[axl]

Hi everybody,

I would just like to ask you for your honest opinion.
Around year ago I got DA40. Love the lens, though it ocassionaly misfocuses. I really grew to like the FOV too.
Soon afterwards I managed to get F50/1.7 for next to nothing in excellent condition (this one has yet to let me down on fucising), and I thought I'm done.
But earlier this year I managed to get FA31ltd, new with warranty for 1/2 price. Now I find the FOV of 31 on APSC bit more pleasant and it's faster. If I need to go tighter (portraits) I use 50. 40 has been relegated to body cap enabling me to take shots while I'm on my way to wherever I'm going. Then I always change to 31.

Should I keep all three 31 - 40 - 50?
Or should I pass the 40 to somebody and put the money to use somewhere else?

BR

Peter

[creampuff]

If I was in your shoes, I would dump that DA 40mm (I can hear howls of protest in the background).
Once you enjoy the larger maximum aperture, there is little reason to go back to a f/2.8 lens.
Both the FA 31mm and F 50mm are sharper optically too.

[schmik]

Tough one! I gotta say that the 40 is my fav. Optically i have seen it beat by my 50 A 1.7 but i like the FOV better on the 40 and it has AF. I'm yet to try the 31 (or i may get the da21)..... I'll start with an A or M 28 and see if i want longer or shorter.

I say keep the 40 because it's a GREAT body cap... and because you have it. It won't depreciate much and it is damn handy due to the small size. I like nothing more than just slinging the camera over the shoulder with the 40 on it and hitting the road. Too easy.

mike

[Marc Sabatella]

I'm a huge fan of the 40, in part because I love the FOV. If I had the 31 and loved its FOV as much if not more but was thinking of keeping the 40 only for size or sentimental reasons, I'd have a tough choice too. I'd dump the 50 before the 40, though - not a focal length I find much use for. But keeping a 31 and 40 with no 50 "seems" wrong, I agree. I probably wouldn't dump the 50 without a 70 or 77 to take it's place as a portrait / short telephoto lens.

[axl]

Exactly Marc.
Toough choice. I really grew to love this lens. I don't mind f2.8 I simply don't use it in darkness. 31 & 50 do the job there. But as schmik wrote, it's one hell of a bodycap. I love the feeling of being able to carry camera around without something big(ish) sticking out. Opticaly 40 is superb. it's just that I feel bad I don't use it more, and sometimes when I use it I get angry because it tends to BF so I need to be really carefull selecting point of focus when shooting ' 2.8 or 4
and as for 50 it delivered me some of my finest portraits, the only way I'd loose it would be getting DA*55. I'd keep 50 even if I would get 70/77 (I'm leaning to 77 because it fits better between 50 and 105 though 70 is very tempting because of the size).

I don't know...
any other opinions?

PS: does *55 cover FF?

[GeneV]

The 40 would be the last lens I gave up. There is nothing like it in terms of size and quality. That and the FA 77 are my favorite "people" lenses.

[farfisa]

40 has been relegated to body cap enabling me to take shots while I'm on my way to wherever I'm going.

I'd say keep it--having something you don't mind leaving on your camera and something that gets you shots you wouldn't otherwise get is still something of value.

Unless you're disappointed with the shots it gives you. The 31 and 50 1.7 are going to be sharper at 2.8, and the focus will be more accurate because of the longer focus throws.

[axl]

I'd say keep it--having something you don't mind leaving on your camera and something that gets you shots you wouldn't otherwise get is still something of value.

Unless you're disappointed with the shots it gives you. The 31 and 50 1.7 are going to be sharper at 2.8, and the focus will be more accurate because of the longer focus throws.

that's the most annoying thing about my DA40. It simply misses focus quite often for some reason, especialy in the situations where I would never expect it!. I'll post example later

thanks for opinions

BR
Peter

[Recercare]

I would keep the FA31 and the DA 40mm. They are pretty close in FL but quite different when it comes to purpose.

The 31mm is the one I grabbed when shooting from F1.8 to F4.0, especially if shooting street/urban/family with a lot of bokeh.

From F5.6 to F11 I always used the DA 40mm. It is a much better landscape/architecture/outdoor lens. In fact...the DA 40 is the best landscape/architecture lens I have ever used (and I have tested/tried MANY Pentax lenses).

Kind regards
.lars

[cousinsane]

I'd get a AF film camera and use the DA40 as a normal lens on it

[rparmar]

I say trade in the DA40 for the FA43 and feel the love!

[farfisa]

that's the most annoying thing about my DA40. It simply misses focus quite often for some reason, especialy in the situations where I would never expect it!. I'll post example later

thanks for opinions

BR
Peter

I've seen that too, and it is disappointing.

