| Latest Review Posted | SMC Pentax-DA* 50-135mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM
The Da* 50-135 is an incredible lens that I have loved for 3 years now. ! I have replaced my SDM motor with the newer generation and believe it works even better than it did before.
The image quality of this lens is excellent. Skin tones and colours are very pleasant and well contrasted. Flare handling is not the best but I often try to avoid looking through my viewfinder into the sun! The Hood is very protective of the front element and helps prevent a lot of unwanted flare.
Bokeh is excellent for a Zoom. Beautiful swirls of circular bliss, it is almost hypnotic when caught with certain backdrops.
Once you handle a DA* it is hard to use the old kit lens. The zooming is so smooth that it worked great for video shooting.
I have also used this lens for various weddings and event shoots. It performed flawlessly and contained most of the 'money shots' (ring on finger, bride and groom kiss ,etc.).
I also used this lens extensively when travelling. When in 'travel mode' I would detach the hood which would greatly decrease the size and 'Pro Factor' of the lens. People just did not notice the thing nearly as much! Mounted on a Sirui Travel tripod this lens was still well balanced and extremely sharp at f 5.6 onwards.
I happily used this lens at f2.8 but usually for weddings etc, would use it at f3.2. This aperture was extremely sharp and captured the detail perfectly. Even for sport shooting (soccer ) I primarily shot at f3.2 to decrease depth of field... |
