Worth Taking a Risk on the DA 20-40 Limited?

lytrytyr · 12-01-2014, 09:44 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by ogl

It's interesting if there are good photos: sharp with good resolution across the frame.
One man from Russian Penta-club sent me full-sized photos from 20-40 converted in Aperture - we tried to find sharpness together, but we couldn't.
The web-sized pictures are good, seems in focus. But 100% - it seems to us there are some problems.

Originally posted by ogl

I'm new user of DA20-40.
The sharpness after AF correction is phenomenal. It's the level of FA Limited lenses. And I think my DA20-40 is better than DA21, DA40 and DA35.
I've put my DA40 at K200D. It looks a bit sharper at K200D.

DA20-40 wins at K-5IIs.

This space intentionally left blank.

kyotonokai · 12-01-2014, 10:10 AM - **1 Like**

This is a good lens that shoot photos while you have a trip, roam in the woods, very light and wonderful image quality!

I have sigma 18-35 & da 20-40, actually I love 20-40 than 18-35, unless I need fast aperture in 18 to 25mm.

Here's a photo taken by da20-40 & K3. Maybe can help you to choice.

bdery · 12-01-2014, 10:51 AM

Originally posted by hjoseph7

Another good thing this lens got going for it is that it can replace the 21mm f3.2

The only thing keeping me from getting it (and I think about it often

) is the performance at nighttime, the situation where the DA21 really shines.

Marktax · 12-01-2014, 11:17 AM

Originally posted by JinDesu

For F5.6, that's quite good. Upper left corner is a little weak, but I think that's field curvature setting in (or slightly OOF, I have no idea anymore). The reason I say that is because the lower corners (left and right) are very sharp, and given the wall is sharp in the center, the focus must be on the wall or just short of the wall. That could affect the upper corners - but that being said, they are not "soft" in my opinion. Just not as sharp as the lower corners.

Thanks for the Flickr tip, Jin. I've become disenchanted with the Flickr interface and forgot how to do anything with it.

Yes, focus was center spot, and I did nothing to the image. I've not had to micro-adjust the focus of this or any other lens on my K-3. The street bricks give a good look at the lower corners. The bit of sky at top right provoked little if any CA.

wed7 · 12-03-2014, 07:45 AM

I will wait for your user's review

ChristianRock · 12-03-2014, 09:48 AM

Originally posted by lytrytyr

This space intentionally left blank.

If people try really hard, they will find issues with *any* lens. Even Leica.

As an illustration, my boss got his first DSLR this year (he didn't follow my advice and went with Nikon because of Ken Rockwell. That should tell you something to start with...). Anyway, one day he was complaining about his new Sigma 17-50 2.8, that it wasn't sharp. Turns out he was pixel peeping at 200% and 400% per cent... and also had focusing issues that I helped him with. Now he seems much happier with it...

Even pixel peeping at 100% is a waste of time. Which is something I do sometimes, but a waste of time nonetheless. Some of the best pictures of my kids aren't razor sharp, for many reasons. But they're my favorites because they still turned out really good. Some are even good printed out

For a lens like the 20-40, with its build and very good IQ (even if it's not exceptional like FA Limiteds) at the 600something dollar range, is a tremendous deal. Pair it with a 15mm and 77mm, put a K-S1 in the bag, and you have a killer travel or hiking setup (take the 70 if you want the set to be even lighter...)

BabyTeaLeaf · 12-04-2014, 08:25 PM

Thanks to all for your comments. I was in the same situation as the original poster and decided to give the 20-40 a try -- awaiting shipment on backorder now. At best, it could replace some primes, and at worst, it should be a nice companion for days where carrying or switching lenses is inconvenient. Anyways, I was thinking of getting a step-up ring for this lens for use with a polarizer but then came upon this Marumi CPL that's supposedly brass (http://www.amazon.com/Marumi-Brass-Digital-Filter-Ultra/dp/B00K6LDUDW/ref=sr...=marumi+cpl+55). May not be the best, but for $19.95 and returnable to Amazon, I figured why not. As a disclaimer, I don't know anything about this particular model and couldn't find many online reviews. Hopefully someone will find this post helpful. If anyone has any negative experience with this "brass digital pro" model, please let me know. Thanks!

bdery · 12-05-2014, 05:53 AM

Originally posted by BabyTeaLeaf

Marumi CPL

Most online reviews of filters put the Marumi products at the top of the list. They're supposed to be excellent by all accounts.

JinDesu · 12-05-2014, 10:20 AM

Just bought a DA 20-40 Ltd today. Quick testing shows it is sharp in the center at 40mm and 20mm. It is sharp in the corner at 40mm. At 20mm, it was really hard to tell, but it's actually sharp. The distortion and the vignetting makes it look softer, but I can make out the individual pixels and their borders on my monitor when I took a picture of it.

