Pentax HD FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW Review

Pentax HD PENTAX-D FA* 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW Handling and Features

The metal build of this lens inspires confidence that it will be able to handle the rigours of daily professional use, as it is sealed against dust and moisture too, it should be able to cope in a wide range of conditions. It's certainly not a lightweight lens, tipping the scales at just under 1.8 kilogrammes, even so, it balances very well with the Pentax K-3 body used for testing.

Focusing and zoom are performed internally. As a result, the filter thread does not rotate, which makes it perfect for use with polarising and graduated filters. A deep petal-shaped hood is supplied with the lens that attaches to the front via a bayonet fitting and a removable tripod mount can also be clipped to a rotating section on the lens.

The manual focusing ring doesn't rotate during auto-focus and manual adjustments can be applied at any time. Manual focusing action is very smooth and there is enough damping to make applying adjustments a pleasure. The silent focusing motor results in reasonably quick autofocus, although not as quick as can be found on some equivalent lenses from other camera manufacturers. Focus accuracy with phase detection could be a little hit and miss, so care may need to be taken, especially when shooting erratic, moving and difficult subjects. The minimum focus distance of 1.2metres is fairly typical for a lens of this type.

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