| Author: | | Showing Reviews 1-15 of 95 | | Pentaxian Registered: November, 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 3,467
6 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: July 28, 2010 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $330.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, tiny, light, 3d quality | | Cons: | f/2.8 is not as fast as I'd like | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
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This is a first class lens. It's tiny and it's very sharp. At f2.8 it's already sharp, and produces a nicer image than my Sigma 17-70 at any aperture. So much so I don't use my Sigma anymore. I use this more than any of my other lenses at the moment, I find it a very useful focal length, probably more so than 70mm for my style of shooting anyway.
I knocked 1 point off the overall rating as f/2.8 isn't quite as fast as I'd like, but this is the price we pay for such a tiny lens.
Highly recommended 
II by Twitchphoto, on Flickr
Family photo with the 40 being the little guy on the far left
Family Photo #2: aka Folly by Twitchphoto, on Flickr
Other DA40 photos | | | | | Junior Member Registered: August, 2007 Location: Oxford, United Kingdom Posts: 30
4 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: March 21, 2010 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $350.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Size, build quality, colour, bokeh, it looks cool, af speed | | Cons: | Not too fast, funny lens cap | |
I love this lens. The moment I put it on my K10D and snapped my first picture with it (just a mug) I was pleased. The colour and contrast just pop... absolutely lovely. I am particularly enamoured with the bokeh... smooth but unique.
After a few more weeks shooting, this has displaced my 70mm as my favourite lens. I absolutely *love* it.
The build quality is fantastic, just like my other limited lenses. This one seems slightly 'finer' than the 21 and 70, but just as sturdy. My only nit is the lens cap which, while funky and original, is just totally and utterly impractical. I dislike all the limited lens caps (but this one is the worst), and have previously had 49mm snap-ons on all three. I now use the originals so I can have lens hoods (another annoying fact - you can't use the stock lens hood without the fiddly funky caps), and I suppose you get used to it after a while.
There's a lot of debate about the particular focal length of this lens... Personally I like it. In fact I was surpised by just how much I like it... It's a great street lens (and gets some curious looks from interested people  ), and is also a tremendous short portrait lens. I've also used it for some landscape shots. It's a question of personal taste of course, but I find it on my camera more often than any other lens.
A couple of pictures (blow them up to see details - full size img available):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandekadt/4451169420/ (street photography)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandekadt/4450397065/ (street photography)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandekadt/4450395001/ (b&w architecture)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandekadt/4309173213/ (flash portrait)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandekadt/4309913752/ (flash portrait)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandekadt/4490539551/ (b&w landscape)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandekadt/4491179986/ (b&w landscape)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandekadt/4491187364/ (b&w landscape)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandekadt/4491178240/ (natural light portrait)
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2010 Location: Seattle, Wa Posts: 179
3 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: June 3, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $380.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Size, AF speed, Bokeh, Sharp | | Cons: | Only f/2.8 (none if your not interested in shooting large aperture) | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
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I'm only an amateur hobby photographer so take my opinion for what it is but I highly recommend this lens. I've had this lens for server months now and have only taken it off maybe 2-3 times and that was only because I needed to go wider than 40mm. Before purchasing this lens I had only the 18-55mm kit lens and the M 50mm f1.7. I bought it as a AF alternative to the M 50mm and the only draw back so far is the f/2.8. When I'm trying to get crazy bokeh I have to be a lot close to the subject than the f/1.7 of the M 50mm but thats just the style I like. If you're not so much into shooting at larger apertures than it wouldn't even be an issue. Also I see a lot of complaints about the lens cap but I haven't found it to be an issue at all personally. Hopefully my sample photos below will help anyone considering this lens.
