Pentax smc DA 200mm Lens Review

If, like me, you’re one of the millions of telezoom users out there, you may well question what benefit a single focal length (prime) lens will give you. But after spending time using the Pentax smc DA* 200mm f/2.8 ED [IF] SDM, I can only suggest that you ignore this option at your peril.

Zoom design, by the very nature of one lens that performs across a range of focal lengths, involves making certain compromises. The designers of prime lenses, on the other hand, are able to optimise performance at one particular focal length.

A 200mm lens is perfect for homing in and excluding distracting detail. As you’re restricted to one focal length, you’ll need to use your feet to find the best composition. That usually means thinking more about your pictures and, if my experience is anything to go by, you’ll soon start taking better pictures as a result.

Situations ideally suited to using a fast 200mm lens are sports and wildlife photography, but there are other uses too like picking out detail or creating abstract compositions and blurring a background when taking a portrait. You might wonder if 200mm is enough for some sports and wildlfe photography and in the 35mm format I would agree that a 300mm lens would be a better choice.

However, this lens is specifically designed for Pentax’s range of DSLRs, like the Pentax K200D, which sports an APS-C sized sensor. With this size sensor, there’s a 1.5x effective focal length gain so a 200mm behaves like a 300mm in the 35mm format. That’s plenty of reach if you can’t get close to your subject. If you’re at all worried about disturbing your subject, you can rest assured that it’s only your aftershave that will be scaring things off.

The Pentax smc DA* 200mm f/2.8 ED [IF] SDM boasts ultrasonic autofocus for rapid and near-silent operation and despite offering fast f/2.8 light-gathering abilities, it’s a compact lens that’s just 134mm in length. That means it will fit discreetly on your camera without shouting ‘big glass monster’ at everything and anything you happen to point it at.

Sometimes the length of a lens increases as you move across the focusing range. Not so with this lens as it incorporates an inner focusing design. That means the lens’ dimensions stay constant during focusing.

In addition, high-quality ED lens elements ensure your images will be pin-sharp. For those who like to use their kit in all weathers, the lens is completely sealed against dirt and splashes, and the special Pentax SP coating on the front element further protects the lens from minor scratches and other contamination.

To test Pentax’s claims for the smc DA* 200mm f/2.8 ED [IF] SDM, I took it out together with a K200D. I split my shots into three categories. First, the beach, the park and the zoo to test its full capabilities in the great British outdoors.

Second, my niece and nephew. Kids have a habit of never staying still while you try and compose a decent shot, so a lens with a fast aperture and fast autofocus is welcome as it allows you to lock on quickly while selecting faster shutter speeds to freeze any antics. I used the camera on shutter-priority mode, letting it sort out exposure for me as I put my energy into keeping up with the kids.

Third, portraits. A 200mm lens is great at blurring backgrounds, especially at f/2.8. I used aperture-priority mode to select the widest f/2.8 aperture and keep the background nicely out of focus.

Normally, you’d need a tripod to ensure sharp images when shooting with a longer focal length lens like 200mm. Fortunately, the Pentax K200D comes equipped with a Shake Reduction mechanism, which effectively reduces camera shake when using a telephoto lens. This meant I could handhold shots of the kids as a tripod would have been totally impractical. Thanks to this feature, the majority of my images were sharp except for a few at really slow speeds.

The lens balances well with the K200D and autofocusing is impressively fast and quiet. In daylight outdoors, the AF system was able to lock on to subjects accurately. In lower contrast situations, such as indoors, the lens takes a tad longer to focus, but pointing the lens at a nearby brighter spot and re-composing speeds the process up.

Plus, it’s easy to fine-tune using the focus barrel, which you can do without switching to manual focus. As for sharpness, there’s nothing to worry about with this lens. Image quality is so sharp that the lens had no trouble in bringing out the finer details of hairs and skin. The ED lens elements go a long way to keeping flare low as well, even when shooting into the light at full aperture. As most of my shots were taken near maximum aperture, this is very welcome. Out-of-focus backgrounds with rounded highlights are pleasing to the eye.

I shot in the K200D’s DNG Raw mode, and converted the images in Photoshop CS3 afterwards. As images are so sharp, you might even want to soften portraits down a touch at this stage using the Gaussian Blur feature set to a low value like 0.5 pixels.

Even though we were acquainted over a short time, I came to love the Pentax smc DA* 200mm f/2.8 ED [IF] SDM and it made me realise how great prime lenses are. To be honest, I think I’ll be leaving my telephoto zoom at home from now on.

TECHNICAL

Prime lens means image quality is superb
Fast maximum aperture of f/2.8
Ultrasonic autofocus for fast and silent focusing
Dual autofocus
Constructed of nine elements across eight groups
High-quality ED lens elements for optimum image quality
Comes with lens hood and soft bag
Inner focusing so size stays constant at 13.4cm (without hood)
Sealed against water and dust
Dirt and splash resistant front lens element with Pentax SP coating
Focuses down to 1.2m
77mm filter size
Weighs 825g

Which Digital Camera - Camera Finder

: DSLR

You want to take the best photos you can and possibly explore photography as a hobby

Enter this section if you are looking for a more advanced camera with the ability to change lenses to suit your needs. You will find entry-level cameras through to high-end models favoured by professional photographers.

What’s your budget?
Do you have a specific brand in mind?
Resolution

: Bridge

You want the convenience of a compact with the versatility of a DSLR

Enter this section if you are looking for the convenience of a compact camera but the photographic power of a DSLR. You will find both point-and-shoot cameras as well models offering more advanced functionality.

What’s your budget?
Do you have a specific brand in mind?
Resolution
Zoom Range

: Compact

You want to take family snaps, events and holidays

Enter this section if you are looking for a small easy-to-use camera. You will find a wide range of models to suit every budget all of which offer a wide range of features for everyday shooting.

What’s your budget?
Do you have a specific brand in mind?
Resolution
Zoom Range
The range of compact cameras available in the sub £250 price bracket frequently changes. Therefore Which Digital Camera has invited manufacturers to maintain their own listings in this section only. This includes their own recommendations.

We regret we are unable to include all manufacturers.

Become a member of Photography Monthly today!

Photography Monthly Digital Subscription

Tips & Techniques

: Creative Shutter Speed: pro tips for better action photography

Whether you are shooting a Formula 1 racing car or a ballerina, getting creative with shutter speed