Author: | | New Member Registered: September, 2013 Posts: 2 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: October 18, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $1,485.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | IQ, build, FF | Cons: | size, reversed zoom ring, lens hood DX adapter not "clicked in" enough, redundant OS | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 8
Autofocus: 10
| | Was hard to decide between Pentax 55-135 f/2.8 and this beast. After considering pros-reliable HSM, longer end, FF support and cons-size and weight, not Pentax I picked this one. Can't complain, lens is well build, IQ awesome even wide open (softer, but really ok usable), cutting sharp on f3,5-4, best CA control of any of my glass and really fast HSM AF, bokeh nice and smooth, colors great - but not Pentax colors.
Optical stabilisation redundant, I find in-body (K-5) stabilisation same effective and consuming much less battery. Only 1 pro for in-lens OS is 2nd mode of horizontal-only stabilization great for panning (sport photographers will appreciate)
Really not lens for girls - big and heavy, drawing sometimes too much interest of amateurs
Zoom ring is in front, but I find this better with focus ring (where you want better sensitive control) closer to the body, turn direction is reversed - one day with the lens in your hands and you dont mind.
Comes with the lens hood adapter for cropped cameras for better light block, but is not clicking in firmly with the lens instead is firmly with the lenshood so you are constantly removing adapter with the lenshood which you dont want - adapter should be on the lens all the time and you clip lens cap on it. | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2011 Location: The Canadian WetCoast Posts: 384 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: December 5, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $1,400.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | IQ. HSM. | Cons: | Plastic barrel. Zoom ring in front. | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Autofocus: 10
| | I bought this zoom to replace my DA*200/2.8 which has great IQ but slow SDM.
The new HSM is lighting fast which is the main draw to me as I shot mainly in low light. The SDM on the DA* (even after Pentax calibration) often hunts or gave up in those situtations. IQ at 200mm/2.8 exceed my expectations and is in par with the DA*, thanks to the new optic. This is a worthy rework of the already great 70-200/2.8 EX DG Macro, minus the close focus ability.
However, the build & aesthetics (think Thermo mug) are certainly no match with DA* or Ltd lenses and the OS is redundant on recent Pentax dSLRs.
Here are sample images from this lens | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2013 Location: Goolwa, SA Posts: 4,310 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: June 16, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $1,095.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | IQ, Auto Focus | Cons: | None | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Autofocus: 10
| | Great lens. Sharp wide open throughout range. Great focus and image IQ. Some photos: | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2011 Location: ON, RH Posts: 2,181 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: January 21, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $1,000.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Great IQ, well built, "fast lens", good reach | Cons: | Might be heavy for some... | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Autofocus: 9
| | I love this lens!
Is well built with great image quality and is a joy to use in almost any situation.
For the longest time, this was the only lens I have used, even indoors. So it can be used as an everyday lens but if street photography is your thing, don't expect to go unnoticed .
My only complain will be the same one I have for all modern lenses... the missing aperture control. It makes it useless if you wan to use it with older film cameras.
Also, for some people, this lens might be considered heavy... especially if you plan to use it constantly and walk around with it.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2011 Location: Melbourne Posts: 307 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: January 3, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $1,141.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Fast, dual mode OS, quick release tripod ring | Cons: | Zoom Ring is at the front, hood are a bit loose, zoom lock. | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Autofocus: 9
| | I've used this for 6mths now and I am verly happy with the peformance
it has dual direction optical stabliser. position 1 for landscape and position 2 for potrait and horizontial motion like motorsports.
the only issue I have is that you can not take it straings out of the bag and attach it to that camera and shoot, because the hood (when reversed for storage) is in the way of the zoom ring, which is at the front.
If its warm and you walk aroud with it pointing up or down, the zoom will fall to its limit, there is not lock for the dial
| | | | Senior Member Registered: April, 2012 Location: Endeavour Hills, Victoria, Australia Posts: 210 | Review Date: September 1, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | very sharp | Cons: | not much | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: k1
Autofocus: 9
New Or Used: Used
| | This lens is fantastic. A real steal!
| | | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2011 Location: Newport, South Wales Posts: 187 | Review Date: September 8, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $800.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | F2.8 and great flexibility | Cons: | Heavy | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5 - K-3ii
Autofocus: 10
| | I bought the lens a few months before it was discontinued. I'm glad I did. For sport and a very active 4 year old grandson it's brilliant. Particularly on my K-3II where the AF is lightening fast compared to any of my Pentax lenses.
The downside is it's heavy with a very long lens hood so one can't be inconspicuous using it.
It also over exposes by 0.7 of a stop but that's easily remedied
| | | | New Member Registered: January, 2014 Posts: 1 | Review Date: January 18, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $1,200.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Fast autofocus, excellent in lowlight , good os and hsm | Cons: | A bit soft at f2.8 , the fitting arrangement of the aps c ring on hood | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Autofocus: 10
| | I have just got this lens after a long wait. I got it for sport photography (shooting yachting events) and low light photography with my k30
I have been impressed by the fast auto focus (though my copy seems it might have a slight front focus issue at 70mm at f2.8) however once stopped down you don't notice it. I had to apply -10 in the cameras autofocus fine adjustment.
Went out on a test shoot, photographing some windsurfers. I thought the os would be redundant because of pentax's built in sr but in my opinion I found the os on the lens to work far better both in 1 and 2 modes - very impressed in fact since I was shooting handheld giving me some nice sharp images.
Some have complained about the position of the zoom and focus rings but I have found them to be in very practical positions for a heavier and longer lens
I am finding that there is a bit of a learning curve getting used to shooting with this lens but then that's normal I think with any lens. It is one thing to read about them quite another to use them.
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