I'll do a proper test when I get home, but I think people who find it has soft corners either did their test wrong, or have a bad copy.

ogl · 12-05-2014, 12:09 PM

Originally posted by lytrytyr

This space intentionally left blank.

Yes. It's just my first impressions. But sharpness is only in one range. 20-29 or 30-40. And sharpness only in centre.

---------- Post added 12-05-2014 at 12:12 PM ----------

Originally posted by ChristianRock

If people try really hard, they will find issues with *any* lens. Even Leica.

For a lens like the 20-40, with its build and very good IQ (even if it's not exceptional like FA Limiteds) at the 600something dollar range, is a tremendous deal. Pair it with a 15mm and 77mm, put a K-S1 in the bag, and you have a killer travel or hiking setup (take the 70 if you want the set to be even lighter...)

I have no any issues with all my lenses. FA20-35/4 is better than 20-40 was. Old FA20-35 has no AF issues and has sharper corners than 20-40.

aleonx3 · 12-05-2014, 12:12 PM

Originally posted by kyotonokai

This is a good lens that shoot photos while you have a trip, roam in the woods, very light and wonderful image quality!

I have sigma 18-35 & da 20-40, actually I love 20-40 than 18-35, unless I need fast aperture in 18 to 25mm.

Here's a photo taken by da20-40 & K3. Maybe can help you to choice.

Thanks for sharing... that's a great photo to show what the lens can do. I will watch for the sale price next time I head to Tokyo.

krebsy75 · 12-05-2014, 12:32 PM

I really like the 20-40 for $700. My biggest beef is lazy AF. A lot of people would overlook its optical flaws if AF was cutting-edge.

VisualDarkness · 12-05-2014, 12:41 PM

Originally posted by BabyTeaLeaf

Thanks to all for your comments. I was in the same situation as the original poster and decided to give the 20-40 a try -- awaiting shipment on backorder now. At best, it could replace some primes, and at worst, it should be a nice companion for days where carrying or switching lenses is inconvenient. Anyways, I was thinking of getting a step-up ring for this lens for use with a polarizer but then came upon this Marumi CPL that's supposedly brass (http://www.amazon.com/Marumi-Brass-Digital-Filter-Ultra/dp/B00K6LDUDW/ref=sr...=marumi+cpl+55). May not be the best, but for $19.95 and returnable to Amazon, I figured why not. As a disclaimer, I don't know anything about this particular model and couldn't find many online reviews. Hopefully someone will find this post helpful. If anyone has any negative experience with this "brass digital pro" model, please let me know. Thanks!

I got a DHG one and it blows away all my other filters by a mile! I got a Soligor CirPol that is impossible to clean, I tried nearly everything, but the Marumi is almost self-cleaning.

JinDesu · 12-05-2014, 01:01 PM

Originally posted by krebsy75

I really like the 20-40 for $700. My biggest beef is lazy AF. A lot of people would overlook its optical flaws if AF was cutting-edge.

The AF is quite slow

. I'll miss my Sigma 24-60, but I don't shoot action a lot.

someguy42 · 12-05-2014, 01:18 PM

I bought one a month or so ago when the price dropped to $700. It is a very nice lens. I don't know why people say that the AF is slow - it is not, at least not significantly slower than the other non-USM type lenses I've used. I shoot at f/8, and it is tack-sharp throughout the zoom range, all the way to the corners. I can't comment much on wide-open, because I just don't shoot there. Handling is top-notch; it feels great in your hands. There is no lens creep. Though it isn't as small as your typical prime, it's much smaller than other zooms of comparable quality. It has surprisingly nice starbursts, and the HD coating almost allows you to disregard the sun entirely when shooting.

My only real gripe about this lens is the dumb lens cap/hood attachment. If I want to attach a filter, I have to unscrew the hood ring first. Since it's such a stellar performer in direct sunlight, the hood ring is just about worthless; I'd like to just leave the ring off permanently and find it a home in my bag, but then the lens cap wouldn't fit. I guess I'm going to have to find a 55mm plastic lens cap to stick on the end of it. Also, it is a tad on the short side in terms of focal length. I wish it were 20-45 or 20-50, but of course, then it would have had to be larger, or there would have been some other compromise.

All in all, I'm very happy with it. I held off on selling the primes that it is replacing until I was sure that it was actually up to the task of replacing them. After taking it out a few times, I decided that it is; I just listed the lenses it's replacing for sale here today. It's not perfect, but it's a fine lens.

