[normhead]

We do have fibre, just slow to roll out, my village/suburb is finally getting it currently, the town is a mess with men working on the curbs all around the place haha. Soon! Soon!

I'll try and pay more attention and read the reviews better, I am a manchild, I need pictures

Ah, well... the review seems to knock the sharpness down a bit... like it's not that good? Thus far (and even on the K-1) I am not at all feeling that vibe... HD DA 20-40 on K-1 (Full Frame Mode) | Flickr

You do have to expect that sometimes you won't understand why you like a lens. I'm like that with the DA 21 ltd. I don't know why I like it but I do. Tests doen't explain why,

[photoptimist]

I'm still trying to understand how centre resolution at 20mm and 30mm actually decreases as aperture narrows from wide open. Stopping down to f4 and f5.6 actually decreases resolution?

It's not impossible.

If the rays of light passing through the very edge of the aperture (the donut ring covered by stopping down from f/4 to f/5.6) focus to the same place as the rays in the very center of the aperture (say f/8 and smaller) but the rays in the middle ring of the aperture(the donut ring covered by stopping down from f/5.6 to f/8) focus at a different distance, then f/4 will be sharper.

This can happen if the lens designer makes a simple correction for spherical aberration that leaves a higher-order aberration pattern.

[skierd]

You do have to expect that sometimes you won't understand why you like a lens. I'm like that with the DA 21 ltd. I don't know why I like it but I do. Tests doen't explain why,

How would you measure and quantify ‘pixie dust’ anyway? Grams per line inch? Pentax seems to have figured out how to add it to all of the limiteds thankfully, so someone has it figured out on their design team.

As far as sharpness, I get more than I need from my copy. Flickr's jpeg compression on the other hand...

[bdery]

Ah, well... the review seems to knock the sharpness down a bit... like it's not that good? Thus far (and even on the K-1) I am not at all feeling that vibe...

I haven't done anything more than casual test shots with that lens.

I'm like that with the DA 21 ltd. I don't know why I like it but I do

It is, literally, the only single lens for which I have not found an equivalent on full frame. The 31 would be the obvious choice but didn't do it for me. The FA 20-35 is currently the replacement and it's a fine lens, it just doesn't have the same magic that the 21 had.

[monochrome]

I haven't done anything more than casual test shots with that lens.



It is, literally, the only single lens for which I have not found an equivalent on full frame. The 31 would be the obvious choice but didn't do it for me. The FA 20-35 is currently the replacement and it's a fine lens, it just doesn't have the same magic that the 21 had.

I’m a big fan of the DA21 Limited (and the DA70). How about K28/3.5? It’s sort of close, and the images make me look better than I am.

[RGlasel]

a higher-order aberration pattern

I knew someone here would know the answer. Thanks for the explanation, I doubt if I could recognize even lower order aberration patterns without a guide, but does this have anything to do with the Third Law of Thermodynamics and the evolution vs. intelligent design debate?

[bdery]

I’m a big fan of the DA21 Limited (and the DA70). How about K28/3.5? It’s sort of close, and the images make me look better than I am.

I'd rather have an AF lens. The colors, low aberrations and more importantly starbursts created by the 21 are legendary (to me at least). The 20-35 adds convenience of a short zoo, does produce nice starbursts, it's lacking (in comparison) regarding colors and aberrations only. Not bad, just not as good.

The FA* 24 seems to be a nice contender also. Maybe it would be a better choice.

[BruceBanner]

I'd rather have an AF lens. The colors, low aberrations and more importantly starbursts created by the 21 are legendary (to me at least). The 20-35 adds convenience of a short zoo, does produce nice starbursts, it's lacking (in comparison) regarding colors and aberrations only. Not bad, just not as good.

The FA* 24 seems to be a nice contender also. Maybe it would be a better choice.

F28 is nice. I far prefer it to the HD DA 21 I had on the KP. I think I'll eventually pick up a DA 15 however, seeing as that's just outside of the DA20-40 range, but I want the green DA 15, not the HD version.