Sample photos from me:
Bokeh Baby by randy.schrotberger, on Flickr
Bo The Bokeh Boxer by randy.schrotberger, on Flickr
Untitled by randy.schrotberger, on Flickr
Chris by randy.schrotberger, on Flickr
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: March, 2007 Location: London (just about but still), UK Posts: 6,924
3 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: May 24, 2008 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: N/A
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | size, weight, speed of AF, nine blades, colour rendition, contrast.... | | Cons: | srew on cap, wish it was f2 | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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first review 2008:
Since I bought this lens, it lives on my camera. It's a great lens with fabulous sharpness, contrast and colour rendition. Good for everything, from landscapes to portraits. I simply love it. And what's more, it doesn't cost you a lot, and doesn't break your neck when you walk around with it all day. Simply great lens...
edit: 2009
after over one year with this lens I must add few words. I still stand behind all I wrote before. I've had my ups and downs but still, DA40ltd is my most used lens. I did comparison with FA31ltd and I have to say I like the rendering of 40 better. It's colours are more pleasing to my eye.
If you are afraid that the lens is fragile due to it's size, don't be. I've knocked my copy about for over year and it's still good.
It's price/performance/size ratio is unrivaled.
It's fast enough for decently lit indoors. Long enough for good upper body portraits, wide enough for landscapes and full body portraits in bigger rooms/studios. It's specific focal length really makes you think about composition.
And with the prices skyrocketing earlier this year, I really think there isn't better/cheaper prime out there, especially if you are after your first prime lens.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: September, 2006 Posts: 181
3 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: February 26, 2007 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $350.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Excellent Optical and Build Quaility, Very Small | | Cons: | none | |
Th 40mm is a very small, and extremely sharp lens. The corner to corner sharpness, bokeh, and color rendering is outstanding. A larger aperture would be nice. But, the build quality, focusing speed, size, and quick shift focusing, make up for it. All in all, a lens worthy of the "Limited" name.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2012 Location: Houston, Tx Posts: 5
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: February 7, 2012 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $350.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Size, Image Quality | | Cons: | Narrow Focus Distance | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-x
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[FONT=Times New Roman]I am a long time lurker and new poster. I've benefited greatly as a resultof previous reviews and felt it was time for me to contribute. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]I purchased the DA 40mm Limited over six months ago after reading the reviews and recommendations on this forum. I have used it exclusively during this period and have only recently taken it of my K-x as I have also added theDA 15mm Limited and DA 70mm Limited to my collection. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]I have used this lens for a combination of landscape photography and portraiture and while I don’t consider the focal length to be ideal for either application it is very usable. Despite its diminutive size the image quality, corner to corner, is beautiful and makes for superb photos. The build quality is first class and even the screw-on lens cap, while admittedly different, enhances the sense of quality that accompanies this lens. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]The one wish I have for this lens would be better subject isolation. Its minimum focus distance is 40cm (~16 inches) and its infinite focus distance is slightly more than 3 meters (~9ft). This is to be expected for a lens of this focal length, but if shallow depth of field is an important feature,you may want to consider something longer or either a subject who likes to be up close and personal. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]Overall, I have really enjoyed this lens and I am 100% satisfied that it is in my collection. I would not hesitate to recommend it for the quality of the images that it produces. [/FONT]
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2011 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: August 25, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $360.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Tiny, rugged, beautifully made, sharp wide open | | Cons: | Fiddly focus ring | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
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First and foremost, this is the coolest and tiniest lens you will ever use. It is beautifully built and incredibly solid. This impression is amplified by the solid metal screw-on hood, that both restricts stray light and protects the lens. Being able to screw a 30.5mm filter into the INSIDE of the hood affords further protection without spoiling the pancake lines of the lens at all.
I am probably the only person in the world who actually likes the metal screw-on lens cap; when in place the impression is of an impregnable bomb shelter. Yes, the cap is a little slow to remove (just over two full turns are required), but that suits my methodical approach. If you are walking round with this lens on your camera looking for random opportunities, you should leave it off. The lens is well protected by the hood anyway.
