Jun 22, 2017

HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6

Introduction

Back in June 2016, we presented our first review of the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW, which was the first member of the new lineup of full frame zoom lenses from Pentax. At the time, the review had been performed with a K-3 camera body as the full-frame K-1 had been announced but not yet released. Now that the K-1 has been out for some time and more users have access to it, it is time to revisit our review, this time testing the lens wih a full frame sensor.

This long-awaited telephoto zoom made its debut in early May, 2015 as the first of a growing series of Pentax full frame lenses. This 5-pound behemoth is packed with Pentax's latest technologies, including three focusing modes, dedicated AF buttons on the lens barrel, a silent DC focusing system, the premium HD lens coating, and a super low dispersion glass element for superior aberration control. It offers the longest focal length for a zoom in the current Pentax lens lineup, and thus fills an important gap that had previously existed beyond 250mm. Its 150-450mm zoom range also complements the existing DA* 300mm F4 and DA 560mm F5.6 primes very nicely.

D FA 150-450mm Lens w/ hood and tripod mount

Although this lens was designed with full frame DSLRs in mind, it also works wonders on current APS-C bodies such as the Pentax K-70, K-S2, and K-3 II.  During our preliminary review with a crop sensor, we were impressed by the lens's performance. Today we are ready to present a full in-depth review using a K-1 full-frame camera body. We will revisit the construction, handling, and focus speed on full frame, and analyze the optical performance including sharpness, bokeh, aberrations, distortion, vignetting.

Sample photo - click to enlarge (Full size: JPG, DNG)

If your primary area of interest lies in photographing wildlife, birds, sports, or events, we feel that this lens has the potential to become a key component of your kit.  Read on to learn more about how it stood up to our tests!


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