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06-08-2012, 08:27 AM   #1
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Canon 40mm Pancake: Okay, Pentax, time to wake up on lens pricing!

Canon creates EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM and EF 40mm F2.8 STM: Digital Photography Review

"The EF 40mm f/2.8 STM is Canon's first EF pancake lens with a fixed focal length of 40mm and wide f/2.8 aperture, making it ideal for photographers who want a versatile, compact and lightweight lens for portrait, reportage, travel or landscape situations. Precision control over the circular, seven-blade aperture is enabled by the EMD, producing a beautiful bokeh effect and an aspheric lens with Super spectra coatings ensures optimal image quality from the centre of the lens to the periphery for stunning shots of practically any subject."

The official feature list:
  • Portable pancake design
  • Smooth, quiet STM focusing when shooting movies on compatible cameras
  • Fast f/2.8 maximum aperture for low-light shooting
  • Close focus to 0.3m
  • Fast, quiet AF for pin-sharp results
  • Great image quality right across the frame

Perhaps more importantly:
  • 7 aperture blades (DA 40mm Limited has 9)
  • Internal focus (unlike Pentax's)
  • Minimum focus of 11.81" (instead of 15.7" for us)

Now, since they need to fit an AF motor in there, it's not as tiny as ours. But really, it looks pretty nice. The kicker, of course, is that the DA 40mm Limited is $500 — but you can preorder this for $200.

Dear Pentax: please come to grips with reality. The nine aperture blades and Limited construction can command some price premium, but this is a simple optical design, and no way is the DA 40mm reasonably priced at two and a half times higher.

06-08-2012, 08:30 AM   #2
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So buy the 40 xs.
06-08-2012, 08:42 AM   #3
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The canon is plastic right, so probably more comparable with the XS version indeed.
06-08-2012, 08:46 AM   #4
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Limited = Limited, with a corresponding build quality. If price is your main concern, then by all means buy the DA40XS which is a true pancake because it has one third the length and half the weight of the Canon

06-08-2012, 08:54 AM   #5
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It'll be interesting to see how it compares to the 40XS - hopefully DXOMark tests it as soon as it comes out so we can make easy comparisons without bias. I'm a big Pentax fan and own a bunch of gear but I agree their prices are getting out of control relative to their performance (mainly AF and warranty with SDM) - I've been looking seriously at Nikon lately which I had never done in the past.

I really hope Ricoh straightens things out...
06-08-2012, 08:56 AM   #6
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Thanks Matt, it's useful to remind Pentax of competitive pricing.

Not only for pancakes, but also the new 50mm 1.8 and the 35/ 2.4. And of course the new 560mm 5.6, which is what I really have my eye on
06-08-2012, 09:03 AM   #7
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That 40 xs is a beautiful little lens. We decided the focal length wasn't useful for us. We already own a 35 and 50, but if he hadn't recently purchased the 35 2.4 (also for $200) I probably would have bought it at first sight. Pentax is in the process of bringing out of a line of lenses that will compete with anybody's cheapies. ANd they are using the slight modifications of the the same lens formulas that have been their bread and butter for years. They are doing this to try and get people into top quality Pentax systems at affordable prices. With the lens announced so had, you'll have the 35, 40, and 50 all at around 200. Ad that to a Tammy 18-200 and you have one hell of a system for under a grand in glass.

Mean while I open the front page of Henry's lenses.

I see the Canon EF 24-70 F 2.8 for $2,499 ( ya, Canon makes such in-expensive lenses)
I go to the Tamron Pentax page see A Tammy 28-75 F2.8 for $529

Given this information and in the interest of fairness, I would now expect the OP to start a new thread discussing the insanity of buying Canon equipment when you can outfit your Pentax with similar gear for 1/5 th the price. The same type of intellectual dishonesty would apply, but if you're going to do it for one camera brand, shouldn't you do it for all of them?

OP - I'm waiting for your post. Not holding my breath, but come on, a little fairness here.

06-08-2012, 09:07 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by rawr Quote
Thanks Matt, it's useful to remind Pentax of competitive pricing.

