| Latest Review Posted | SMC Pentax-DA* 200mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM
I'd give this lens an 8.5, so am rounding up to 9.
I owned the DA*300 before buying this lens, and to be honest, just buy that. The DA*200 is a lens you will buy because:
A) the DA300 is beyond your budget
B) you need something shorter than the DA300
C) you need a bigger aperture than the DA300
D) you have money to burn
The DA200 is not a bad lens at all. At the time of writing, it's available new for £599 in the uk. At that price, it's worth it (although I will point out that my DA300 was £630 in a Black Friday sale).
I like the lens. It offers me a faster aperture than I get with the DA300. It takes good photos. It's sharp. The bokeh is fantastic. Compared to any consumer grade DA zoom, it's a big upgrade.
Compared to the DA300 though, it's left wanting in a few areas. Flare resistance, contrast, CA's, they are all massively improved with the DA300. Build quality is exceptional with both lenses, I'd say the DA200 is a touch slower wrt autofocus, but not humungously different.
And now we get to the weird bit. I don't like the DA200 as much as I like the DA300, however in semi-to-low light scenarios, other people prefer the DA200 images. The only explanation I have for that, is that once flare and high contrast issues are removed from the equation, the DA200 does a decent job.
It's good. It's better than any zoom at the same range. The AF is a bit slow. The DA300 is for most people probably the lens they want, but if you fall into that category where ... |
