HD PENTAX-D FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW review

The HD PENTAX-D FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW trinity zoom just about earns its star

HD PENTAX-D FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW
(Image: © Ricoh Imaging)

Digital Camera World Verdict

Typical of 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lenses for full-frame DSLRs, this Pentax is no lightweight, and it’s heavier than most at 1,755g. With a ‘Star’ status usually reserved for Pentax’s top notch prime lenses, it aims to deliver excellent image quality, along with pro-grade build quality and excellent performance. It lives up to its claims in most respects but edge-sharpness could be better when shooting at close range.

Pros

  • +

    High-tech optical path

  • +

    Pro-grade build quality

  • +

    Good autofocus system

Cons

  • -

    Quite heavy for a 70-200mm f/2.8

  • -

    No optical stabilization

  • -

    Modest close range edge-sharpness

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The HD PENTAX-D FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW plays a leading role in the company’s K-mount lens line-up. Photographers who favor shooting with prime lenses pretty much all of the time often feel that a 70-200mm f/2.8 is the most essential zoom, and you’ll find one in the kit back of most serious shooters. At the telephoto end of Pentax’s set of trinity f/2.8 lenses, the 70-200mm is the only one to earn a star, the ‘*’ being reserved for the company’s very finest optics, most of which are prime lenses.

Specifications

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.