Not only for pancakes, but also the new 50mm 1.8 and the 35/ 2.4. And of course the new 560mm 5.6, which is what I really have my eye on
new Nikon 50 1.8 is 229 the Pentax will likely settle there as well. I wouldn't compare to the Canon palstic fantastic because build is not the same level
same thing holds for the 35 2.4.
certainly pricing on these could be slightly sharper but i think the competitive issue is not at the entry level rather on the higher end, and some items (like the Limited pancakes) really have no competition for the most part
06-08-2012, 09:23 AM   #9
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I agree 100%. Prices has gone insane in pentax land. Pentax makes plastic lenses based on old ones in questionable quality without sdm. Nikon beats the hell out of pentax low end attempt. Fail in my opinion, pentax did notning better than canikon, I'd take the nikon 35 1,8 over the 35 2,4 any day and probably everyone whos not a pentax fanboy.

I got the fa 35 f2 and bragged about it, then my gf bougt the nikon 35 1,8 and i was really impressed. Its very cheap and beats the fa 35 in build, af (nice silent motor), and the sharpness is equal or probably better on the nikon. Feels like the quality of nikon entry glass is too close/good compared to pentax expensive lenses...

Last edited by fikkser; 06-08-2012 at 09:28 AM.
06-08-2012, 09:24 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by jay_akita Quote
It'll be interesting to see how it compares to the 40XS - hopefully DXOMark tests it as soon as it comes out so we can make easy comparisons without bias.
the optics are the same with the limited, no need to wait.
06-08-2012, 09:26 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by fikkser Quote
I agree 100%. Prices has gone insane in pentax land.

I got the fa 35 f2 and bragged about it, then my gf bougt the nikon 35 1,8 and i was really impressed. Its very cheap and beats the fa 35 in build, af (nice silent motor), and the sharpness is equal or probably better on the nikon. Feels like the quality of nikon entry glass is too close/good compared to pentax expensive lenses...
your girlfriends lens is DX , your lens would be classed FX, look at the price of an FX 35
the DA 35 2.4 is the DX equivalent (though the nikon is an excellent value i agree, between it and the 50 and 85 it's tempting me to get a D3200 as a second system camera (the DXO score certainly made me start thinking about it)
06-08-2012, 09:48 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by fikkser Quote
I agree 100%. Prices has gone insane in pentax land.
Okay lets talk about Canon 650D and this new 40mm lens.

Did you know the 40mm lens has a new "type" of autofocus motor Canon calls it STM

Did you know that the 650D has phase AF pixels on the sensor just like Nikon 1 camera.

Did you know you need to have a lens with STM to use this feature



you can say what you want about Pentax but they don't screw us like this.
06-08-2012, 10:01 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Anvh Quote
Okay lets talk about Canon 650D and this new 40mm lens.

Did you know the 40mm lens has a new "type" of autofocus motor Canon calls it STM

Did you know that the 650D has phase AF pixels on the sensor just like Nikon 1 camera.

Did you know you need to have a lens with STM to use this feature



you can say what you want about Pentax but they don't screw us like this.
Canon OTOH has a long history of screwing it's user base - Given their market share gains since the dumping of FD apparently screwing your user base is the road to riches
the dumping of FD is what brought me back to Pentax when my FD kit got stolen and I had insurance bucks to start over with (almost went Nikon and at various points have regretted it but not seriously - Pentax still gives the best support to legacy users of any brand - Glad i hated the minolta slrs back then - 7000i was what i was looking at Pentax MZ5n won me over)
06-08-2012, 10:08 AM   #14
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Man, but imagine a Pentax 40mm Pancake with SDM, 9 rounded blades, for $300. It would be awesome, but I think the FF dream is more likely to come true than this..
06-08-2012, 10:09 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Anvh Quote
Okay lets talk about Canon 650D and this new 40mm lens.

Did you know the 40mm lens has a new "type" of autofocus motor Canon calls it STM

Did you know that the 650D has phase AF pixels on the sensor just like Nikon 1 camera.

Did you know you need to have a lens with STM to use this feature



you can say what you want about Pentax but they don't screw us like this.
Seems this was a mistake on the review site i was reading.
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