12-04-2014, 08:25 PM	#37
BabyTeaLeaf Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Albums Posts: 34	Somewhat unrelated... Thanks to all for your comments. I was in the same situation as the original poster and decided to give the 20-40 a try -- awaiting shipment on backorder now. At best, it could replace some primes, and at worst, it should be a nice companion for days where carrying or switching lenses is inconvenient. Anyways, I was thinking of getting a step-up ring for this lens for use with a polarizer but then came upon this Marumi CPL that's supposedly brass (http://www.amazon.com/Marumi-Brass-Digital-Filter-Ultra/dp/B00K6LDUDW/ref=sr...=marumi+cpl+55). May not be the best, but for $19.95 and returnable to Amazon, I figured why not. As a disclaimer, I don't know anything about this particular model and couldn't find many online reviews. Hopefully someone will find this post helpful. If anyone has any negative experience with this "brass digital pro" model, please let me know. Thanks!

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12-01-2014, 09:44 AM - 2 Likes	#31
lytrytyr Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,310	Originally posted by ogl It's interesting if there are good photos: sharp with good resolution across the frame. One man from Russian Penta-club sent me full-sized photos from 20-40 converted in Aperture - we tried to find sharpness together, but we couldn't. The web-sized pictures are good, seems in focus. But 100% - it seems to us there are some problems. Originally posted by ogl I'm new user of DA20-40. The sharpness after AF correction is phenomenal. It's the level of FA Limited lenses. And I think my DA20-40 is better than DA21, DA40 and DA35. I've put my DA40 at K200D. It looks a bit sharper at K200D. DA20-40 wins at K-5IIs. This space intentionally left blank.

12-01-2014, 10:10 AM - 1 Like	#32
kyotonokai New Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 6	This is a good lens that shoot photos while you have a trip, roam in the woods, very light and wonderful image quality! I have sigma 18-35 & da 20-40, actually I love 20-40 than 18-35, unless I need fast aperture in 18 to 25mm. Here's a photo taken by da20-40 & K3. Maybe can help you to choice.

12-01-2014, 10:51 AM	#33
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Originally posted by hjoseph7 Another good thing this lens got going for it is that it can replace the 21mm f3.2 The only thing keeping me from getting it (and I think about it often ) is the performance at nighttime, the situation where the DA21 really shines.

12-01-2014, 11:17 AM	#34
Marktax Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Washington DC Photos: Albums Posts: 610	Originally posted by JinDesu For F5.6, that's quite good. Upper left corner is a little weak, but I think that's field curvature setting in (or slightly OOF, I have no idea anymore). The reason I say that is because the lower corners (left and right) are very sharp, and given the wall is sharp in the center, the focus must be on the wall or just short of the wall. That could affect the upper corners - but that being said, they are not "soft" in my opinion. Just not as sharp as the lower corners. Thanks for the Flickr tip, Jin. I've become disenchanted with the Flickr interface and forgot how to do anything with it. Yes, focus was center spot, and I did nothing to the image. I've not had to micro-adjust the focus of this or any other lens on my K-3. The street bricks give a good look at the lower corners. The bit of sky at top right provoked little if any CA.

12-03-2014, 07:45 AM	#35
wed7 Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Manila, Philippines Posts: 1,421	I will wait for your user's review

12-03-2014, 09:48 AM	#36
ChristianRock Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,910	Originally posted by lytrytyr This space intentionally left blank. If people try really hard, they will find issues with any lens. Even Leica. As an illustration, my boss got his first DSLR this year (he didn't follow my advice and went with Nikon because of Ken Rockwell. That should tell you something to start with...). Anyway, one day he was complaining about his new Sigma 17-50 2.8, that it wasn't sharp. Turns out he was pixel peeping at 200% and 400% per cent... and also had focusing issues that I helped him with. Now he seems much happier with it... Even pixel peeping at 100% is a waste of time. Which is something I do sometimes, but a waste of time nonetheless. Some of the best pictures of my kids aren't razor sharp, for many reasons. But they're my favorites because they still turned out really good. Some are even good printed out For a lens like the 20-40, with its build and very good IQ (even if it's not exceptional like FA Limiteds) at the 600something dollar range, is a tremendous deal. Pair it with a 15mm and 77mm, put a K-S1 in the bag, and you have a killer travel or hiking setup (take the 70 if you want the set to be even lighter...)

12-05-2014, 05:53 AM	#38
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Originally posted by BabyTeaLeaf Marumi CPL Most online reviews of filters put the Marumi products at the top of the list. They're supposed to be excellent by all accounts.

