| Review of: SMC Pentax-DA* 200mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM by robthebloke on Sat December 3, 2016 | Rating: 9 | View more reviews | |
Views: 202189
Reviews: 37
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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 the DA300 is too long, or the apeture is too slow, or it's simply beyond your budget, then it's worth a consideration.
The fringing is there almost *all the time*. It fringes a lot. Nine times out of ten, it cleans up fairly well in Lightroom. The DA300 is more like a DA limited in this regard - ie mostly problem free.
Yes there's plenty of fringing, yes that's annoying, but it's still not a bad lens (but I'd still recommend the DA300 over the DA200
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| Review of: SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM by robthebloke on Sat November 28, 2015 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 363552
Reviews: 81
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Picked this lens up on a Black Friday whim. I've been put shooting with it all day, and holy cow! I'm used to some good glass (I own all the limiteds, 50-135, 8-16, and a bunch of decent primes), but the DA* 300 really is a step up from those. The first thing I noticed when opening up the box (aside from the Ricoh branding on the box, which I've now seen on a lens before), was how cold the lens was (I'm used to the feel of the DA 50-135, and so the metal barrel took me by surprise). Next to this lens, the 50-135 feels like a cheap plastic toy!
The next thing you notice, is the size and weight. It's big, bigger even than my 67 and 645 lenses! That comes with the territory I guess :)
Image quality wise? Superb! It's easily up there with the 31/77 (and dare I say it, possibly better?). I was a bit surprised at how quick the autofocus was (the only other sdm lens I have is the 50-135, and that's very slow in comparison). The only minor quibble is the F4 aperture. On a dim, overcast winter day, I found myself needing use a higher ISO than I'm accustomed to, but I'll forgive it that, because the sharpness is astonishing!
A great lens, and possibly the best lens Pentax makes!
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| Review of: SMC Pentax-A 20mm F2.8 by robthebloke on Sun May 10, 2015 | Rating: 7 | View more reviews | |
Views: 152402
Reviews: 22
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So I love wide angle lenses, and also have the DA15, K18, DA21, and DA12-24. Of those, the A20 f2.8 is the worst. It's soft wide open, and still soft when stopped down to F8. It flares horribly, and loses contrast/sharpness with ease. Looking over the reviews here, there does seem to be a trend of a decreasing score over time, and that probably reflects the improvements in sensor technology over time. I'd have said that maybe it was just a bad copy that I had (it's mint), but I just sent it for a CLA, and it's still a disappointment.
With a polariser on, it starts to be usable on digital, but the DA21 is in an entirely different league, so you'd be better off with that. On film it improves a little bit, but again, the K18 does everything this does, but with style, a better build quality, and a far superior image quality. I suppose on the plus side it has A contacts, and f2.8. Those are the only plus points I can see.
It's a good lens for a collector, adequate for a film shooter, but distinctly underwhelming on a k-3.
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| Review of: SMC Pentax 18mm F3.5 by robthebloke on Sat May 9, 2015 | Rating: 9 | View more reviews | |
Views: 79490
Reviews: 12
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First off, if you are thing of getting this lens for APS-C I'd probably recommend getting the DA15 or DA21 instead. They're smaller, sharper, and can be picked on the second hand market for about the same price. If I was rating it solely based on apsc, I'd give it a score of 7.5 to 8 ish.
If however you are a 35mm film shooter, or have your eye on an FF camera, then it's worthy of consideration. The bokeh is actually remarkably good, but that's probably not why you're buying this lens! The inbuilt filters add to it's charm, but they are focussed somewhat towards B&W film. If you're an avid pixel peeper, then you might be a little disappointed (on the k-3 for example it can be a little soft in the corners, but it's still much sharper than the A20 f2.8!). The rendering of images, is however top notch. On 35mm film it's a fantastic lens, and there really aren't many better options that are so wide. You'll find some distortion there, but it's never bothered me too much.
So on FF it's great. On apsc, it's not that wide, it has great rendering and bokeh, but it is a touch soft at wider apertures. Worth picking up if you can find a good deal, but you might be better served with a DA limited. I'll report back when I get my hands on an FF pentax :)
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| Review of: SMC Pentax-M 40mm F2.8 by robthebloke on Sun September 15, 2013 | Rating: 8 | View more reviews | |
Views: 218181
Reviews: 42
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Awww, it's sad seeing this lens being marked so low! I picked up one of these in immaculate condition, and it's actually far better than the reviews here would have you believe. The bokeh when stopped down is nothing special, but my copy of this lens is actually sharper than my DA40 limited!
