Author: | | New Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Copenhagen Posts: 10 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: February 5, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $120.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Solid build, good optics and rather compact | Cons: | Not as sharp as I hope for | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 8
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I have had the M-200mm f4 and liked it but sold it - then I saw the reviews on this K-series 200mm and decided to buy it. Its a really nice, slim lens that's exremely well build. Unfortunately it doesn't have a build in sliding hood like the M-series lens but its not a huge problem. Focus is smooth and precise. I've only used it with film so far. The optics are good but not on par with eg. a Leica 180mm Apo-Summicron, which of course costs about 30 times more. On the other hand though, I have found that the Pentax lens has a wonderful "glow" or a bit of dreamy softness to the images that comes out nice when shooting against the sun.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: June, 2013 Location: Utrecht Posts: 254 3 users found this helpful | Review Date: September 7, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | K-build quality, sharp, rendering, cheap | Cons: | None | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K1ii
| | I doubted buying this one but I was curious if it is better than the M200 I also own. It is a bit longer and has no build in hood. This lens makes me think of my K135 F2.5. Same look & feel (quality), same coatings, same rendering. It has a longer focus throw also what makes focussing more precise. I use the metal hood from the Takumar era, made for the 135 & 200 mm lenses.
I compared this one on a tripod with my M200 and the SMC-A 70-210. My pixel peeping observations are: - K200 has the "pop" the other two lenses lack: it is sharper, crispier and contrastier wide open and at F5.6. From F8 the differences are smaller.
- K200 has a narrower FOV than the M200, about the same as the A70-210 at 210.
- K200 has almost no abbarations, it delivers clean images.
- A210 shows stronger vignetting.
- Hand hold and focussing works fine for me on a K1, better than the M200.
So this one is a hidden gem. If you can find one, get one. | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2019 Posts: 14 | Review Date: February 5, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | sharpness, colors, price | Cons: | there is no | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5 II and K-3
| | Sensational lens, nourishing better than the "M" version, in every respect - sharpness, bokeh, colors, contrast ...
| | | | New Member Registered: June, 2018 Location: Houghton, Michigan Posts: 1 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: January 20, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $90.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | IQ, build quality, price | Cons: | some CA | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1
| | I bought this lens along with a Samyang 85/1.4 and SMC K 135/2.5 to use instead of buying the new D FA 70-200/2.8. I primarily do landscape photography and occasionally find myself wanting a telephoto focal length. I don't use these focal lengths long enough to justify a new lens, but didn't want to sacrifice IQ. Although the Pentax lenses lack auto-anything and the Samyang is MF, I don't mind at all as I have a very slow and methodical workflow.
The main reason I bought this lens was due to its IQ at a low price. If you don't mind the handling limitations of a lens from this era such as manual aperture and exposure, this lens won't disappoint. The IQ is really nice at f/4 and one stop down it is incredibly sharp all over the frame with lowered CAs, more than enough for the K-1's 36MP sensor.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: October, 2015 Posts: 61 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: March 22, 2018 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | sharpness, clarity, contrast, color rendition, cheap, build quality | Cons: | weight, F4 | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5IIs
| | This is a wonderful telephoto lens. Like other Pentax manual lenses, this lens is built like a tank. Everything is tightly put together. The color rendition is great and sharpness is almost perfect. Well, the lens has only 5 elements so you should expect it to be optically great. The bokeh is nothing mind blowing but that's the nature of the lens. If you want creamy out of focus background you'd better go with a 2.8 lens or faster.
I got this lens for telephoto landscape photography and it was in almost brand new condition. It is a little heavy though, which I am totally OK with.
Overall, fantastic lens for the price.
| | | | New Member Registered: May, 2013 Location: Jakarta Posts: 2 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: October 5, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $95.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | it's super sharp! clarity, flare resistance | Cons: | heavy | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 8
Camera Used: K5, A7
| | as good as many K series this lens also inherit sharpness, it's very sharp! i'm also surprised that the lens has good flare/glow resistance
bokeh is not attractive, but it's not something important for me
the lens only has minor cons, it's weight
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2013 Location: Goolwa, SA Posts: 4,310 7 users found this helpful | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2015 Posts: 1 | Review Date: June 19, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Rather small for a 200mm, great build quality. | Cons: | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K1000 and Canon 5D mk II
| | I was quite impressed with the results with my Pentax K1000 so I bought an adapter for my Canon 5D mk II. The results are really good. The lens is really sharp, easy to handle, and for less than 100 bucks, I can only recommend it. The contrast and colors are really enjoyable.
Here's a short video I shot yesterday with it, on the Canon FF. Unfortunately the sensor of the Canon was a bit dirty, but you can tell the image quality's good! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgwYrqipqsw | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2013 Location: Pendik, Istanbul Posts: 35 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: March 27, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $70.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Sharpness, Color rendering | Cons: | Heavier than M version | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Sony A7
| | I use this lens with FF camera Sony A7.
This is a fantastic lens which is as sharp as zeiss lenses for only 70$.
I test this lens sharpness with ISO12233 chart printed on A1. Lens is sharp in all apertures except differaction limits.
My results about this lens are:- On f/4 there is slight vignetting.
- No optical distortion.
- Sharping is excellent on center f/4 between f/22.
- Lens is less sharper on center between f/22 and f/32 because of differaction.
- Sharping is excellent on corners f/4 between f/22.
- Lens is less sharper on corners between f/22 and f/32 because of differaction.
- Best shooting aperture is between f/4-f/22.
- Lens sharpness is really amazing between f/4-f/22. Most probably lens can be used without differaction limit with 12Mp FF camera
- I cannot see a difference on sharpness with Zeiss 55mm
For charts please check kirlisensor.com | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2014 Posts: 370 2 users found this helpful | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2008 Location: Mèxico Posts: 5 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: December 8, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Image quality, built quality | Cons: | no lens hood | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: K10D
| | I love the lens since the beggining.
Good manual focus. But the important thing is the image quality.
If you find one buy it. | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2012 Posts: 1 1 user found this helpful | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2012 Posts: 2 | Review Date: March 17, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $95.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Reasonable sharpness and excellent color | Cons: | Small aperture just for daylight | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: KR
| | I picked up this lens for a reasonable price one of these days.Generally it's just worth the price.Ideal sharpness and pleasant recovering.All just doesn't go beyond the spacialities of K-mounts.
| | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2012 Posts: 38 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: February 22, 2012 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | IQ, pleasant bokeh, colour, 3D | Cons: | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: EOS 30D
| | Hi,
this is my first contribute here, and notwithstanding I used the K200 on a "foreign" 30D, I had the opportunity to recently compare - not scientifically - the shots taken with K200/4, 180/2,8 ED, Tessar 200/3,5, ML100-300 @200.
Well to my eyes this cheap piece of glass performed at least on the level of both Nikkor and Zeiss. I'm used to mount old C/Y Zeiss lenses on my 30D (including 100/2) and the output of the K200/4 keeps amazing me. It's very often on my camera!
I have a pair of them and given the performance can't decide to part from one
HTH,
Stefano
| | | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2010 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 813 | Review Date: August 16, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $55.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Great IQ (with care), sharp, contrasty, good colour | Cons: | It's big and heavy, and no built-in hood | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
| | Better than the M 200/4
Nearly as good as the A* 200/2.8
Nearly indestructable.
Focus is easy, sharp images just pop.
Great K lens colour and contrast.
Shares hood with K135/2.5
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