[Finchj]

I just look at the price over the length of time I plan on keeping the lens. Which would be until either the K-mount isn't supported anymore, or something incredible happens and the lenses can't keep up with new sensors sometime in the future.

So if I use a lens for 10 years, and it costs $1000, that is $100/year for (potentially) great images. Which turns out to be a good investment IMO. Upfront it hurts, and it may be overpriced- especially if it doesn't hold its own performance wise. But in the long run, if its worth purchasing, I won't sweat the cost too much.

Especially when I consider how much I spend on going to the bar here in Finland. If I drink 2 less pints/month, I'll have $100/year easily!

[Eric Auer]

I just look at the price over the length of time I plan on keeping the lens. Which would be until either the K-mount isn't supported anymore, or something incredible happens and the lenses can't keep up with new sensors sometime in the future.

So if I use a lens for 10 years, and it costs $1000, that is $100/year for (potentially) great images. Which turns out to be a good investment IMO. Upfront it hurts, and it may be overpriced- especially if it doesn't hold its own performance wise. But in the long run, if its worth purchasing, I won't sweat the cost too much.

Especially when I consider how much I spend on going to the bar here in Finland. If I drink 2 less pints/month, I'll have $100/year easily!

Yeah, but a lot of people buy 3-4 lenses a year.

Would be great if I could get away with a $100 a year lens budget!!

[Finchj]

$100/yr/lens over 10 yrs

At least, I hope that by purchasing Pentax's higher end digital lenses that they will last a decade, seeing how some of their legacy glass is still seeing good use 30+ years later!

[K3-Winner]

After reading all the posts and now that images have been released with the DA 20-40mm lens Im still in a dilemma what lens to get.... this is the hardest decision Ive come across for purchasing a lens, low light performance is important to me and so is weight.

Yet I have to sacrifice on something ahhh!!!

[drpower]

My vote is for Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

[starbase218]

If the Pentax was 1/2 the price, I might buy that. But if I had to buy either one for the current price, the Sigma - no doubt about it. The Pentax would give me the feeling I'm really donating money to Pentax, and I don't consider them to be a particularly good charity fund.

[chrisfer]

this f1.8 zoom have focus problem : Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Review: Digital Photography Review
so i prefer the Pentax.

[drpower]

Those AF problems were noted with Canon 7 series cameras, I have yet to read this about the Pentax mount.

[RobA_Oz]

When I read through the comments in this thread, I get the impression that a lot of people are talking about whether or not they'll add one lens or another to their collection, as distinct from considering the purchase of a lens that they'll use a lot. Now, I'm not being critical, but collectors generally aren't looking to pay much for most lenses, whereas someone looking to buy a lens they will use almost every day won't have the same perspective.

Price is an odd thing in purchasing decisions: pricing high will attract some people, to whom pricing low will cause suspicion. Buyers of Leica and Carl Zeiss are in that grouping, though objective testing also proves those lenses are also generally superior. Selling to this group involves having a product that is acknowledged as superior, so the markup can be much higher than for products that aren't, and it has to be to some extent, because sales volumes will be lower, but their profits will be higher as well.

I doubt very much that Pentax is pricing the 20-40 the way it is because it sees that lens as being in that high-end market. Although their sales are comparatively small, their reputation is not that of a high-end manufacturer – it is as a niche manufacturer, that appeals to a small segment of the general market. Having now, albeit briefly, experienced a 20-40 for myself, I think I can see that Pentax is pitching this lens as an alernative to the DA 21 and 40 combination, and is pricing accordingly. Whatever it lacks in terms of IQ just because it's a zoom, it makes up for in convenience with size, weight, WR and DC AF. I doubt they see the Sigma 18-35 as a direct competitor. I only have the DA 15, so I'm a possible customer for this lens as a versatile, light, compact, WR travel lens with good IQ. For that duty, the Sigma 18-35 isn't on my list, and neither are the Sigma or Tamron 17-50s, because I already have the DA*16-50.

[Franc]

i have the 15, 43, 70 ltd and i'm missing something in between. In between i do have some sigma's but they are very prone to flare, also prone to flare is the sigma 18-35. I think i'll stick with the 20-40

[drpower]

hmmm Sigma 18-35mm or Pentax 16-50mm? Some of the 20-40mm reviews scared me off

[Dice]

It is such a personal decision based on how you shoot and what you shoot. I decided the DA 20-40 because of size, WR, and image quality. Speed is not a concern for me. I did carefully look at some of the posted images from the Sigma and went to a store to look and hold it on camera. The images were very good but lugging around that beast no way. It weighs nearly what my DA50-135 weighs it is not a walkaround lens. And having used the Pentax zoom and looking at my images, I can say I'm not missing anything.

[hjoseph7]

I will buy it when they discount it to $700-800. Just saying.

If this lens was a constant f2.8 then I would not have any issues with the price, but I think Pentax over bid on this one. They need to bring the price down considering the Pentax-Sigma is only $800 or less and is a much better lens.

[lytrytyr]

If this lens was a constant f2.8 then I would not have any issues with the price, but I think Pentax over bid on this one. They need to bring the price down considering the Pentax-Sigma is only $800 or less and is a much better lens.

Dead thread retread?

[Conqueror]

I think as mentioned the 20-40mm was never intended to be the absolute best or a low light demon.

Its the lens that may go with you anywhere, because its not a huge behemoth and its WR with a very handy focal length. To me it looks like a bag of DA primes, 21/35/40, all rolled into one with the added bonus of WR. If you add up the cost of the 21/35/40 then you are going to be about the price of the 20-40mm.

I can see the attraction. It is not supposed to displace the 31/43/77mm (IMO). If you are talking Sigma 18-35mm, then you are roughly talking FA 31 calibre. So perhaps it is not right to compare.

---------- Post added 08-20-14 at 11:21 PM ----------

Have to be carefully reading too much into lab scores, nonetheless and interesting comparison can be seen here:

Pentax HD DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR versus Pentax HD DA 21mm F3.2 AL Limited versus Pentax smc DA 40mm F2.8 Limited - Side by side lens comparison - DxOMark