{"id":1303,"date":"2023-05-02T18:28:35+00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-02T18:28:35+00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iso3200.org\/blog\/?p=1303"},"modified":"2026-05-15T13:08:37+00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T13:08:37+00:00","slug":"comparing-inexpensive-pentax-telephoto-lenses-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iso3200.org\/blog\/2023\/05\/comparing-inexpensive-pentax-telephoto-lenses-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparing inexpensive Pentax zoom lenses, part I \u2013 telephoto lenses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My journey with digital photography, as a hobby, started with a Pentax K100D Super and an 18-55mm kit lens. In those early days, I really wanted a telephoto lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Specifically, I wanted the other, telephoto kit lens \u2013 the smc Pentax-DA 50\u2013\u200d200mm \u00a0F4\u2013\u200d5.6<\/strong>.
Here, it will be compared to a similar film-era lens \u2013 the smc Pentax-FA 70\u2013200mm F4\u20135.6<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note:<\/strong> Unfortunately, I got the idea for this article after I’d already returned the DA L 50\u2013\u200d200mm lens. I have no side-by-side photos, and I haven’t specifically taken photos that would fairly represent the optical properties of that lens. So, no direct comparison photos; you’ll have to trust my judgement. More photos will follow, eventually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Somehow, I never found a justification to get the 50\u2013200mm lens \u2013 I started discovering film photography, so my money went to manual-focus lenses I could use equally well on my Pentax MX film camera. At the same time, I wasn’t really sure if I knew how to use a telephoto lens. I started living on my own, and money was scarce, so I discovered cheap, old, manual-focus telephoto lenses. Some of those lenses turned out to be reasonably good, some not so much, but all served their purpose \u2013 providing me with some telephoto reach and proving to me I’m not really a big fan of shorter telephoto focal lengths. Meaning, I didn’t get to buy my “vaunted” 50\u2013\u200d200mm kit lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that early period, and after learning a lot and meeting a bunch of enthusiast photographers from the area, I managed to borrow and use all other<\/em> Pentax-DA telephoto zoom lenses \u2013 DA 55\u2013\u200d300mm F4\u2013\u200d5.8, DA\u2605 50\u2013\u200d135mm F2.8 and DA\u2605 60\u2013\u200d250mm F4. I did not like the 55\u2013\u200d300mm, and I loved<\/em> the 60\u2013\u200d250mm. Regardless, after some time, I moved out of the system and ended up using a Pentax K-mount for film only. So, I didn’t get to buy my own 50\u2013\u200d200mm kit lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Progression<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometime later, I did manage to get a relatively modern, autofocus telephoto lens, just not the one I wanted \u2013 I got an smc Pentax-FA 70\u2013\u200d200mm F4\u2013\u200d5.6. This lens was perfectly usable on both film and digital cameras and had a proper aperture ring, autofocus, power zoom and everything. With almost the same reach and with the same aperture range, it was as close as possible to my desired lens. All was well; it was just that I didn’t really use the lens. It’s pretty big and heavy, and autofocus speed isn’t something to write home about \u2013 a typical lower-end telephoto lens from the later film era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, after more than a decade, and boring all the readers with the overly long intro, I recently finally managed to get ahold of that “vaunted” smc Pentax-DA L 50\u2013\u200d200mm F4\u2013\u200d5.6 lens! Contrary to Canon’s terminology, on Pentax lenses, L stands for the lightweight kit lens version, with a plastic mount and no QuickShift focusing. But hey, it’s the DA 50\u2013\u200d200mm, the lens I always wanted!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finally, let’s compare the cheaper, DA L version of the 50\u2013\u200d200mm kit lens and the old FA 70\u2013\u200d200mm lens, then! Both lenses cover almost<\/em> the same focal length range, with almost the same aperture range. Both can autofocus, and both will work perfectly fine on any Pentax K-mount DSLR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FA 70\u2013\u200d200mm has an aperture ring, making it more suitable for older, manual film cameras and some autofocus film cameras. It is well-built, feels pretty sturdy, it has a Power Zoom clutch for enabling\/disabling motorised zooming, and it has a metal lens mount \u2013 no weight-saving plastic mount here! Although the motorised zoom mechanism can provide a consistent focusing speed and some interesting special effects while recording video, on this lens, there is some wobble of the internal lens tube, and the front of the lens rotates while focusing, so using polarisers or petal hoods is not an option. As expected, there is no bayonet mount for a hood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DA 50\u2013\u200d200mm is significantly lighter and smaller; it extends quite a lot more than the other lens. The front element does not rotate while focusing or zooming, and there is a bayonet mount for a hood. It has a plastic, weight-saving lens mount, but there is no aperture ring here anymore, and the QuickShift mechanism is omitted. Build quality is reasonable, nothing to write home about, but there’s nothing wrong with it — it’s a visibly budget lens, and it does not try to hide it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using both, the differences are becoming obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharpness is similar; both lenses are acceptably sharp, with the newer DA 50\u2013\u200d200mm lens having a slight edge, but the autofocusing speed of the newer lens is just in the next league \u2013 it simply focuses significantly faster than the older FA 70\u2013\u200d200mm lens. Handling of the lens on bigger bodies, like the K20D, is similar, but on smaller bodies, like the K-x, and most MZ-series film cameras, the lighter and smaller lens feels much easier to use. Also, since the FA 70\u2013\u200d200mm is a rather long and heavy lens, it can out-balance lighter cameras on less sturdy tripods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using a DA 50\u2013\u200d200mm lens on film is not recommended \u2013 it does not cover the full 35mm film frame, and it vignettes strongly, with fully black borders, despite the fact that in the viewfinder it looks just fine. The lack of an aperture ring is also a significant drawback; it can be used only in full automatic, Program and Shutter priority modes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While optically there is not a huge difference between DA 50\u2013\u200d200mm F4\u2013\u200d5.6 and FA 70\u2013\u200d200mm F4\u2013\u200d5.6 lenses, in day-to-day practice (and theory, as well), for most Pentax DSLR users, a newer DA lens is an easy choice, a no-brainer. It focuses quickly, it is sharper, it is well-balanced and reasonably well-built, and it does its job perfectly fine, every time \u2013 even the budget DA L version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pros and Cons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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smc Pentax-DA L 50\u2013\u200d200mm F4\u2013\u200d5.6 ED<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pros<\/h4>\n\n\n\n