| Author: | | Senior Member Registered: February, 2011 Location: Brno Posts: 295 | | Review Date: November 27, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Image quality, works on any K mount AF body, FF/Film compatible, 2nd hand price | | Cons: | AF inconsistency, AF not very fast, no WR, no aperture control ring, | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3, K5, K20D, MZ-10
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While having Sigma 70-200/2.8 HSMII for many years, it developed some AF disease and it usualy takes few minutes to warm up the AF motor to work properly. So I got mysel a backup lens until it will be serviced. This Tamron 70-200/2.8.
And I'm pleased by the image output which is in some cases maybe even a hair better than Sig. I've tested lens on several K mount cameras I have. It even autofocuses correctly on film MZ-10, which is nice, because HSM Sigma obviously does not AF there. But you need at least body with Tv program to be able to somewhat control aperture as lens does not have own aperture ring.
On digital bodies there is no problem at all. AF works quite well, although not as fast as Sigma 70-200 HSM. Sometimes it amazes me how it nails focus perfectly on eye (using K3), sometimes it misses and needs refocus. But that is common with such type of body-driven fast lenses on Pentax system. Live-view AF is somewhat slow and moody, not always accurate. So it is better to use phase-detect AF.
Images are full of fine resolution, F2.8 is usable, F3.5 perfectly OK, F4-5.6 excellent peak. Basically like most F2.8 zoom lenses.
Mechanical quality is acceptable, classic older Tamron. Not the same level as perfectly damped and tight Sig70-200/2.8, but still quite good premium lens.
I bought this lens 2nd hand and I noticed how small screws around front element are a bit loose. Tightened and its ok. Maybe it needs a drop of loctite to prevent that. Lens is also a bit larger than Sig70-200. Price is similar. Tripod leg needs to be completely unscrewed for removal, while Sigma only need one turn of knob.
Is it a keeper?
Sure!
 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2011 Location: Kineton, Warwickshire, England Posts: 16 | | Review Date: October 21, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Price Sharpness | | Cons: | Slow(ish) autofocus | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Camera Used: K3iii
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I bought it used from a fellow Pentaxian on the UK user website.
It is in immaculate condition, but my word, what a lens!
I've no need of any primes with this lens, it is so sharp and renders beautifully.
No need to say anything further.
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: June, 2010 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 32
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 14, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $395.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Price (used)/performance ratio; IQ (f/3.2 - f8); close-focus capability | | Cons: | Soft, but useable, at f/2.8; simply adequate AF (neither whippet-nor sloth-like) | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: Pentax K-3
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I'll let these images speak for me:
 | | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2020 Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 19, 2020 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | optical quality | | Cons: | screw drive focus | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Kp
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A crisp clear lens with really excellent optical quality. However the autofocus is a bit lost with this lens, and the screw drive is sloooooow.
Excellent results in astrophotography
 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2019 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: September 5, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Super sklo,ve všech aspektech,ostrý jak břitva. | | Cons: | Nic. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K 5-IIs
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Skvělé sklo. Váha adekvátní velikosti. 9 lamel. Je to prostě skvělé sklo, velmi doporučuji. Jen někdy hledá AF, ale s tím jsem počítal a věděl jsem to o něm. Clona 2.8 je super a ostrost na největší clonu je skvělá. Jestli se chcete podívat.... Zaklikl jsem ANO- DOPORUČUJI a pořád se objevuje ne. Chyba.
https://www.zonerama.com/Jindras/Album/6539815
Tyto nahrané fotografie ztratily ostrost,asi komprimací.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2017 Posts: 5 | | Review Date: February 2, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, affordable | | Cons: | AF, not WR | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: K1
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My sharpest Lens. Wonderfull for portraits. Nice bokeh. The AF is not really state of the art nowadays. But anyway. Im not a sports photograf.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2010 Location: WA Posts: 176
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 1, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, affordable | | Cons: | Some AF hunting, MF very touchy focusing on distance objects | |
Picked up used at a great price. I loved my 50-135mm F2.8, but wanted a bit more length. The autofocus does occasionally go hunting, but mostly hits the target correctly. I tend to shoot manual mostly, so not a big issue for me. IQ was the most important feature for me, and the sharpness is quite good. My only issue is shooting objects at a distance, the lens focusing seems to be very touchy on object further than 300 feet.
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 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: October, 2018 Location: Paris Posts: 215 | | Review Date: July 4, 2019 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | image quality | | Cons: | weight, autofocus | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 5
Value: 8
Camera Used: K-1
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I have very mixed feelings about this lense.
I can't give a bad overall score, because of the fabulous image quality for the price.
But I took it for sport, and the maximum focal is not enough on a FF body, if you are not closed to the field. Worse, the autofocus is far too slow for action / drive mode + continuous AF.
You can use it this lens for portraitures, and it will be great ! but I usually use primes lenses instead for that use.
Surprisingly, when looking at the focal lenght, I'm happier in using this length for landscapes. It's a good lense when you move for a few days, but not for long travels, where weight and size are a problem : I'd better take my old Pentax F 70-210 instead (slower but lighter, noisier but by far quicker to focus) or any 70-300mm.
 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: June, 2018 Posts: 99
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 16, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $800.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp as brass tacks. Gorgous Bokeh. Price. | | Cons: | Build quality won't compare to a DFA* 70-200 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K7
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Fantastic lens, they kept telling me it's a giant killer and I can absolutely confirm that. I've had it about 8 months (Wow has it been that long?!) though I purchased it and the had to build me a copy in Japan to meet UK supply.
