Pentax SMCP-FA 28mm-200mm f/3.8-5.6 AL(IF)

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
3 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from City Duty Free

Summary:
The FA28-200 is quite an underrated lens. It is quite good by any measure between 28-135 but is soft at 200 (actually 190). In fact, in that range it is as sharp wide open, as my A50 f1.4, wide open. Of course the 50mm has much less edge distortion and stopped down is sharper.

Strengths:
wide focal range, good close focus, SMC coating, excellent lens hood included.

Weaknesses:
too long when zoomed to 200, no zoom lock, obstructs camera's built in flash, slow at long end (5.6)

Similar Products Used:
Pentax-A 35-210 3.5-4.5 (a worse lens) Pentax-F 80-200 4.7-5.6 (very good lens) Pentax-M 75-150 4 (an excellent lens)

Customer Service:
Never needed it.

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $300.00

Summary:
What I can say is do not buy this lense unless you want to try something bad. It is lucky to know from a reviewer that Pentax stopped producing this lense, so no victor any more!

If you want to join our Pentax family, please try the 24-90mm/f3.5-4.5 or 28-70mm/f4.0 for your zoom lense and buy some 135mm/f2.8, 50mm/f1.4, 85mm/f1.4, etc.. It is what I get from all Pentax fans.

I like to use Pentax. You can have your Nikko and Canon.

Strengths:
Price is very good to attract you to buy it.

Weaknesses:
The quality is as poor as a small auto-camera. It is far from a big camera lense standard.

Similar Products Used:
Nikko 28-200
Tarmon 28-200

Customer Service:
Web information is limited. Send email to website never got any reply.

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Summary:
Flare control, colour reproduction and sharpness are average. The image is soft especially at 200mm. However, it is still very useful for travelling and the best economic choice.

Strengths:
Cost effective, good for travelling.

Weaknesses:
Average optics especially at 200mm.

Similar Products Used:
Nikon AF24-120, Canon EF24-85.

Customer Service:
No experience

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Summary:
Yes, it's a Tamron. The shop I dealt with was very up front about that. The only real difference between the lens is that Pentax puts their SMC coatings on the ones with their name on them. Unfortunately, the Tamron/Pentax comes in three flavours, the old/ first ones, that have pretty poor optical quality from what I've heard and read, the newer ones, like mine that are pretty good. And a newer one that's just come out that's supposed to be a little better. If you're buying used, be very carefull. Otherwise, for the personal travel photography I do, it's great.

Strengths:
Light weight, compact, large zoom range, decent build quality, focuses quickly on my Pentax MZ3, lens hood is included, reasonable price....I paid around $450 CDN as a package with the MZ3. (total price $975 CDN)

Weaknesses:
A bit of light fall off in the corners at 28mm. It could be sharper, but it's pretty good for a moderately priced zoom with a 7:1 ratio. Wide open at 200mm it's at it's worst, and that's still pretty good. Flare is a real problem, like most wide zooms. 77mm filters are expensive, but that's hardly news. Oh yeah, and when you're carrying it, the lens zooms out...so what?

Similar Products Used:
Tokina 28-70 f3.5-f5.6
Tokina 80-200 f3.5-f5.6

Customer Service:
Not needed

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Price Paid:  $300.00

Summary:
I have owned and still own many Pentax products, from a Spotmatic purchased new in 1967 to the present PZ-1p. I beleive that this is a Tamron product marketed under the Pentax name. The standards at Pentax must have slipped since the days of the screw mount! My wifes point and shoot is way ahead of this lens.

Strengths:
Well designed, compact and well made.

Weaknesses:
I haven,t been able to obtain satisfactory results, especially in the lower range 28-80mm. I have owned this lens for about two years and have shot many rolls of film with it. Many that were disappointing, just not sharp at all. Do not enlarge beyond 8x10 with this lens.

Similar Products Used:
I own several Tamron and Pentax zooms. No other 28-200's.

Customer Service:
Pentax service has always been great. However, I spoke with a Pentax representive concerning this lens and showed him what I considered to be an unsatifactory photo (8x10). He felt that it was very satisfactory.