I’ve got the privilege to own the DA 40 ltd and the DA* 16-50 and can wholeheartedly recommend both of these excellent lenses. The DA 40 ltd on, let’s say, a K7 makes for a wonderful compact and high end combo. I used it a lot on a recent trip to Crete and even though the attached picture is not in itself remarkable in any way, I still think it shows some of the sharpness and colour that may be obtained with little effort from this optical masterpiece. As for the DA* 16-50, the quality feel of it, makes it the perfect companion to something in the line of K10/K20/K7/K5. I know that some people have been gravely disappointed with it, with QC problems and what not, but to me it has brought nothing but pure satisfaction. All in all, you are facing a difficult decision, and I am not the one to tell you which to choose, since I did not manage to pick just one of them myself! Whichever you end up with, I bet you’ll like it!
DA 40 ltd, 1/320, f5.6, K7, no pp