PENTAX 70-200mm

Although Pentax currently make DSLRs with only APS-C size sensors, this is a full-frame lens as signified by its DFA designation. It therefore has a field of view equivalent to an 150mm lens in 35mm terms and this gives a useful working distance. It's particularly attractive because of its weather-resistant sealing, so one doesn't have to worry about the odd shower when out and about. It's capable of 1:1 magnification, so it's a true macro lens, and it has a useful f2.8 maximum aperture. It also makes a superb portrait lens, though it might be a little sharp for some people's taste in this regard.Even though it's not one of Pentax's renowned Limited series lenses, he build quality is nevertheless superb and it is reasonably priced. The only (minor) gripe I have is that it doesn't have an internal focusing (IF) mechanism which means that the len's length varies according to the focusing distance. However, as the inner tube extends inside the lens hood, this isn't too much of a problem. Autofocus is by way of a screw drive and seems reasonably quick, though this is a minor concern for most macro work. The lack of an internal motor and in-lens stabilisation (Pentax cameras have in-body stabilisation) means that the lens is relatively small and portable. Oh, and did I mention, it's very sharp!

If you're going to spend this much on a lens, please do some research first. The comments will tell you that the Pentax customers are very satisfied, but I think it's worth understanding what this lens is supposed to do before you lay down such a huge outlay.Ok, caveat out of the way. :-)It's a superb lens- light, weatherproof and it allows you to take great photographs. The 'macro' refers to it's ability to take close up shots- you can take astonishingly detailed shots from just a few inches away. Ever missed that amazing looking beetle or spider because you just couldn't focus? Problem solved. It's great for jewellery, crystal and other small, intricate, precious objects. Models- that's as in scale ones, not fashionista clothes horses- are a joy to capture. Under decent light you can see every effect you painstakingly applied in glorious, true life colour (as well as all your worst brush strokes! ;-) ).Being light and not at all bothered by rain, mist or drizzle makes it a great choice when you're out and about.And of course, it's beautiful, high quality glass takes lovely portrait shots.Is it worth the expense? The macro ability is the reason I bought it . I paint 28mm miniatures- standard lenses are a pita for that. They require very powerful lighting and it's awkward to get close to the subject. The high quality glass and the ability to get right up next to the piece allows for better results with less light. It's a much easier, far more pleasant exercise. With space and money constraints it allows for decent results without having to revert to bulky and expensive studio lights. So it definitely improved my photography experience. If macro is your thing, then the ability to swing up and take a snap shot at the myriad little things that you see while walking/rambling is fantastic. You could use light tubes and possibly a portable light source to get similar results, but the ease of use and speed the macro offers is, again, a big improvement to the photography experience. A nice bonus is just how well it adapts to everyday shooting. It's not limited to close shooting, it's just very, very good at it!Some comments on ease of use. The zoom is fairly quick. There's a manual focus ring on the end to further improve response time, if needed. It's pretty quiet- if your subject is a small animal, that can help. The Pentax pre-focus can get the lens partially focused on trickier subjects, you can manually fine tune it using the ring to get the desired effect. On a weather sealed camera- and most of the Pentax range are- it can be used in almost any conditions. I'm looking forward to playing around with that this winter! The light weight helps in every situation.It is very expensive. You could get similar results spending a lot less on things like light tubes and high powered torches. But if you can justify the outlay it's money well spent. The improvement to the shooting experience and the ability to concentrate more on composition or even opportunity, rather than set up, makes it an absolute bargain. There's a reason the Pentax buyers love this thing!

I was not going to buy this lens until I read the Amazon reviews. It is perfect for portraits. In my opinion it is genuinely five star. At f2.8 it has a very shallow depth of field but the portraits are sharp. There is very little distortion. The colours are very natural provided you get exposure and white balance right.It performs reasonable well at f1.4 but sometimes there is some purple flare when used in very bright light outdoors. The wide aperture allows plenty of light in to aid automatic and manual focus. It looks a bit ugly until you turn it around and look down the metal barrel. Then you will see a huge unblemished lens with a beautiful purple and orange sheen from the lens coating.It has a strongly made plastic casing with a metal lens mount. It balances perfectly on both of my DLSR bodies. I am sure that this would also be a great prime lens for a K1000 or ME film camera body. I recommend that you buy it before it goes out of production.If you are not bored read on. Before I bought this lens I was using an M42 screw 55mm f1.7 Super Takumar lens from my 1964 Spotmatic SP2. The Spotmatic lens is still highly rated and it is pin sharp provided you use a fast enough shutter speed or a tripod. However, I found it difficult to focus when using it on my DLSR camera bodies.The limitations of using the Spotmatic lens are made worse by having to use an adapter for a K mount camera. Then you have to use the lens in manual mode and stop it down for the camera to read the exposure. Sometimes it is better to use a manual exposure meter. Doing all this is OK if you have got plenty of time to set things up. It is a pain in the neck if you have moving subjects such as children or pets.This was brought home to me when my wife and I visited Dymchurch with some kids to ride on the steam railway. There were lots of out of focus pictures. I could not focus the Spotmatic lens quickly enough to capture the movement of the kids or the trains.The Pentax K Mount 50 mm lens solves all these problems and more. I have given it a thorough test under all sorts of lighting conditions. It focuses fast in automatic mode. When used with a DLSR it has a medium telephoto effect. This means that you do not have to get too close to the subject to fill the frame.The K Mount lens proved itself at a recent family party. I set the lens at F2.8 and fired away for some great pin sharp portraits. There was no need for a flash. The background was always out of focus. I did not need to crop the pictures or use the blur function in Photoshop. It saved me loads of time in the electronic dark room.The lens is also good for landscapes when a medium telephoto is needed. The colours are very natural provided you get the exposure correct. It does not focus much closer than half a meter but that is still good for close ups.The Spotmatic, which still takes great photos after all these years, will keep its lens permanently screwed on. My new lens is almost certainly as good and much more convenient.Rather than pay £50 plus pounds for the plastic Pentax lens hood, I bought the replacement rubber hood from Amazon for £10.There is one thing to be careful of, the lens almost protrudes beyond the rim of the barrel. You are best advised to fit a UV filter immediately to protect it.I am delighted with the performance of this lens. I recommend it highly.