear) the focus motor compared to my 55-300. And the lens is heavy, but with the grip installed on my K-5 it balances out quite nicely. I also like to keep the tripod foot installed as it acts as a hand or palm grip. Another very nice feature is how the tripod foot is removed and installed so simply.
The IQ and rendering are nothing short of amazing. This is what you are paying for when you buy an expensive Pentax lens like this. While I normally shoot it at f5.6 for a bit more depth of field, you can shoot it all day long wide open at f4 and still get stunning images.
I have pretty much migrated to all prime lenses now, but this zoom will never leave. This is the most expensive lens I ever bought (so far) but I feel it was very well worth the cost and having to wait to save up for it. It is a down right shame that Pentax has been playing with the prices on this lens - as I write this it is back up to $2000.00 less a $100 rebate.
Highly recommended lens if you can get it for a decent price.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2012 Posts: 205
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 21, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $1,250.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, contrast, bokeh, can hand hold it if necessary | | Cons: | Cost, a tad softer at 250mm | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5
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This lens is a no brainer if you don't need a f/2.8 and can use a f/4. I use it for a variety or reasons including shooting youth sports, wildlife, etc. It is weather resistant making it a natural companion to the K-5. The lens is great for portraits. I generally shoot at f/8, 1/160 under studio lights (I am an enthusiast who shoots family portraits) and the lens sees as sharp as my Sigma 70mm EX DG f/2.8 prime. For outdoor portraits, the bokeh is pleasant. Shooting wide open will give you enough background blur for headshots or 3/4 shots.
The learning curve is fast, and my real world IQ results seem to mirror the lab results from photozone.de. It has an excellent build, and zooms quietly and smoothly. The autofocus isn't perfect with fast moving subjects, but is certainly acceptable. CA and PF is pretty much a non-event. Although a monopod should be used with a big lens, you can hand hold it and get fine results with the in-camera IS turned on. For outdoor sports I generally shoot at 1/1000 wide open and have no issues with handholding it. This lens lives up to the hype.
(Non working links deleted)
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: April, 2011 Location: near Berlin Posts: 9 | | Review Date: January 27, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $1,150.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp, fast AF, weather sealed, handling, build, tripod mount | | Cons: | maybe a bit heavy | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
| |
Very impressive lens that produces sharp pictures also wide open. I decided to pick this lens and sold my Tamron 70-200/2.8 and some other stuff. I really do not regret that. The AF ist fast on all my bodies and it fits in every situation. The tripod mount is really a masterpiece of crafting. There is not really a point to worry about except the too damped zoom ring. Maybe my sample was devoloped for the Hulk  | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 509 | | Review Date: January 17, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $1,150.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Color, built | | Cons: | Focusing throw a bit short, minor PF at 250mm f4 under extreme conditions | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Kx and K5
| |
Update (5/20/12) :
Problem solved after a trip to Criscam. After adjusting focusing, things are getting better at the long end. So happy for now. Changed to overall rating to 9. Without the trouble, I may have given a 10.
BTW, Criscam is super fast and super great in this case, turning the lens back to my in 7 days including both way ground shipping on the west coast. The adjustment took two days only. I requested for an expedited service due to a forthcoming trip.
Update (3/26/12) :
The same backfocusing problem on my K-5. I thought it was due to my K-x. I had to adjust for +100 for misfocusing. On my K-5, I dial in +10 which is equivalent to +100 on K-x. It is the maximum value, but it is insufficient for the long end. Since this is a f4 lens, it took me a while to nail down the problem. Since the focusing throw is so short, I am not able to manually adjust. So I have to ship it to Pentax repair center soon. A bit disappointed. 
When properly focused, the lens is great.
BTW, my other Pentax lenses do not need the adjustment.
Update (3/9/12):
Worked much better with K-5 which I recently acquired. At 250mm f4, IMQ is nearly excellent. So change my rating to 10 (would be 9.5 due to its price).
Previous submissions:
Got a replacement copy from B&H Photo. It was a relatively easy process. So I have to thank B&H Photo first.
Differences from previous copy: The zoom ring on the replacement copy is a bit tighter than the previous one. There is no zoom creep at all. IMQ is much better than the previous one at 250mm f4. There was too much CA (not PF) in the previous copy. So there are sample variations. Words of caution. It may not be wise to buy a refurbished copy, since there is no way to refurbish a lens with such significant CA problem.
