[Smolk]

I found a copy going for € 409, low enough to make me try the 20-40mm... the 31mm just arrived and looks in pristine order. I'm well within budget with these two lenses. Let the weekend arrive so I can test them.

[Jonathan Mac]

I found a copy going for € 409, low enough to make me try the 20-40mm... the 31mm just arrived and looks in pristine order. I'm well within budget with these two lenses. Let the weekend arrive so I can test them.

We look forward to your conclusions. €409 is a good price, I assume that's a used copy?

I also have a Sigma 17-50/2.8 and it is a very different beast to the 20-40mm. I wouldn't want to get rid of either.

[Smolk]

We look forward to your conclusions. €409 is a good price, I assume that's a used copy?

I also have a Sigma 17-50/2.8 and it is a very different beast to the 20-40mm. I wouldn't want to get rid of either.

It is used, but still a good price. The 31mm was used as well but looks absolutely fine. I will have to see if images come out the way its looks suggest of course. I did check for fungus and scratches but found none. It's just in so I haven't been able to do much. It's black - my K-3 III is silver - but you can't have it all.

This is going to be a very nice lightweight combo: 15/21/31/58 or 20-40/58. Still with the 43/85/135 on reserve. But I don't like too much choice, I'm used to FF 28/50/85, of which the first is approximated by 15/21 (23/32 eq.). It has the advantage of knowing your perspective to use a limited set of FLs.

(And if I ever go for the K-1 III, I'l still have the 31/43 plus M 20 and M85, so I'm all set.)

---------- Post added 03-23-2022 at 01:56 PM ----------

One thing I wasn't aware of: the lens cap of the 31mm doesn't fit over the lens hood... very odd. I always have lens hoods mounted. The seller had a third-party lens cap included as well, fortunately, but it doesn't look so nice. I'm using a Voigtländer cap for now.

[Smolk]

Ultimately I'll be the decider, but I welcome your opinions. I own both these lenses, and I'm starting to test them more thoroughly. But being in hock for my new K-3 lll, I'm strongly considering selling the 31 help pay it off. The 31 Limited is certainly special, even to this "magic lens" skeptic. But the 20-30 seems quite usable in the 25-35mm range on my K-1. It seems to have the same great bokeh, with much less CA and better coatings than the older 31 Limited, plus WR. The 31 is a little smaller, but a little heavier. It won't be much use on my K-3lll, because I have the F series and Takumar 50mm macros near that cropped focal length.

Has anybody else come to this fork in the road? Did you take it?

Apologies for riding along with my own questions on your original one about the 31mm vs the 20-40mm. It just happened to strike a chord with me. But I cannot yet answer your question... although I would be inclined to keep both, but then I like to shoot wide open (31mm), and have WR (20-40mm).

[mikesbike]

Apologies for riding along with my own questions on your original one about the 31mm vs the 20-40mm. It just happened to strike a chord with me. But I cannot yet answer your question... although I would be inclined to keep both, but then I like to shoot wide open (31mm), and have WR (20-40mm).

I certainly agree. keeping both makes the most sense. The FA 31mm Ltd makes an outstanding fast normal lens for APS-C use. Better than most any 50mm on a FF body, other than the new DFA 50mm f/1.4 which is a beast, unlike the relatively compact FA 31mm. Quite a different usage than the DA 20-40mm Ltd.

---------- Post added 03-23-22 at 03:32 PM ----------

One thing I wasn't aware of: the lens cap of the 31mm doesn't fit over the lens hood... very odd. I always have lens hoods mounted. The seller had a third-party lens cap included as well, fortunately, but it doesn't look so nice. I'm using a Voigtländer cap for now.

I got my FA 31mm new late last year in a special reduced price deal as the HD versions came in. I sometimes wonder if I should have just paid full price for the HD, but I will be using it primarily on my K-1 II instead of my KP, and also have the HD FA 35mm f/2 and unsure how often I would be using the FA 31 Ltd with all the other fine FF lenses in my arsenal. I can assure you, the standard lens cap for the FA 31mm Ltd is the typical Limited lens push-on/pull-off type, and it does fit over the built-on lens hood of the FA 31mm Ltd, which does not retract or move in any way, unlike the hoods of some other Limited models. Some people prefer the snap on-off cap fitting onto the lens front instead. Apparently that was the case with the previous owner, who lost or discarded the standard cap. Replacing the standard cap might be a bit pricey.

---------- Post added 03-23-22 at 03:40 PM ----------

This is going to be a very nice lightweight combo: 15/21/31/58 or 20-40/58.

Absolutely so. The DA 15mm and 70mm Ltds make excellent compact extensions of the central kit. I nearly always have both along with my DA 20-40mm Ltd.

---------- Post added 03-23-22 at 03:51 PM ----------

I found a copy going for € 409, low enough to make me try the 20-40mm... the 31mm just arrived and looks in pristine order. I'm well within budget with these two lenses. Let the weekend arrive so I can test them.

Good for you!! Congrats!

[Smolk]

I can assure you, the standard lens cap for the FA 31mm Ltd is the typical Limited lens push-on/pull-off type, and it does fit over the built-on lens hood of the FA 31mm Ltd,

I am almost certain now that the wrong lens cap was included (albeit in the right box) because it leaves large gaps between the cut out sections of the hood and the cap, it just can't be right.
It could well be the hood for the 20-40mm Limited—it is a limited hood in any case.
Too much trouble to send it back and have the right one sent to me, and in any case, this cap nicely fits my Voigtländer Nokton 1.4/58mm lens hood.
I'll order a replacement from Ricoh EU - but they're out of stock right now.

[gatorguy]

If interested I believe there's a silver 20-40 for sale in our forum Marketplace

[Smolk]

My 20-40mm from Amazon was lost in transit - I was refunded, but didn't find another deal similar to it.
Instead I fell for the DFA* 1.4/50mm - which I'll use, for now, as a portrait/short tele. At € 719 for a near mint lens it's not a bad deal.

[UncleVanya]

I am almost certain now that the wrong lens cap was included (albeit in the right box) because it leaves large gaps between the cut out sections of the hood and the cap, it just can't be right.
It could well be the hood for the 20-40mm Limited—it is a limited hood in any case.
Too much trouble to send it back and have the right one sent to me, and in any case, this cap nicely fits my Voigtländer Nokton 1.4/58mm lens hood.
I'll order a replacement from Ricoh EU - but they're out of stock right now.

I can confirm that the 20-40 cap fits my FA 31 but isn’t long enough and leaves gaps as you indicated. The 31 hood is 3/4 of an inch long, the 20-40 hood is about 5/16th of an inch long.

[BigMackCam]

the 20-40 hood is about 5/16th of an inch long.

... and, so far as I've been able to tell, as much use as a chocolate teapot in terms of flare reduction I'm pretty sure it's main purpose is as a base for the lens cap...

[UncleVanya]

... and, so far as I've been able to tell, as much use as a chocolate teapot in terms of flare reduction I'm pretty sure it's main purpose is as a base for the lens cap...

I meant cap.

[BigMackCam]

I meant cap.

That cap is excellent. Thank Heavens for the hood, otherwise it wouldn't fit

[UncleVanya]

That cap is excellent. Thank Heavens for the hood, otherwise it wouldn't fit

Right. I was confirming the depth of the two caps. And that indeed they fit on both lenses. The 31 cap works on both, the 20-40 is too short to pose on the 31.