HD Pentax-D FA 70-210mm F4 ED SDM WR goes on sale in February
(Image credit: Pentax)
Pentax has filled an obvious gap in its range of lenses for its full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras with the launch of a 70-200mm f/4 telephoto zoom. Pentax already had a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens in its catalogue, but the new f/4 version provides a more affordable, and lighter version for portraiture, sports and wildlife. Weighing just over 800g, the 70-200mm f/4 is a full kilogram lighter than its older, f/2.8 brother.
The HD Pentax-D FA 70-210mm F4 ED SDM WR is weather-proofed with seven separate sealing rings making it ideal for outdoor shooting, and uses Pentax' Supersonic Direct-drive Motor (SDM).
The lens uses a nine-bladed aperture, that promises great bokeh characteristics, and it has an impressive minimum focusing distance of 0.95m (3.1 feet), which gives a maximum magnification of 0.32x.
In its 20-element, 14-group optical constructions, it incorporates three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements and two anomalous dispersion glass elements to deliver, what manufacturers Ricoh claims, are high-contrast, high-resolution images with edge-to-edge sharpness, while effectively compensating for distortion and chromatic and coma aberrations. It features an SP (Super Protect) coating on its front surface to repel water, grease and dirt, making it easy to wipe off fingerprints.
Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography.
His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.
He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.