IMQ: Image quality at 250mm f4 is slightly below my expectation given the amount of money that I shelled out. It should be rated as good, not excellent. The other problem is that focusing is not easy at 250mm. Shaking is a primary concern. So monopod is almost a must for shooting at 250mm. Another issue is with my Kx. I have dialed in 200 to compensate for mis-focusing (the same amount for my previous copy). But it still misses a small bit from time to time at 250mm f4. Perhaps a K-5--my next target--will do better.
IMQ wise, it is certainly much better than my DA55-300. At 250mm, my DA55-300 has to be stopped to f8 to reach the same level of sharpness as the DA* at 250mm f4. However, I still expected a bit more, given its weight and price.
Another minor gripe is the focusing throw which is a bit too short for MF. Overall, focusing speed is faster than my DA*55. It is very quite, but not blazingly fast.
Built: It is very well built. The hood fits snugly and securely.
The bottom line: It is all about expectation. It is a great lens. I was not very pleased in the beginning due to high price, extremely high initial expectation, and the problematic sample. But I am getting better with it over time.
Comparison with K200 f2.5
I have taken some shots and compare it with the DA* at 250mm f4. This is not an extremely fair comparison. But what comparison is fair 
First, K200 is a fixed focal lens which was developed some 30 years ago. The largest aperture is f2.5.
Second, I use DA* 250mm f4 to compare with K200 at f4.
Caveats:
1. hand held.
2. This is done in the field. So things are not as precise.
3. my KX does not seem to focus very well with the DA*. DA* is not good for MF on Kx.
Here are my conclusions:
1. Resolution is similar. K seems to be slightly higher.
2. K200 shows very interesting characters due to CA.
3. DA* has a more "real" color rendition.
4. DA* seems to resist flare better (unexpectedly), perhaps due to a larger hood.
The bottomline is that K200 is very good for its age and that DA* is very good if your camera focuses properly. Two keepers!
Here are the 100% crops from the two lenses.
K200
DA*
One more example
250mm at f4
100% crop
Original submission
Here is my original comment: I have returned my first copy to B&H for a replacement. After some investigations and discussions here, mine might have some problems for 250mm at f4. The image is just too soft. While the softness is different from and much more appealing than that from my DA55-300, it is still a bit too soft.
It is very well built. Focusing is faster than my DA*55. MF is fine too. My piece does need some adjustment for back focusing.
Whole pic at 250mm f4:
(100% crop or 1:1 actual size)
 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: January, 2012 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: January 11, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $1,290.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness, build quality | | Cons: | zoom extension | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
| |
I have to say this is an excellent zoom lens. It's very sharp even at wide open in all range of zooming. At F5.6, 250mm, I could not tell the difference between this one and the DA*300 prime. The color and brokeh is also very good. In fact, I use it as an outdoor portrait lens.
Anyway, it's a must-have in all Pentax zoom lens.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: March, 2011 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 34
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 17, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $1,100.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharpness, smooth operation, smooth bokeh | | Cons: | None so far | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
| |
If I only had one or two lenses I could own, this would be at the top of the pile. I bought this used (with some trepidation!) but I have nothing but praise for the quality of the photos it can generate. Whether taking close-ups of gecko's with great detail and buttery-smooth bokeh, doing some moon shots or my recent foray to the Houston Air Show, the lens simply doesn't disappoint.
Update: Aug. 2013: Still love the lens! Thought I would add some links to shots as examples -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100143780@N03/9488723905/ < Moon and Jupiter - heavily copped and some sharpening in LR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100143780@N03/9487787903/in/photostream/ < But you can shoot close up, too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100143780@N03/9489475134/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/100143780@N03/9486602525/ < A simple shot, but buttery smooth with this lens
On a build quality front, everything about this lens is solid and even the movement of the zoom and focus rings gives a feeling of tight construction and a quality level that exceeds most zoom lenses. Yes, this is a heavy lens with a price tag that makes you think twice, but this lens rewards you and justifies the investment.
Very highly recommended!
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2007 Location: Florida Gulfer Posts: 3,054 | | Review Date: August 27, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $1,600.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | IQ, Quality, Size | | Cons: | Purple Fringing, soft at 250 f4. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
| |
I've owned a few quality zooms but this one seems to beat them all in IQ. I also like that it isn't as heavy as all the others I've had or used. I wish the tripod mount was a little more forword or built like the Sigma's.
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