On a recent road trip, I decided to take the HD Pentax D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 DC AW lens along with me to review. It has been a while since Pentax has produced a lens of this calibre and I was keen to see how it would perform against the Sigma 50-500mm that has been my go-to lens for several years.
1/1000s, f/4.5, ISO 800 at 270mm
As it is a heavy lens (2kg) I tried it out in a bird hide at the lodge I was staying at and I was amazed by the performance of the lens at both the lower and upper end of its range. There might be some issues if I was trying to track moving animals, but stationary birds were not proving to be too much of an issue. It has been a while since Pentax has produced a zoom lens of this size and personally, I don’t feel that they are really competing with the Sigma lens. To the best of my knowledge, Sigma no longer produces the 50-500mm, but they do have a 150-500mm.
Build quality is superb and the lens, which comes in a very well constructed bag, really feels like a serious piece of kit. I could go into all the technical specs of the lens, but all that information is available on a multitude of websites, so I will limit my comments to my own experiences with the lens and its capabilities.
1/160s, f/4.5 ISO 800 at 270mm
The lens has a “lock” position at 150mm so that it does not creep if you are carrying it in a downward position. There are also rubber grips on the barrel that give using the lens a positive experience.
1/800s, f/5.6, ISO 400, at 290mm
There are controls on the barrel for the focus mode as well as buttons that will save a preset focus distance. It did take me a while to figure out what all the controls are for…but if you are in doubt, there are YouTube tutorials that will put your mind at rest. I found that the motor was a tad slow, but I did not miss any shots in the various situations I was using the lens. Considering the cost and the construction, perhaps Pentax could have put in a faster motor? I sometimes wonder about the choices that Pentax makes when it comes to their choice of the focal distance. Why not 150-500/600? Why is their biggest lens a 560mm and not a 600mm?
1/1000s, f/5.6, ISO 800, at 450mm
The lens cap and a separate lens hood. It might have been an idea to incorporate the lens hood into the body of the lens as they have done with their 15-30mm,f/2.8 lens.
1/800s, f/4.5, ISO 400 at 150mm
This lens is built like the proverbial ‘brick out-house’ and it weighs about as much (2kg), making it an ideal lens if you are in a vehicle but it gets VERY heavy VERY quickly if you decide to go for an extended walk with it slung around your neck. I did find it to be sharp at all focal lengths and I was able to handhold it, but after a while, a bean bag or a tripod becomes a welcome option. If like me you need an excuse to head back to the gym (or to eat your vegetables) then THIS is the beast that will force you to make those decisions. Aside from using it on the K1ii, I also used it on my Pentax K3, but I did make certain that I was supporting both the lens AND the body so a not to put undue strain on the K-mount.
1/5000s, f/5.6, ISO 800 at 450mm
To sum up. I had a positive experience with this lens, once I had figured out what all the ‘bells and whistles’ on the lens barrel actually do. Paired with the K1ii, it does become heavy and handheld shots become an issue after a while. That being said, putting it on the K3ii seemed to solve that issue…for me. However, I then had to sacrifice full frame for a cropped sensor body. Overall it is an excellent lens, with Pentax again proving that they are capable of producing professional-quality lenses, albeit at a price.
1/800s, f/5.6, ISO 400 at 410mm
My Executive Assistant was present during some of the testings and, in exchange for a treat(or two) will verify the results. While he and I both agree that the lens might be an option to have in your gear bag, currently, the cost might seem somewhat prohibitive.
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