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02-22-2010, 12:47 PM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by braver Quote
@Blue -- it does look good. Still f/3.5 is the kit lens performance... And one stop is huuuge in them indoors.
What the heck is kit performance? I guess the DA 15mm ltd totally sux at f4. Hysterical If speed is an issue, why are you concerned about the smallest primes? The 21mm is f3.2 and the rest of the DA ltd are f2.8 until you get to the DA 70mm f2.4.

02-22-2010, 12:47 PM   #17
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Definitely the DA 40mm limited. I shoot both film and digital.
02-22-2010, 12:49 PM   #18
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If speed is important in doors in existing light, perhaps you should be looking for an FA 35mm f2. Its not a huge lens by any means and the optical performance and speed are good.
02-22-2010, 12:54 PM   #19
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I went with the DA40 first; it sits on my *ist DS and goes with me to a lot of places.

Next I tried, and fell short by a few dollars, to get the DA70, but haven't thought much about the DA35 though.

02-22-2010, 01:10 PM   #20
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I use the FA35/2 and the DA40/2.8 the most--as "normal" lenses. The DA40 is much smaller, but not that much lighter. I think the prior poster must have misspoken to say that the DA40 is too "short" to be a normal lens. It is actually on the long side of normal for APS-C. the FA35 has the FOV of about 52mm on full frame.
02-22-2010, 01:16 PM   #21
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I vote for the DA35 Macro. It hardly ever leaves my camera.
02-22-2010, 01:20 PM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by sbbtim Quote
Definitely the DA 40mm limited. I shoot both film and digital.
Do you shoot with that lens on both? I tried it the other day on film with the hood in place, and there was some vignetting.

02-22-2010, 01:20 PM   #23
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OK, now I wonder why would anybody need a DA 40mm if they have the A 50mm f/1.4?
02-22-2010, 01:23 PM   #24
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f/3.5 is only about half a stop slwoer thanf/2.8. And the kit lens can't do f/3.5 except a 18mm - in the "normal" range, it's about f/4.5. So an f/3.5 "normal" lens would be a full stop faster than the kit. f/2.8 would be a stop and a half faster than the kit. So the difference between the kit lens and the f/3.5 lens would be greater than the difference betwene the f/3.5 and the f/2.8 lens. And in any case, as was observed, if you're looking for smallest, you can't also be insisting on the fastest. Although the FA43 would be a reasonable pick if you were trying to optimize both and get a higher quality lens in an arguably more useful focal length (depending on your personal preferences).

As for the 40mm focal length, it is indeed *longer*, not *shorter*, than normal (I assume there was just a typo). Personally I find this an *advantage*, as a "normal" lens often takes in more of a scene than I actually care about. Except, of course, when it doesn't taken in enough :-). I find I very much like having a lens on either side of "normal", as opposed to just one compromise in the middle. So the 21 and 40 together might a nice combo. I use a 28 along with my 40. But if I had to limit myself to just one, I'd still pick the 40- I find its narrower FOV fits the sort of things I want to shoot very often.

As for why yu'd want the 40 if you already have a 50, the reaosn wold be tht if 40 is alreadypushing being too long sometimes, the 50 is too long even more of the time. Too often, for me (and for portraits, I find it's not long enough). But that's something everyone has to decide for themselves. Oh, and the DA40 is of course autofocus whereas the A50/1.4 is not - and not just any old autofocus, but pretty much the *fastest* autofocus in Pentax-land, and unlike FA lenses, has quick shift to allow you to swtich to MF easily at any time. but if is indeed two stops slower, so I'm glad I have my manual 50 too. I just find f/2.8 good enough "most" of the time.
02-22-2010, 01:26 PM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by braver Quote
OK, now I wonder why would anybody need a DA 40mm if they have the A 50mm f/1.4?
Good question. I don't know the answer to that.

At some points, I had in my procession 3 copies of SMC-F 50mm 1.7, a copy of SMC-FA 50mm 1.7, and a copy of SMC-A 50mm 1.4. I still got myself a DA 40mm.

I since then sold all 50mm lenses except for the SMC-FA. But I haven't used it for more than a year now. The DA 40mm is sharper, smaller, lighter. Yes, it's slower but I haven't found it to be a severe limitation.
02-22-2010, 01:35 PM   #26
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Marc -- thanks for the detailed comparison, I think I got the idea now. Will get both the 40mm and the 50mm and see for myself.
02-22-2010, 01:49 PM   #27
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What about the bokeh on 35mm, 40mm, and 50mm? And, how more macro is DA 35mm vs 40mm -- is the 35mm a real macro?

Last edited by braver; 02-22-2010 at 02:03 PM. Reason: macro,bokeh
02-22-2010, 02:01 PM   #28
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There have been some complaints about "busy" bokeh with the 35, but I haven't seen it.

Also, I can't really imagine how anyone could say the 40 is sharper than the 35, but that's another argument...

The 35 and the 70 are the indispensable Ltd's in my kit.
02-22-2010, 02:25 PM   #29
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Choose the DA 40mm. It's sharp, small and with very quick AF....and F2.8 is fast enough for most situations.

I really hate 50mm on APS-C. It's too long for shooting indoors and also too short for portraits. I had the M 50mm F1.7 but sold it. I preferred my DA 40 even though I had to bump ISO in very low light conditions.

Today my lens line-up is: 28mm, 40mm, 70/85mm, 135mm and 200mm. This works great for me.
I acquired the K 120mm F2.8 believing that it was a more useful focal length than 135mm....but I didn't notice much difference. In addition its performance was disappointing.

Kind regards
.lars

Last edited by Recercare; 02-22-2010 at 02:41 PM.
02-22-2010, 02:35 PM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by braver Quote
And, how more macro is DA 35mm vs 40mm -- is the 35mm a real macro?
Yes it is.

The DA40's minimum focusing distance is 15.7"
The DA35's minimum focusing distance is 5.4"
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