Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras by Pentax
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Digital camera reviews of Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras
Digital camera Review: Pentax DA 50-200mm
Summary: 5 Stars
I find this lens to be very easy to use along with the camera. Pentax has been my choice of camera, flashes and lenses since my first SLR camera. Digital camera Review: Very Sharp!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am so impressed with Pentax's DSLR's and glass, such as this optically excellent lens, that I have sold all my Nikon gear and converted to Pentax.This lens, along with the 18-55, make for a great travel combo. Highly recommended!!Digital camera Review: Manual Focus "Glitch"
Summary: 4 Stars
I just recently purchased the Pentax K10D which included the 50-200mm Pentax lens. I decided to get familiar with the new equipment by taking pictures at an airshow. I knew that most of the aerial shots would require manual focusing (set to infinity for distances of over 500-1,000 ft) which seemed to work well with the lens and camera. The only problem I noted was that in manual focus mode, the focus ring moved too easily so that when you change the zoom you could also alter the focus. When I later looked at the hundreds of manual focus shots I took, I was disappointed to find that many were somehow slightly out of focus, enough so to ruin otherwise great shots. What I discovered was that the infinity setting for sharp focus at distance was not at the hard focus stop of the ring (at the infinity indicator) but about two or three millimeters back. That slight difference in focus ring positioning can make or break a great shot, but it is difficult to detect the off-focus in the viewfinder in fast-action shooting. Normal camera handling in shooting situations like an airshow can cause the ring to drift off-focus too easily. Maybe this is normal for an autofocus lens (my old manual lenses have a much tighter focus movement), but it does not make sense for hands-on shooting since that last degree or two of lens focusing movement is good for nothing other than wrecking a shot - it doesn't appear to provide for a special "ultra-distance" focus. Perhaps this issue is isolated to this lens unit only. Otherwise, when auto focus works on this lens, it works quite well, fast and smooth. I still don't understand why an auto focus system can't be programmed to default to infinity when a focus lock can't be achieved (such as an airplane up in the sky). Aside from the issue I mention, the lens appears to be good for decent images with little purple fringing evident in the long range of the lens (a serious problem with the Canon S3). While this lens is quite usable overall, I've found that it still leaves you in need of greater wide angle performance, requiring that you carry two lenses at all times, like the Pentax 18-55mm. I'll be looking next for a faster mid-range lens for optimal low-light, non-flash shooting. Digital camera Review: Nice Picture Quality
Summary: 5 Stars
I've owned this lens for a couple of months now and have been impressed with the picture quality. Bright colors, especially during the day. I was also impressed w/ the pictures taken during a soccer game. No blur and nice colors.Digital camera Review: Excellent value - high image quality for a reasonable price
Summary: 5 Stars
The Pentax DA 50-200 lens is inexpensive but a reasonably good performer. When combined with a Pentax body such as the K10D that offers in-body image stabilization, the main limitation in obtaining good images is not the camera or lens but the photographer's imagination. Unless you are a professional photographer specializing in sports, this lens would be more than adequate, especially if you are looking for a good travel lens to complement the 16-45 or the 18-55 lenses.
PROS: Very lightweight lens with adequate zoom range. Good image quality. Focuses as fast as most other Pentax lenses in bright light.
CONS: f5.6 is rather limiting if you plan to photograph sporting events in twilight or artificial lighting. The depth of field at 5.6 is rather wide. Due to the f5.6, you may be forced to use higher ISO with resulting higher noise. You really should not plan on combining this lens with a teleconverter.