The only real issue I've found, is that on a DSLR, my copy doesn't quite focus to infinity. On film however, this isn't a problem at all. I don't have any problems focussing the 'M', the focus is nicely damped, and whilst the ring is smaller than most lenses, I've never found it to be difficult to get the right focus (Mind you, I tend to manually focus the DA version on DSLR most of the time, so it might just be something I've gotten used to)
The lens is so small, that you'll always be able to find space for it in your bag. Looking at some of the reviews here, and then looking at my copy, makes me wonder if a large number of copies have taken a fair few knocks in their time, having spent most of their life as 'the spare lens' bouncing about at the bottom of a camera bag?
If I was to give the lens a mark on it's own merit, it would be a firm 9. It's extremely sharp, extremely small, has a useful focal length on digital, and can be picked up fairly cheap. Sadly though, I'm going to have to give the lens an 8. The problem really is the DA40 limited. The DA40 outclasses the M40 in almost every way (except sharpness), is a bit smaller, and is much more enjoyable to shoot with. If you shoot manual film cameras, or are on a budget, then the M40 is nice little lens (if you get a good copy). If you only shoot digital, or shoot with an autofocus film body, then the DA40 is likely to be a better choice.
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| Review of: SMC Pentax-DA 21mm F3.2 Limited by robthebloke on Sun September 8, 2013 | Rating: 9 | View more reviews | |
Views: 383620
Reviews: 96
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This lens is a bit of an odd ball. This was my second limited (after the 40mm), and initially I was a little underwhelmed (I'd been spoilt by the 40mm I think!). With the 40mm, almost every shot you take gives you an immediate 'wow' factor, and initially I didn't get that same feeling with this lens. Shots felt a bit flat, and a little bland. As a landscape lens, I actually find it a bit disappointing (although I've not tried it myself, it does sound as though the 15mm would be better for that purpose).
After forcing myself to get to know the lens better, I finally figured out how to get the best from it. It's not an all-rounder like the DA40, but once you discover it's strengths and weaknesses, you'll find that the focal length can add more 'drama' to your shots than is possible with the DA40 (one of the reasons why the 21mm is now my most used lens). At f3.2, it does struggle a little bit in low light (you wouldn't want it for evening shots of friends), although tripod shots at night are fantastic! I find it's best used for 'street shots with a subject'.
If the focal length is right for you, and you're willing to invest some time getting to know it, then it is a great lens. I think it's a fantastic lens, but I would perfectly understand someone who said it's not for them. My advice would be to try before you buy!
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| Review of: SMC Pentax-DA 40mm F2.8 Limited by robthebloke on Sun September 8, 2013 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 575912
Reviews: 148
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I can say nothing more than has already been said. A superb lens. Highly recommended.
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| Review of: SMC Pentax-DA 50mm F1.8 by robthebloke on Sat September 7, 2013 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 429730
Reviews: 74
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At f1.8 it is a little bit soft, but then that's not always a bad thing for a portrait lens. From f2.2 upwards, it improves considerably, and by f2.8 any concerns about softness have gone completely. There are a few aberrations noticeable when wide open, but it's less of a problem than on my 50mm f1.4 A. The build quality is quite solid for a plastic lens, and the focusing mechanism is pleasingly tight. The auto focus is a little loud, and it can hunt when attempting close up shots, but the problem isn't as bad as on the 35mm DA ltd. The minimum focus distance isn't great - so sometimes you do feel a little frustrated you can't get in closer.
The bokeh is really rather nice. It's not in the same league as the DA limiteds, but it isn't too far behind. Certainly to my eyes, it seems more pleasing than on the 50mm f1.4 A.
Overall, it's a really nice little lens. Is it a DA limited? Well, no. Not really. However for the princely sum of £119, I simply don't think it's possible to find any lens of better value anywhere. As such, I have to give it 10/10.
\edit
I had a few shots left on an expired film sat in my P30T (not the best film camera to test with), mounted the DA 50mm, and these are the results. All shots are at f1.8, and this is by no means a scientific test. Read into it what you will....
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