I love it. I literally cannot praise it enough, in terms of cost versus quality, yes of course you're losing build quality and it's not WR but my goodness it delivers! It can be a touch soft at 2.8 but you dont buy a 800 dollar lens to just shot at 2.8. Once you're up at 4.5 it's just sublime.
F5
F5
F4.5
Wide open
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2007 Location: North West UK Posts: 390 | | Review Date: February 1, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp! Bargain price, fast focusing. Great colours. | | Cons: | "Only" screw AF. some occasional issues focusing in low light | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1 K-3II K-70
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When it comes to "bang for your buck" this lens positively proves it. It is very sharp, possibly too sharp in the studio with the K-1. Oh boy do you have to work PP to reduce the sharpness as opposed to making an image sharper. This though, is a good thing, I prefer an image to pull back than trying to sharpen.
It is quite big, but lighter than other 70-200mm F2.8 lenses, which is great. But of course that is due to the lack of silent AF and sealing. But unless you are going to shoot outside in the rain, not a problem.
There is one minor issue that the lens has (well my copy). shooting in the studio, and the light is less then normal, it starts off fine, but then struggles to shoot when locked on with the K-1. Put another lens on the body, it is fine. Seems that the lens gets to a point of "had enough for a bit" when it comes to focusing in lower light before the flash triggers. Very odd. Give it a rest, and all is fine. Like I say odd.
But overall, this is an excellent lens.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2017 Posts: 61 | | Review Date: October 21, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Great for sports and action, nature, low light, sharpness | | Cons: | Heavy, screw drive | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-S2
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Purchased this lens to shoot action sports--baseball, soccer, basketball- and nature in lower light and it works great. Normally on a tripod or monopod, I found it produces crisp, sharp photos of action at shutter speeds around 1/1000 and apertures of only f/4 to f5.6, and an ISO of less than 1600. It's great in low light situations. Additionally, really works great for nature photography. Yes, its heavy and a bit of a challenge to work with. I tried to take it on several hikes but it does weigh you down. I've moved to the 55-300 PLM version for those trips sacrificing the low light capability. It's build very solid and I just love the results, and the price/value is fantastic. I have also paired it with my Tamron 1.4x tele-converter and the results have been fine. The issue of the older screw drive technology or some noise doesn't bother. Its a great lens that will remain part of my kit for its sharpness and low light capability.
  | | | | | Junior Member Registered: October, 2015 Posts: 36
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 23, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Image quality | | Cons: | Heavy, | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3
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I bought this lens during my 4 month trip in Japan, and I have tested it there.
It adds me a lot of weight, but it was totally worth it: the image quality is just awesome. The handling might be hard, specially when I want to switch to manual focus. But for the price I payed (60000 Japanese Yen), I can forgive some small issues.
I would definitely recomand it.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2016 Posts: 2 | | Review Date: September 20, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | ALL except... | | Cons: | weight and size, not wr? | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3II
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An incredible lens, with excellent optical quality, its sharp at f2.8, incredible at f3.5. It works perfectly with the Kenko Pz-Af x1.5 teleconverter although at 2.8 (4 with the teleconverter) it loses a little sharpnes and contrast (something even interesting for portrait). At F3.2 very well and to 3.5 excellent again. When using this combo the camera does not recognize the duplicator so for her we are using the 70-200 without the teleconverter and this is triggered in that the stabilizer does not work so well but I have been able to make sharp photos at speeds slightly above 1 / 100. Focusing sometimes it takes a little but only when the x1.4 is on. 
May not be the best example (iso 500) but you can get an idea of the potential of this combo. K3II with the teleconverter at f2.8 (f4) ISO 500, 100% crop. and original. UNPROCESED RAW.
Pentax 60-250 f4...?
Pentax 70-200 2.8...?
Pentax x1.4 teleconverter...?
Tamron 70-200 2.8 600$
Kenko PzAf x1.4 150$
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: November, 2016 Location: Vungtau Posts: 36 | | Review Date: February 16, 2017 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp at 2.8 all length focal, fast AF | | Cons: | Heavy, noise AF, silly AF/MF switch | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-5 IIs
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This is my first 70-200 2.8 lens. This lens is sharp at 2.8 and ultimate sharp from 4 to 5.6 all length focal. Auto focus with screw is faster than my old DA*50-135.
2 thing i dont like this lens is super heavy and af/mf switch...
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2015 Posts: 3
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 5, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $560.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Price, sharpness | | Cons: | sound is on a loud side, but nothing you can not live with | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-1, K-3
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I had this lens for almost 2 years now on my k-3 and just couple months ago upgraded to the K-1
heaps of sharpness and quality gains on k-1 compared to k-3, however k-3 was no slacker either.
just recently it started to act up, focusing motor seemed to not work properly. even in the manual mode I could feel the weight on it.
I had the feeling that somethings were scraping on the inside against each other.
So, long story short I risked and took the lens apart!
This was probably very stupid to do, but judging by the outcome, I could not be happier !
WORKS LIKE NEW !
here is the disassembly process if you're interested: https://goo.gl/fW0Im6
ofcourse pentax 70-200 f/2.8 is a better lens that this (which is just a refresh from tamron)
but for the price, you really can't beat what you're getting
however if you need weather resistance and better focusing speeds, definitely go with pentax variant
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