The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Pentax 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED and the Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR is the longer of the two lenses at 112mm. The Pentax 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED with a length of 80mm, is 32mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR also has a larger diameter of 71mm compared to the Pentax 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED's 69mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Pentax 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED weighs 272g, which means it is 194g (41%) lighter than the Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR which has a weight of 466g.
Lens Mounts
The Pentax 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED has the Pentax KAF lens mount whereas the Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR has the Pentax KAF2 lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Pentax KF, Pentax K-3 III and Pentax KP for the Pentax KAF Mount and , and for the Pentax KAF2 Mount.
Focal Range
Pentax 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED has a focal range of 50-200mm and 4.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 75-300mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera. Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR has a focal range of 55-300mm and 5.5X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 82.5-450mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.