Dan,
I'd like to hear your own opinion on both of these lenses. Please correct me if I'm wrong:
manual focus (mostly depends on focus ring travel): VL >> DA
sharpness: VL ~ DA
contrast: VL > DA
bokeh: VL ? DA
oblique light resistance: VL ? DA
flare (whether it happens and if it does then what's the pattern): VL ? DA
the feel (do you enjoy working with a lens? how it feels in your hands, how it looks?) VL ? DA
>> means the left side is much better then the one on the right
> means the left side is better then the right side
~ means both sides are about the same, on a par with each other
? means "I don't know"
Zig
P.S.
I you go 'DA40 is much worse then VL40II' and some other PF boy goes 'this can't be right! pentax must be better then anything else!' - this will be two independent opinions. And I'm looking fwd to hearing yours.