The only two disadvantages of the tiny pancake length of this lens are (i) the focus ring is very thin and takes a little getting used to; and (ii) there is no room for a depth-of-field scale. However, neither of these is a major issue.
Auto-focussing is fast and accurate on my K-5. I like to use it with spot centre-auto (or manual) focussing to get the best out of it. And I LOVE the manual clutch mechanism on the DA lenses; it makes focus fine tuning so simple and intuitive.
Although not particularly fast for a mid-focal length prime, it is important to recognize that the Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 is sharp wide open. I have no compunction in using it at full aperture, which would not be the case for many a fast standard lens. And of course, it really is fast compared to the 18-55mm kit lens which allows only f4.5 at 40mm.
By reputation, the pancake lens designs display very even sharpness across the frame, and that is certainly the case here. I have not yet seen any CA, though I haven't specifically tried to provoke it yet.
But for many people, the big question associated with this lens is "What do you use a 40mm (60mm equivalent) lens for?" It is a little longer than the old standard 50mm lenses on 35mm film cameras, and a little shorter than the short telephotos used for portraiture. I have taken a little while to come to terms with this issue, but am generally pretty comfortable with it now as a walk-around lens. I sometimes feel the need for something a bit wider but hey, that's what a SLR is for. Change lenses. The 40mm is also very natural for full upper body portraits.
Although certainly not a macro lens (minimum focus is 40cm and maximum magnification is 0.13), I have found this lens does a great job with flowers and other still life. The bokeh is smooth and unobtrusive.
All in all, this lens is a real favourite. I can see myself using it as one of my main lenses for years to come.
This was shot wide open with the DA 40 Ltd on a K-5:
 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2010 Posts: 68
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: August 18, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: N/A
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, small size, light, build quality, speedy AF | | Cons: | lenscap. I don't use it. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
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I just adore DA40. Great freandly lens. Highly recommend!
Here my favorite shots with DA40 on K200D and K5
 | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: January, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 688
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: August 8, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: N/A
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | supeb sharpness, color and smoothness of operation, Small footprint and weight adds immense value and charm to this little gem. | | Cons: | I would probably neverr take it off my K100D if only it would focus at about 11or 12". Since I shoot so many florals and insects I can't maneuver up close to subjects. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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I have taken award winning photos with this wonderful lens.
Its so tiny, that I always carry it in my camera bag because it snuggles
down easily into a small corner of the bag, although I rarely use it.
I'm very disappointed in the fact that I can't focus at 11 or 12", since I do so
many macro shots. The DA40mm focusses at 20" So I usually use my DA 16-45 or Sigma 50 macro lens.
Even the quality DA50-200 lens focusses closer than this one, and takes glorious shots.
Not to say that I haven't got excellent, highly rated close up florals but for my
kind of shooting I find it kind of disappointing.
In all other respects it is a very superior lens and a real bargain! (also beautifully made) . Freddy
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2008 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 88
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: August 5, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $360.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Small size, build quality, optics, fast focus | | Cons: | f2.8 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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Had this beauty about 2 years now and it is the most reliable and trustworthy lens I own. It makes photos so easy due to its compactness and lightning focus (more than that, accurate focus) so it lends itself to candid type situations and moment grabbing shots. I used this lens exclusively on numerous holidays with my de-gripped k20d, and it makes even the venerable k20d seem compact
The only downer (not really a downer) is it's not a light eating monster like the 85mm 1.4 for example. But then I'm not a millionaire and I can't arm wrestle. What I'm trying to say is you can't have it all  | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2007 Location: Oracle, Az Posts: 604
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: April 24, 2011 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $350.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Outstanding images, super fast auto focus | | Cons: | none so far | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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I bought this because I wanted an innocuous light travel lens. first had it on a K20, then it did better on my K7, but when I put it on my new K5 I get a boner everytime I press the shutter release cause it just can't take a bad picture. | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2009 Location: Fairbanks Posts: 3
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: December 13, 2010 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $300.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | optical quality, small size/weight, great lens cap | | Cons: | Not fast. | |
40mm is not my favorite length for an APSC camera; it is often too long in interior spaces and it is certainly not a classic landscape focal length.