12-05-2014, 10:20 AM	#39
JinDesu Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: New York City Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,638	Just bought a DA 20-40 Ltd today. Quick testing shows it is sharp in the center at 40mm and 20mm. It is sharp in the corner at 40mm. At 20mm, it was really hard to tell, but it's actually sharp. The distortion and the vignetting makes it look softer, but I can make out the individual pixels and their borders on my monitor when I took a picture of it. I'll do a proper test when I get home, but I think people who find it has soft corners either did their test wrong, or have a bad copy.

12-05-2014, 12:09 PM	#40
ogl Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sankt Peterburg Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,382	Originally posted by lytrytyr This space intentionally left blank. Yes. It's just my first impressions. But sharpness is only in one range. 20-29 or 30-40. And sharpness only in centre. ---------- Post added 12-05-2014 at 12:12 PM ---------- Originally posted by ChristianRock If people try really hard, they will find issues with any lens. Even Leica. For a lens like the 20-40, with its build and very good IQ (even if it's not exceptional like FA Limiteds) at the 600something dollar range, is a tremendous deal. Pair it with a 15mm and 77mm, put a K-S1 in the bag, and you have a killer travel or hiking setup (take the 70 if you want the set to be even lighter...) I have no any issues with all my lenses. FA20-35/4 is better than 20-40 was. Old FA20-35 has no AF issues and has sharper corners than 20-40.

12-05-2014, 12:12 PM	#41
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Originally posted by kyotonokai This is a good lens that shoot photos while you have a trip, roam in the woods, very light and wonderful image quality! I have sigma 18-35 & da 20-40, actually I love 20-40 than 18-35, unless I need fast aperture in 18 to 25mm. Here's a photo taken by da20-40 & K3. Maybe can help you to choice. Thanks for sharing... that's a great photo to show what the lens can do. I will watch for the sale price next time I head to Tokyo.

12-05-2014, 12:32 PM	#42
krebsy75 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Chester County, Pa. Posts: 804	I really like the 20-40 for $700. My biggest beef is lazy AF. A lot of people would overlook its optical flaws if AF was cutting-edge.

12-05-2014, 12:41 PM	#43
VisualDarkness Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,439	Originally posted by BabyTeaLeaf Thanks to all for your comments. I was in the same situation as the original poster and decided to give the 20-40 a try -- awaiting shipment on backorder now. At best, it could replace some primes, and at worst, it should be a nice companion for days where carrying or switching lenses is inconvenient. Anyways, I was thinking of getting a step-up ring for this lens for use with a polarizer but then came upon this Marumi CPL that's supposedly brass (http://www.amazon.com/Marumi-Brass-Digital-Filter-Ultra/dp/B00K6LDUDW/ref=sr...=marumi+cpl+55). May not be the best, but for $19.95 and returnable to Amazon, I figured why not. As a disclaimer, I don't know anything about this particular model and couldn't find many online reviews. Hopefully someone will find this post helpful. If anyone has any negative experience with this "brass digital pro" model, please let me know. Thanks! I got a DHG one and it blows away all my other filters by a mile! I got a Soligor CirPol that is impossible to clean, I tried nearly everything, but the Marumi is almost self-cleaning.

12-05-2014, 01:01 PM	#44
JinDesu Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: New York City Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,638	Originally posted by krebsy75 I really like the 20-40 for $700. My biggest beef is lazy AF. A lot of people would overlook its optical flaws if AF was cutting-edge. The AF is quite slow . I'll miss my Sigma 24-60, but I don't shoot action a lot.

12-05-2014, 01:18 PM	#45
someguy42 Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 124	I bought one a month or so ago when the price dropped to $700. It is a very nice lens. I don't know why people say that the AF is slow - it is not, at least not significantly slower than the other non-USM type lenses I've used. I shoot at f/8, and it is tack-sharp throughout the zoom range, all the way to the corners. I can't comment much on wide-open, because I just don't shoot there. Handling is top-notch; it feels great in your hands. There is no lens creep. Though it isn't as small as your typical prime, it's much smaller than other zooms of comparable quality. It has surprisingly nice starbursts, and the HD coating almost allows you to disregard the sun entirely when shooting. My only real gripe about this lens is the dumb lens cap/hood attachment. If I want to attach a filter, I have to unscrew the hood ring first. Since it's such a stellar performer in direct sunlight, the hood ring is just about worthless; I'd like to just leave the ring off permanently and find it a home in my bag, but then the lens cap wouldn't fit. I guess I'm going to have to find a 55mm plastic lens cap to stick on the end of it. Also, it is a tad on the short side in terms of focal length. I wish it were 20-45 or 20-50, but of course, then it would have had to be larger, or there would have been some other compromise. All in all, I'm very happy with it. I held off on selling the primes that it is replacing until I was sure that it was actually up to the task of replacing them. After taking it out a few times, I decided that it is; I just listed the lenses it's replacing for sale here today. It's not perfect, but it's a fine lens.