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SMC Pentax DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED review

Started Feb 21, 2016 | User reviews thread
jamesm007 Veteran Member • Posts: 5,820
Re: SMC Pentax DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED review

It is a nice lens for the price. When Pentax designed this lens more than likely it was to be the classic in 35mm/FF equal of 70-300mm. What they designed is a remarkably small lens that does that range as well as any in the price range.

Its small but has some heft to it, feels well built.

I personally wipe the barrel in down pours of rain before retracting. That's up to you.

It comes with a large thick lens hood, nothing cheap about it.

There is a pretty bad review from Photozone. They probably had a poor sample of the lens. Owning this lens I know its not that bad. The good reviews -

https://www.ephotozine.com/article/pentax-smc-50-200mm-f-4-5-6-da-ed-interchangeable-lens-review-4568

Popular Photo tested the WR version which is optically the same as all others.

http://www.popphoto.com/gear/2010/09/tested-pentax-50-200mm-f4-56-da-wr

Now after reading them, this lens should be a really good performer, better than Average. Well wide open and I will have some issues at certain focal lengths. However at f/11 it does produces a picture that is uniform across the whole 50-200mm frame and detailed enough for good prints 8X10. Pentax keeps it in the catalog.  A good performing and feature rich lens for the money.

A out of K-5 jpeg with minimal PP not cropped, no sharp mask

K-5, 1/500, iso400 200mm equal to 300mm FF. Out of Cam JPEG

 jamesm007's gear list:jamesm007's gear list
Pentax K20D Pentax K-5 Pentax K-3 Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) +12 more
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