However: the combination of incredibly small size and weight, nice bokeh, excellent sharpness, good contrast, and very nice color rendition is enough reason to keep using this lens. The lens produces virtually no CA most of the time. Vignetting is visible only wide open, and even then is insignificant in my experience.
For a prime it is a little slow at f2.8, but not cripplingly so. The build quality and feel is first rate.
Autofocus works quickly, there is very little distance for the elements to move. It has the very useful quickshift - allowing the photographer to manually focus the lens while the camera body is still switched to autofocus mode. That said, the lens is so small, and the focusing ring so narrow, that it can be difficult to find the right bit to do a manual focus if one is out of practice with the lens.
A small body mounted with this lens looks as much like a cheesy superzoom P/S as like an expensive SLR - which is a good thing. It appears neither intimidating nor pretentious.
And - it has the best lens cap ever in the history of photography. The odd inner cap/hood is great protection by itself and stays on while shooting; I have carried this lens (on a DS2) for hundreds of hours in a coat pocket without the outer cap on without damaging the glass at all. The tiny and elegant metal screw-in outer lens cap is properly placed in a desk drawer forevermore and replaced with a snap-in film canister lid. Fits perfectly, never comes off accidentally even with the roughest handling, yet provides easy and instant on/off, and costs nothing to replace if lost. This design makes every other lens cap seem lame and awkward.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: August, 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 1,091
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: December 3, 2010 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $340.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Small, convenient, sharp images, versatile focal length... | | Cons: | Small manual focus ring, not specifically "WR" | | New or Used: New
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What I like about the lens:
- A great all-rounder type lens that’s almost at the standard focal length for APS-C sized image sensors (35mm would be equivalent).
- A lens that’s frankly special and unique due to how physically convenient it is yet still achieves no compromises image quality.
- Small portable size, probably one of the smallest 35mm lenses available.
- Easily carry the lens with you in a pocket or similar (comes with a soft leather bag). Even if you are a photographer that prefers zoom lenses, also having this lens with you at all times should be a given. Just make sure your bag is big enough to hold that zoom after you become smitten with the 40mm.
- A sharp high contrast lens from its widest aperture. Edge to edge sharpness abound.
- Bokeh quality is exceptional thanks to the large number of aperture blades.
- “good enough” for 35mm full-frame sensor if a FF-DSLR is ever released by Pentax.
- High all metal build quality and dependable auto-focus method (screw-drive) you can depend on as a life-long lens.
- Lens specifications and serial number engraved on the lens.
- Quick-shift manual focus is useful as always. It’s useful to me when I’m done using the lens and then I manually rotate the lens back to it’s smallest size before putting it back into the camera bag.
- The lens doesn’t have any issues with flare or chromatic aberrations.
What I’m not fond of:
- The manual focus ring is almost too small.
- I somehow got a small scuff on my manual focus ring, showing a tiny bit of silver aluminum. Not sure how it happened, but don’t expect the lens to stay completely black unless you baby it (I don’t baby my equipment by any means).
- Screw drive auto-focus, while reliable, is louder than in-lens SDM motors. Not really a negative given the positives of screw drive, unless you really need something low noise.
- The lens hood and lens cap, while convenient in some ways, takes a few seconds to attach and remove as they are screw thread type devices.
- 40mm focal length isn’t optimal on APS-C cameras. When photographing people at events, it’s primarily best for waist and up style images instead of full body ones. A Pentax 31mm Limited lens in this respect is a better buy if you can afford one.
- Not specifically designed to be weather resistant (WR), but those are a newer addition to Pentax’s lens lineup.
