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DxOMark rates lenses for Pentax K-50, and reviews Sigma 50-500mm

Aug 23, 2013 at 15:22:53 GMT

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Our friends and collaborators over at DxOMark have been investigating lenses for the Pentax K-50, and have just published an article assessing which score best on this well-featured little SLR. They've looked at 28 different models, from both Pentax itself and third-party makes like Sigma and Tamron, and given recommendations for the best lens to buy in various categories. This week they've also tested the Sigma APO 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM super-telephoto zoom, and compared it to the latest, and rather more expensive Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR. Click the links below to read more.

DxOMark review: Best lenses for your Pentax K50: Pentax lens overview

DxOMark review: Sigma APO 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Nikon mount lens review

Click here for our first impressions of the Pentax K-50

Our lens reviews are produced using DxOMark data: click here to see our latest reviews

OTHER NEWS CANON DXOMARK SIGMA

Pentax K-50

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Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera, Body Only (Black)●	$605.78	Buy on GearShop
Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera Kit with DA 18-135mm WR F3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)●	$957.49	Buy on GearShop
Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR F3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)●	$677.26	Buy on GearShop
Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera, Body Only (Red)●	$594.91	Buy on GearShop
Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera Kit with DA 18-135mm WR F3.5-5.6 Lens (Red)●	$968.61	Buy on GearShop
Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR F3.5-5.6 Lens (Red)●	$675.71	Buy on GearShop
Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR F3.5-5.6 and 50-200mm WR Lenses (Red)●	$874.18	Buy on GearShop
Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera, Body Only (White)●	$604.12	Buy on GearShop
Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera Kit with DA 18-135mm WR F3.5-5.6 Lens (White)●	$966.59	Buy on GearShop
Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR F3.5-5.6 Lens (White)●	$684.76	Buy on GearShop

Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD - Body Only (Black)	$565.00
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD - Body Only (Black)	$565.00
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR f3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)	$664.00
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR f3.5-5.6 Lens (White)	$678.00
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with DA 18-135mm WR f3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)	$947.99
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR f3.5-5.6 and 50-200mm WR Lenses (Black)	$779.00
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with DA 18-135mm WR f3.5-5.6 Lens (White)	$957.00
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR f3.5-5.6 Lens (Red)	$619.95
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with DA L 18-55mm WR f3.5-5.6 and 50-200mm WR Lenses (Red)	$856.60
Pentax K1000 Camera with 50mm (f/2.0) Lens	$93.46
Pentax K-50 16MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD - Body Only (Red)	$589.00

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Comments

Total comments: 25

"Best" lenses as scored by easily-measurable characteristics only -- resolution, distortion, vignetting, transmission, chromatic aberration. Sure, those things are important, but it's a remarkably reductionist way of ranking artistic tools.

0 upvotes

One of the reasons why I bought Pentax K-30 as my first DSLR was the reputation that their "kit" zooms are slightly better than comparable other makes.
Now I'm pleasantly surprised how high the "kit" lens has scored in this test!

0 upvotes

Thanks for the idea, not interested on DxO anyway. Thay are incapable to measure camera handiness and joy on photo experience. Still happy with my whity K-r, pretty, at least, as this white K-50.

0 upvotes

Can we put aside DXO's incompetency at lens reviewing and just take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous that combo in white is?

6 upvotes

Gorgeous? REALLY?! Only an apple fan boy would say that XD

1 upvote

...or a storm trooper looking to take up photography without compromising on fashion.

0 upvotes

They rate lenses which outresolve my sensor as having a sharpness of only 10MP. They rate the sigma 18-35 f1.8 as having like 14mp or something. I've seen test pictures from that lens. It is not resolving as much detail as primes. The 50 1.4 and 1.8 scores low. What a joke. I think dxomark secretly hates pentax and loves sigma.

Comment edited 26 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

I find DxOMark lens reviews quite useless. However, their measurements could be useful enough.

Comment edited 7 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Go to the profiles tab for Sigma and Nikkor and compare directly 500/8 vs. 400/8. The difference is whopping. Another example that DxO lens tests are useful, their scores are not.

1 upvote

At least one website is reviewing lenses. Hintity Hint Hint.

4 upvotes

Would anyone here at DPReview care to address a perceived contradiction in the test results of this lens--on the D800, it receives both a lower overall and a lower sharpness score than on the D600.

0 upvotes

A difference of one point is within the margin of error. If you compare the sharpness graphs between the two they look basically the same. What this tells us is that the Bigma cannot resolve the extra pixels from the D800. No real surprise.

6 upvotes

DxO scores are blind for very high resolutions because of their weighting. Go to the profile tabs to really read their results. And keep in mind that D800 pixels are smaller, so similiar acutance means much higher sharpness.

0 upvotes

The DA*55 comparison to the Nikon and Canon 50 F1.4 lenses on the same and a "similar" sensor has the DA*55 being beaten out for resolution in their Perceptual MP ratings and yet I now for a fact that my DA*55 kills the Nikon 50/1.4G I owned and got rid of. This lens is definitely the sharpest 50' I've ever owned.

Lenstip show resolution in Lines Per Millimeter and that's a fair way to judge the actual lens as it's divorced from format but still dependent on sensor resolution. Their resolution graph for the DA*55 has it way out in front of the Nikon.

But I don't trust 100% any of these tests with the degree of variation re' results between sites, although I tend to more readily 'believe' Lens Rentals for no other reason than they show results from large numbers of the same lens tested on the same gear. Sample variation gets an airing within their graphs and can explain the variance (to some degree) between tests done on other sites.

Comment edited 40 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Also, My DA*200 on my K-5 is every bit as sharp as my 70-200 VRII @ 200mm on my D800E in APS-C crop mode and yet Dx0 graphs show otherwise.

Comment edited 30 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Why would Dxo even bother if they're gonna leave out pentax's best 3 lenses? (31mm/43mm/77mm).
Pointless comparison if you leave out the best lenses imo.

10 upvotes

"We're going to test to see which are the best nikon zooms... Except we're going to leave out the Nikon 14-24, 24-70 & 70-200".
Fail.

9 upvotes

And don't forget the DA*50-135 DA*200 and DA*300 too.

7 upvotes

GG DxO. Well, at least they actually looked at Pentax for a change.

5 upvotes

interesting that the DxOmarks for the D800 + Bigma are so different than the D600. This is probably due to the fact that the Bigma is 1/2 stop slower at each focal length than the Nikkor. If we are to trust this measurement, then I would probably pass on the Bigma for use with my D800. But the D600 looks like it could be a good match.

0 upvotes

The lens doesn't actually get any worse on the D800, though. There are just (much more expensive) alternatives that can do better.

0 upvotes

Hm, the Bigma tested better than I expected.

That's not a criticism of DXOMark, I think it's good testing.

1 upvote

Good testing of lenses? Look at what they write:
"Our DxOMark lens scores take into account the sensor performance of the camera, especially the results from the Color Depth test and Dynamic range."

WTF? Lens score should have nothing to do with Color Depth and Dynamic Range of a sensor, because lens quality has nothing to do with sensor.

10 upvotes

Thats's true.
I always go to the profile tabs to see actual measurements. Both the Score and the PMpix value are to be ignored totally. With this in mind, their tests are a goid resource.

1 upvote

@peevee So, you would have all lenses tested perpetually at 12 mp?

1 upvote

Total comments: 25

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