It has very fast AF, but I'd rather wait a few milliseconds longer and get accurate AF!

I love the image when it nails it, and the colour is great. From the size alone, I wish it was my favourite lens--but it isn't!

[farfisa]

PS: does *55 cover FF?

There were some test shots of the DA*55 on full frame (film) and there was no sign of vignetting. Of course, it's SDM only, and doesn't have an aperture ring so it would work with only manual focus on anything but a recent digital camera anyway.

I've tried one out though and the focus was great. Slow to go all the way from zero to infinity, but smaller adjustments were quick and very accurate.

I say trade in the DA40 for the FA43 and feel the love!

That's not a bad idea if you can swing it Sharper and more accurate focus. You'd definitely have a nice complement to the 31 and 50.

But if you were thinking of the 55, you could get rid of the 40 and the 50 and put the money towards that!

Tough calls all around!

[schmik]

Weird that you miss focus with it. Mine very very rarely does that. Although the 70mm does it more often than 40mm.

Mind you, i have done focus tests until i was ready to smash all the gear to bits with the 40 and 70 and i know what adjustments are need (in the debug mode) for each lens. So when i switch between those two i also switch the AF adjustment. Can't wait to get a body that "remembers"!

Is it acceptable to use aperture to hit focus more reliably? Use 5.6 instead of 4? A pain in the ass but seems to work. I sometimes do it with the 70 if there is something i don't want to miss. Shoot, change aperture, shoot again. Or if i only get one shot i will use the small aperture.

At the moment, do you need anything else? do you need the money from the sale of the 40?

mike

[axl]

I would keep the FA31 and the DA 40mm. They are pretty close in FL but quite different when it comes to purpose.

The 31mm is the one I grabbed when shooting from F1.8 to F4.0, especially if shooting street/urban/family with a lot of bokeh.

From F5.6 to F11 I always used the DA 40mm. It is a much better landscape/architecture/outdoor lens. In fact...the DA 40 is the best landscape/architecture lens I have ever used (and I have tested/tried MANY Pentax lenses).

Kind regards
.lars

I find it bit too narrow for lanscapes/architecture in London, but I agree that past 5.6 it's better then 31 (marginally but still beter) Problem is because it's narrower FOV it has shallower DOF which forces you to use smaller f stops. I really enjoy this lens for people though, because you don't have to get as close as 31 but you'll get more of the surroundings than with 50...

I'd get a AF film camera and use the DA40 as a normal lens on it

contemplated this, but I'd have to get *ist or some other camera which can controll f stops from body. Anyway, when I mentioned this option to my "budget minister" (read wife) she was less than ... let's say excited

I've seen that too, and it is disappointing.

It has very fast AF, but I'd rather wait a few milliseconds longer and get accurate AF!

I love the image when it nails it, and the colour is great. From the size alone, I wish it was my favourite lens--but it isn't!

I agree on the AF here. It's really fast (though not much faster than F50/1.7) but last time I pointed it on brick wall 3m away and oh boy did it miss a big time! I simply don't understand this lens sometimes. It misses in situations which are nearly impossible to miss. Problem is, that when it gets the focus right it's absolutely outstanding IQ!

Weird that you miss focus with it. Mine very very rarely does that. Although the 70mm does it more often than 40mm.

Mind you, i have done focus tests until i was ready to smash all the gear to bits with the 40 and 70 and i know what adjustments are need (in the debug mode) for each lens. So when i switch between those two i also switch the AF adjustment. Can't wait to get a body that "remembers"!

Is it acceptable to use aperture to hit focus more reliably? Use 5.6 instead of 4? A pain in the ass but seems to work. I sometimes do it with the 70 if there is something i don't want to miss. Shoot, change aperture, shoot again. Or if i only get one shot i will use the small aperture.

At the moment, do you need anything else? do you need the money from the sale of the 40?

mike

Mike I know the problems you had with your 40. I loved my on my K100D but since swithcing to K10 (my wife's K100 is backup) I have love & hate relationship with this lens on both cameras.
As you I tested this lens like 100 times on AF charts, CD collection, DVD collection, newspapers, walls you name it...
I settled on AF adjustment that seems to be acceptable by all my lenses and 40 is spot on 99% of the time during tesing, but in real life shots it' s more like 60/40 for hit/miss which is VERY annoying!
Do I need the money for something else?
I don't know, I do enjoy buying stuff and honestly A*300/4 would be nice, last time I saw one going for £180 and selling 40 would give me better part of that sum for sure...
we'll see