- I would like to see nice especially curved aperture blades like the D-FA 100mm WR Macro lens has, but the sheer number of blades the 40mm LTD has compensates for that.
Conclusion:
Part of the challenge of DSLR photography is finding the motivation to take equipment out as sometimes the stuff can be burdensome compared to say a digicam in your pocket. I take this lens out by itself attached to the K-7 all of the time as it’s just that convenient. Get a camera bag that can hold just that combination and you have a high quality, fully optical (viewfinder, etc) system that’s ready at a moments notice without much baggage holding you down. Pentaxians are doing a disservice to themselves if they don’t have a copy of this lens. No lenses are prefect, including this one, but it does many things right. It gives you a good deal of convenience and mobility, yet also gives you strong performance at a reasonably useful focal-length.
Pictures and such on my related blog article about the lens. | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: January, 2008 Location: Brampton, ON, Canada Posts: 642
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: September 5, 2010 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $230.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Tiny, Good colour, fast AF, Sharp | | Cons: | close focusing distance | |
Recommended. Used to be ridiculously good value in terms of cost, now still good value.
This is one of the three lenses that comes with me, no matter what. Don't lose it in your pocket, or forget that it is there  . I *NEARLY* washed it with trousers.
A couple of comments regarding the focal length. It may sound crazy, but I find that this FL is perfect for shooting through windows (car, shop, whatever) and isolate the subject without getting the wiper blades or whatever in the way, and as it is so short I can prevent glare by bringing the lens right up to the window. Likewise you can shoot through chain link fences as the diameter of the objective is small.
The slight telephoto range works for me, I find things not to disappear into the distance and be quite well delineated (magnified), without the angle of view being too limiting (as I find with a 50mm on digital).
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: August, 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 151
2 users found this helpful
| | Lens Review Date: December 10, 2008 | I can recommend this lens: Yes |
Price: $265.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Compact and Light. Super Sharp and Fast Focusing. Great Color and Contrast. | | Cons: | A bit slower than the 50's. Silly cap. | |
I've had this lens for about 18 months now. Everything that can be said technically about this lens probably has been said in the previous reviews. It's all true. This is an absolutely great lens. Sharp wide open. Great Contrast and Color.
I'm going to slant this a little towards the purchaser of their first prime lens, (which I was when I first got this lens, first autofocus anyways). There are these points to consider:
1. This is the 2nd cheapest lens in the current lineup (FA50 being the cheapest). When I bought this, I thought $250 bucks for a lens! Wow that's expensive! (Now I think, $250 for a lens, that's a real bargain.  ) (Note to anyone new to the SLR world: Modern SLR lenses are expensive, get use to it.) This lens is an absolute bargain for one of the best primes in the lineup. Sharp, easy to use, fast to focus, cheap. (All prime considerations for the beginner.)
2. Just a warning. The 40mm focal length is a bit long for those doing family photos. (But then a 50mm would be even worse.) It's really best for upper body shots. If you find that on your P&S, you use the wide end the most, then you would be better off with the DA21.
3. I thought when I got this, it would make for a really compact kit. Yes, it is the most compact lens out there, but in reality, an SLR is just too big to ever be "really compact" if you are thinking P&S terms. So is it really much smaller than with a FA50 or similar? No. The lens yes, but the overall package is much the same size.
4. f2.8 is fast for a zoom, not a prime. f2.8 is barely acceptable to do most indoor shots without flash. Luckily this lens is sharp even at f2.8. If doing indoors without flash in the evenings means that much to you, a fast 50 would probably make more sense. (Unfortunately the 50 is a bit too long for indoors, even this 40 is a bit too long, but no helping it. )
If you are a beginner thinking of getting your first prime, keep these points in mind. I have no problems giving this lens a "10". The Image Quality of this lens is FAR beyond the price you pay. It will cream any kit lens.
Oh yeah, if you're getting this lens, do yourself a favor and buy one of those 30mm clip on caps. The original cap is screwy, literally.
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