Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras by Pentax
|
List Price: Our Price: $169.99 You Save: $206.51 (55%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $115.00 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras
Digital camera Review: Its a zoom lens.
Summary: 5 Stars
what else is there to say? it works pretty fast witn the K100D autofocus system and when using manually it is pretty smooth on both zoom and focus rings.
As for photos, with SLRs what you see is what you get and I havent noticed any obscurities in the lens glass at all.
comes with a front and back cap. I wish it came with a soft felt bag though.
Digital camera Review: An excellent value
Summary: 5 Stars
There is no reason to fool around with aftermarket lenses in this range if you have Pentax digital SLR. The 50-200 complements the kit lens perfectly and the quality is exceptional for the price. Samsung appears to sell the same lens as the Samsung Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenon 50-200mm f/4-5.6 AF lens.
Popular Photography gave the Samsung version very high marks in their July 2006 review: "Optically, the best digitally-dedicated tele kit zoom that we've tested so far...."
Digital camera Review: Great lens for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
If you have the 18-55mm kit lens, then you'll find that the 50-200mm feels just about the same. This lens is slightly heavier and slightly longer than the 18-55mm, but still very easy to handle. I uploaded two images to the user gallery above, showing the 18-55mm next to the 50-200mm.
Most people seem to decide between this lens or the Tamron AF70-300mm F/4-5.6, which is similarly priced. After doing a lot of research, I decided on the Pentax 50-200mm because of its compact size and much lighter weight. Although I haven't used the Tamron lens myself, the specifications show that it is longer and twice as heavy as the Pentax.
Another thing to consider is that the Tamron AF70-300mm has a 62mm filter diameter, while the Pentax DA 50-200mm and DA 18-55mm share the same 52mm filter diameter. If you already own the 18-55mm kit lens, you'll be able to use any filters that you already have on the 50-200mm. In my experience, larger filters also cost a bit more, so sticking with 52mm filters would mean cheaper filters that you can also share between lenses.
If you've never used a telephoto lens like this one (and I hadn't), then you'll find that slight movements are really exaggerated when you're fully zoomed in. Also, at 200mm, the widest aperture setting is f5.6 (smaller f-number means a bigger aperture), which is fine if you're outdoors and there's plenty of light, but can make indoor/low light photography a bit difficult. Shake reduction will definitely help, but you'll probably want a tripod if you're shooting at 200mm in low light.
Keep in mind that the Pentax DSLRs like the K100D have a 1.5x focal length multiplier. This means that you need to multiply the specified focal lengths of the lenses by 1.5 to get their 35mm SLR equivalent. On a digital SLR, this lens will give you the equivalent of 75-300mm on a regular 35mm SLR camera.
Overall, this is a great lens for the price.
Digital camera Review: A worthy beginner's telephoto lens
Summary: 4 Stars
Like its smaller companion, the DA 18-55, this is a good, basic, serviceable lens. It's ability to pull in close people and other subjects at the 10 to 20 foot range is very acceptable. My lens does go a bit soft at full 200mm extension, and it has a similar 'looseness' that the 18-55 has. But its light weight and general utility make it a great companion, and a combo of *ist DL/DS (or K100/110D), the 18-55, and this lens is a handy and lightweight set that encourages you to take them with you more often.Digital camera Review: Great Lens For The Price
Summary: 4 Stars
I have this lens coupled with a Pentax K10D and although I have not taken a lot of photos with it, it seems to be a great lens. It is actually smaller than the Pentax DA 16-45mm, and very lightweight. The auto focus is responsive and sharp. At this point the only reason for 4 stars is that I haven't used it enough to give it 5.