The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Pentax FA 77mm 1.8 L and the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED is the longer of the two lenses at 134mm. The Pentax FA 77mm 1.8 L with a length of 48mm, is 86mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Pentax FA 77mm 1.8 L's 64mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Pentax FA 77mm 1.8 L weighs 270g, which means it is 555g (67%) lighter than the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED which has a weight of 825g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Lenses in Pentax KAF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Pentax FA 77mm 1.8 L has a filter size of 49mm whereas the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 49mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Pentax FA 77mm 1.8 L:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED:
Lens Mounts
Both the Pentax FA 77mm 1.8 L and the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED has the same Pentax KAF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Pentax KAF lenses are Pentax K-3 III Mono, Pentax KF and Pentax K-3 III.
Focal Range
Pentax FA 77mm 1.8 L is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 77mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
115.5mm.
On the other hand, the Pentax DA 200mm F2.8 ED is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 200mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 300mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
