Pentax 60 -250 how good is it?

All,

If you own and have used this lens can you let me know your thoughts. I would usually have a 70-200 f2.8 in my kit bag back in canon days. I'm looking for a good mid range zoom and I like the Range this offers. I think it would complement my Pentax 300+ 1.4 converter and cover a wide range for sports and wildlife.

I take pictures of a variety of subjects.

The reason for the question is that I have heard it can be slow to focus. I have k5 mk2 and k50 , I can't believe an F 4 would be slow.

Any help would be appreciated before I part with cash.

Up until I bought the 150-450mm the 60-250mm was my favourite Pentax lens. Sharp wide open. good reach and it works well with the 1.4x

BUT

It is slow to focus ( especially compared to the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 ) but then saying that I think the 300mm is slow and it's not much different to that AF speed wise.

Another lens to look at is the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 OS.

Love mine though I never use the damn thing but it is a lovely lens, Sharp just about everywhere and as Mike sats it plays very well with the 1.4 AW convertor, plus it's about half a kilo or more lighter than a lot of the F2.8 Pro zooms...

Optically it is wonderful so much so I sold my DA* 50-135 because the 60-250 is as good as it and has the extra reach.

Unlike the 50-135 the focusing is crisp and reliable, curiously it seems to be somewhat better on this point with the HD 1.4x on it.

It is my "go to" lens for outdoor sports and events and never fails to impress and is also great for wild life ( see below, juvenile Orangutan - Borneo see comments in my portfolio on this shot)




I bought it the first day it was available and it has been hammered, sometimes in very bad environments where the elements have really been extreme and it has never let me down, I will never part with mine

I was able to borrow this lens just after Christmas and took it to a stage rally in south wales very cold day with frost first thing and then sun lens was very very good even wide open if money would allow would buy one tomorrow
a great lens

As others have said - it is a great lens but it does have it's drawbacks such as slow focusing and price.

I borrowed one for several weeks while deciding whether to buy one.

Eventually I instead opted for the Tamron 70-200 2.8 which is the fastest focusing zoom lens I own and I would back it optically against the 60-250 all day long - plus of course - it is half the price of the 60-250!

Carl

Hi, Microglobe have the Pentax 60 250 star at £708.46 from stock

They list the Tamron at £735.11 to order 3- 5 days

dont all lenses have draw backs weather they are by pentax canon nikon and third party lenses
if you said it was a briliant lens some one some where will have had a problem with it
me personaly if buying new would like to hire one and see what they are like on the proviso that if i bought the lens i would get the hire cost nocked of the price and i would hope it could be done with cameras

Although I think £799 is the RRP - £735 is very steep for the Tamron - Bristol cameras - Tamron £474, Simply Electronics , £375 or - as I did - you can buy from Amazon.de - £380 - delivered to UK.

Carl

Life is a compromise - I gave up 50mm of reach opting for the Tamron I was merely pointing out there are alternatives and that the 60-250 was not the only option - neither is the Tamron the only alternative - I am sure there will be advocates of the Sigma as well.

Carl

Thanks all for the feedback. Trade off for me may well be the weight (tamron) v price (Pentax)..... Food for thought , but your feedback is really useful

Cheers

Pete

I had a look at the DA* 60-250 on a friends K3, comparing it to my Sigma 70-200 OS HSM on my K3, I found it stiff to use and much slower to focus than the Sigma, as it was on someone else's camera I couldn't really comment on the IQ but there isn't a lot wrong with the IQ from the Sigma.

At this spec level they are all good, better than those of us using them.

A lot of the considerations are personal, arguably not technical; Stiff lens , heavy lens, I am an engineer and that feels good; Light and loose not so good for others it could be the opposite

All that matters is the final image and that is down to the photographer more than the lens.

I have some stunning lenses in most of the well known independent makes as well as Pentax, Canon, Nikon and Panasonic.when the image is below par it is always me.