[PenPen]

Hi folks...I am trying to decide whether or not to just get the 01 body,or get it with the DA 40mm SX.
The former is about 200 bucks less expensive than the latter.
I have a broad range of AF lenses already.Do I need the 40mm,or is it foolish to buy just the body?
I can afford just the body.And maybe will be able to afford the lens at a later date.
Thank you to all who respond.
Annie

[Philoslothical]

Two questions to ask yourself:

If you have other lenses at or around that focal length, why would you need the 40mm?

Do you shoot at or around the 40mm focal length enough to justify the cost?

[Mareket]

The most important selling point of the new 40mm XS is the size. Would you be willing to pay the extra for a lens that you won't even notice you're carrying with you, yet still has incredible glass?

If you're happy with bigger lenses then it's not worth the money.

[Adam]

The kit saves you $100 on the lens- so you could always sell it and make a profit The 40mm fits the K-01 quite well if you ask me, though. I think our K-01 review comments on that if you haven't seen it yet.

Adam
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[monochrome]

I bought the 40 Limited and the body-only option. rfortson bought the Body/Lens kit and sold the XS (he already had the 40Ltd.). The big + of the XS IQ wise is curved aperture blades for OOF highlights - if that is your style, get the XS. Otherwise any DALtd. (21, 40, 70) is also really small and any of the legacy lenses inside 100mm balance extremely well. FA35/2 is a dream with the K-01.

[ScooterMaxi Jim]

That's nice to know, because I was suspecting that the FA35 would be getting more use on the K-01 that it has on the K20D. I was sure the balance would be good, but what about the other aspects of the pairing?


I also look forward to trying my Samyang 85mm on it, both for stills and for video.

JNR

[monochrome]

That's nice to know, because I was suspecting that the FA35 would be getting more use on the K-01 that it has on the K20D. I was sure the balance would be good, but what about the other aspects of the pairing?


I also look forward to trying my Samyang 85mm on it, both for stills and for video.

JNR

They are the same as FA35/2 on a K20. I also have a K10 - the FA35 is the most-used lens there, too.

[ScooterMaxi Jim]

They are the same as FA35/2 on a K20. I also have a K10 - the FA35 is the most-used lens there, too.

I wasn't specific in asking the question - sorry. I was mostly referring to how the AF performs, but was wondering about rendering, as well.

For instance, on the *istD I found more of the classic Pentax film color warmth in this lens, but with the K20D this is somewhat less apparent; conversely, you can see a greater level of overall sharpness on the K20D sensor. I'm not saying that lenses render differently in most instances, but it is particularly apparent with the FA35.

JNR

[monochrome]

I wasn't specific in asking the question - sorry. I was mostly referring to how the AF performs, but was wondering about rendering, as well.

For instance, on the *istD I found more of the classic Pentax film color warmth in this lens, but with the K20D this is somewhat less apparent; conversely, you can see a greater level of overall sharpness on the K20D sensor. I'm not saying that lenses render differently in most instances, but it is particularly apparent with the FA35.

JNR

I'd love to be able to answer this question for you with authority but I've only used the FA35 on a K10D and now the K-01. When I was just messing around the second or third day I hade the new camera I stuck the 35 on and shot a Victorian upholstered couch across the room. The light was OK but not good. I was shocked at the rich color depth and sharpness. This jpeg is overexposed and I'm not good with the PP part) - the RAW preview is richer.


Detail - 100%


There is an autofocus thread building as users submit their opinions. IIRC AF was fast and locked hard. Only hunted once, pushed in very low light with low contrast (into a dark closet). Multiple users described AF as good in all conditions. Hope that's helpful.

[Medium FormatPro]

Multiple users described AF as good in all conditions

If I may slightly modify that statement based upon my experience...

Good in almost all conditions, yet adaptable to - almost like any cameras light meter

It depends a bit upon lighting, but more so upon the lens. In most lens the AF works great up to about f4.5 to perhaps f5.0. If ones lens doesn't quite have that opening aperature, then one may run into the ever so rare problem where it doesn't lock the first time; or one might need to target a nearby area - or even switch to manual.

[PenPen]

Thank you all for your good advice.I have decided to start saving money for one Pentax or another.

[ScooterMaxi Jim]

Thanks to both monochrome and Medium FormatPro for your posts and good observations.

As for the photo posted, I can see where it was just a bit overexposed, but they do say expose-right, so the main elements look fine. I didn't see a posting of whether it is RAW or out of the camera JPEG, nor an identification of ISO. What I like most about the shot (from the technical sensor IQ side of it) is the film-like out-of-focus shadow areas. This can be seen in the magnified version below the arm of the sofa.

As for the post about AF, and the speed of the lens, I think this emphasizes the point made by others who are encouraging the use of prime lenses. It is my good fortune that I have a fair amount of faster lenses, although most of those are MF. Even though he isn't particularly happy with the camera for a variety of reasons, John M. Flores has done some testing to indicate that the AF works consistently well in total darkness and his Metz flash works consistently well in bounce and other difficult situations - much more so than was ever achieved by his K-5.

Taken all together, this appears to the best low-light shooting Pentax offering so far. It won't be at its best for some more-demanding situations, but it seems very good for the conditions it is likely to face most of the time.

And as I was finishing this post, the object arrived at my door! Battery is charging...

JNR