[KoolKool]

i'm planning to buy 20-40
i really not expect prime limited quality, and even luxury high end DA*

but at least if the len is better than 18-55, 18-135 and maybe on par (or even slightly better?!) to 16-85 (of course, at range 20-40 for comparison)

i would happy to embrace it, my most shooting purpose is landscape and people (event, wedding, familiy)

[BruceBanner]

i'm planning to buy 20-40
i really not expect prime limited quality, and even luxury high end DA*

but at least if the len is better than 18-55, 18-135 and maybe on par (or even slightly better?!) to 16-85 (of course, at range 20-40 for comparison)

i would happy to embrace it, my most shooting purpose is landscape and people (event, wedding, familiy)

Well there's primes and then there's primes. Some are good, some not so good. The HD DA 20-40 is the first 'real' zoom i've ever owned, until a week ago I was pretty much a prime guy only. I'm sufficiently impressed enough that I'll be holding onto this one (and I let the HD DA 15, HD DA 21 and HD DA 35/2.8 Macro go), hopefully that should tell you something. Is it on par with a FA43 or FA77? Well no... it's not quite managing some of those feats, however in other regards in bests them (WR and flare resistance, which is what I was after). I can understand now why it is called the 'zoom prime', I think this is quite a fair nickname. I would not at all be surprised if this is quite simply the highest quality compact zoom lens Pentax has to offer. My choice was narrowed down to this or the 28-105, but I think I made the right choice.

You make check out some of my early test shots on the K-1 here >>> HD DA 20-40 on K-1 (Full Frame Mode) | Flickr

[KoolKool]

Well there's primes and then there's primes. Some are good, some not so good. The HD DA 20-40 is the first 'real' zoom i've ever owned, until a week ago I was pretty much a prime guy only. I'm sufficiently impressed enough that I'll be holding onto this one (and I let the HD DA 15, HD DA 21 and HD DA 35/2.8 Macro go), hopefully that should tell you something. Is it on par with a FA43 or FA77? Well no... it's not quite managing some of those feats, however in other regards in bests them (WR and flare resistance, which is what I was after). I can understand now why it is called the 'zoom prime', I think this is quite a fair nickname. I would not at all be surprised if this is quite simply the highest quality compact zoom lens Pentax has to offer. My choice was narrowed down to this or the 28-105, but I think I made the right choice.

so overall, 20-40 is sharp...in zoom realm

i made my decision now!

[skierd]

It’s hands down better than the 18-55 kit lenses, in every possible way except price. In the equivalent range I also think it’s a better lens than the 18-135 I started with.

I had the DA21mm and the DA40mm Limiteds, green rings, and I replaced them both with the 20-40 with 0 regrets except maybe for overall size. The convenience of not switching lenses makes up for it as I often find myself wishing for a “kinda wide” and a “kinda telephoto” lens and would otherwise be constantly switching. I also tried the DA35mm limited but it couldn’t find a home in my bag either.

Sharp? It’s sharp enough that I never find myself wishing I was able to capture more fine detail in my subjects so long as my shutter speeds are high enough. It’s also a very wonderful lens for portraits.

[BruceBanner]

It’s hands down better than the 18-55 kit lenses, in every possible way except price. In the equivalent range I also think it’s a better lens than the 18-135 I started with.

I had the DA21mm and the DA40mm Limiteds, green rings, and I replaced them both with the 20-40 with 0 regrets except maybe for overall size. The convenience of not switching lenses makes up for it as I often find myself wishing for a “kinda wide” and a “kinda telephoto” lens and would otherwise be constantly switching. I also tried the DA35mm limited but it couldn’t find a home in my bag either.

Sharp? It’s sharp enough that I never find myself wishing I was able to capture more fine detail in my subjects so long as my shutter speeds are high enough. It’s also a very wonderful lens for portraits.

I'm really starting to like what this lens is doing on the K-1, since owning it for a week or more I haven't even taken it off the K-1 to see how it's really holding up in it's proper place, hehe.

Couple more taken from today on the K-1, FF mode of course;

[bdery]

F28 is nice. I far prefer it to the HD DA 21 I had on the KP. I think I'll eventually pick up a DA 15 however, seeing as that's just outside of the DA20-40 range, but I want the green DA 15, not the HD version.

Can the F28 do this? That's my main purpose:

[normhead]

People claim to be prime guys or zoom guys or whatever. Most can't tell the difference from the images. Most don't even prefer the images.
35mm find that prime. - PentaxForums.com

For the 22% or so who actually prefer the images taken by the prime in this poll, their choice is hardly universal. 1 out of 5 prefer the prime, it's one out of 7 lenses, it's 5% better than random choice.