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09-16-2018, 11:02 PM   #1
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K-01 with HD DA 20-40mm lens?

Hi, I just wanted to ask if anyone has any experiences to share, about using a K-01 with the HD DA 20-40mm lens?

Right now I'm torn between
a) buying the HD DA 20-40mm lens for my K-01
b) buying a weather resistant body like K-S2, along with the HD DA 20-40mm lens
c) buying a Ricoh GR II camera

I'm currently using the 18-55 kit lens with the K-01 for 5 years now (shutter count 12k+) & I'm a bit concerned about how much longer does my brick have left to live. I'm tempted to buy the Ricoh GR II; however, the dust problems I've read about, plus the difficulty I've had while traveling in finding a repair store that will accept a camera that's not Canon or Nikon, are a major issue for me. Hence why I've thought of buying a good-quality WR lens like the HD DA 20-40mm as a potential "bridge".

Thanks very much!

09-16-2018, 11:23 PM   #2
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12k is not a very high shutter count. I don't think your K-01 is likely to die anytime soon, though there are a lot of factors that might influence this, of course.

The GR basically has the same sensor as the K-01, so you'd essentially be getting the same camera (with a fixed lens) in a smaller package. If you're fine with the focal length and want the compactness, then I'd go for it. Otherwise, the 20-40mm sounds like a fine idea.

If you do upgrade the body I'd go straight for the K-70, as it's quite a big step up in terms of image quality. The K-S2 is better than the K-01, but not by nearly as much.

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09-17-2018, 12:01 AM - 1 Like   #3
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The 20-40 is really a stellar lens and one of my favorite on a crop body. Your K-01 has a lot of life left.
09-17-2018, 12:07 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by twilhelm Quote
The 20-40 is really a stellar lens and one of my favorite on a crop body. Your K-01 has a lot of life left.
Look like I am the only one here who condider the 20-40 to be a crappy lens... almost impossible to get the entire frame in focus on the two different copies I bought.

09-17-2018, 12:38 AM   #5
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@superdave: sounds like you haven’t had good luck with the 20-40. My experience is the same as twilhelm.
09-17-2018, 02:17 AM - 1 Like   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by twilhelm Quote
The 20-40 is really a stellar lens and one of my favorite on a crop body. Your K-01 has a lot of life left.
QuoteOriginally posted by superdave Quote
Look like I am the only one here who condider the 20-40 to be a crappy lens... almost impossible to get the entire frame in focus on the two different copies I bought.
QuoteOriginally posted by microlight Quote
@superdave: sounds like you haven’t had good luck with the 20-40. My experience is the same as twilhelm.
I wasn't previously a fan of the HD DA20-40 due to what I feel is "runway-style" field curvature at the long end, especially noticeable when focusing on distant subjects. I believe this is what @superdave is referring to. Whether this is a problem depends very much on the focal length, subject placement within the frame, AF point choice and approach, and the photographer's expectations and tolerance.

But I've been forcing myself to shoot with this lens recently, and I'm growing to like it a lot more. It does have limitations, and there are better lenses for certain situations, but when used to its strengths it's a very good bit of glass. As with most lenses, it's a case of understanding its quirks and shooting with those in mind, or picking a different lens for the situations where it's not optimal...
09-17-2018, 03:30 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
12k is not a very high shutter count. I don't think your K-01 is likely to die anytime soon, though there are a lot of factors that might influence this, of course.
How significant is the risk of the camera body getting contaminated at this point? Two years ago, I had to replace the original kit lens because of mold/fungus growth (I forget which). Also, there have been a couple of times when the camera date & time resetted on its own, I'm not sure if that was because of a mechanical or electronics failure.

09-17-2018, 05:43 AM   #8
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I used the 20-40 on my K-01 and that is a great combination.
09-17-2018, 06:14 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
I wasn't previously a fan of the HD DA20-40 due to what I feel is "runway-style" field curvature at the long end, especially noticeable when focusing on distant subjects. I believe this is what @superdave is referring to. Whether this is a problem depends very much on the focal length, subject placement within the frame, AF point choice and approach, and the photographer's expectations and tolerance.

But I've been forcing myself to shoot with this lens recently, and I'm growing to like it a lot more. It does have limitations, and there are better lenses for certain situations, but when used to its strengths it's a very good bit of glass. As with most lenses, it's a case of understanding its quirks and shooting with those in mind, or picking a different lens for the situations where it's not optimal...
Yes, this is what I mean. This lens is a beautiful peace of gear, but it is not a lens for every situations. It produce gorgeous image for portrait and still life photography thanks to very smooth bokeh, color and contrast, but I don't recommend it for landscape work because of a very pronounced field curvature toward the long end.
09-17-2018, 06:15 AM - 1 Like   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
I wasn't previously a fan of the HD DA20-40 due to what I feel is "runway-style" field curvature at the long end, especially noticeable when focusing on distant subjects. I believe this is what @superdave is referring to. Whether this is a problem depends very much on the focal length, subject placement within the frame, AF point choice and approach, and the photographer's expectations and tolerance.

But I've been forcing myself to shoot with this lens recently, and I'm growing to like it a lot more. It does have limitations, and there are better lenses for certain situations, but when used to its strengths it's a very good bit of glass. As with most lenses, it's a case of understanding its quirks and shooting with those in mind, or picking a different lens for the situations where it's not optimal...
This is very true. And I would add, I generally shoot between 24 and 37mm with this lens. I find the rendering to be very similar to the FA Limiteds. If you have experience with those, the 20-40 will “feel” like a companion.

The other very nice feature of the lens is the WR build. It makes it a great daily walk around lens.

From everything I’ve read, some copies may exhibit more “curvature” than others. While I can see it in a few of my shots, it’s not a prevalent occurrence or a common problem. At least with my copy.
09-17-2018, 08:55 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jomar Quote
How significant is the risk of the camera body getting contaminated at this point? Two years ago, I had to replace the original kit lens because of mold/fungus growth (I forget which). Also, there have been a couple of times when the camera date & time resetted on its own, I'm not sure if that was because of a mechanical or electronics failure.
As long as you always keep it in a dry environment (use silica gel if needed), it should be fine. Also, to keep the backup battery from running dry, it's a good idea to always keep a charged battery in the camera.

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09-17-2018, 01:38 PM   #12
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Mike, what do you mean by ‘runway style’ field curvature? I tend to use mine typically between f7.1 and f11 especially for landscapes, which may be why I haven’t noticed it.
09-17-2018, 01:59 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by microlight Quote
Mike, what do you mean by ‘runway style’ field curvature? I tend to use mine typically between f7.1 and f11 especially for landscapes, which may be why I haven’t noticed it.
Good question. I should have given a bit more information on my findings

So...

At 40mm, f/8, centre focusing on a relatively distant point in a landscape shot - say, a couple of hundred metres away - the centre of the frame will be in perfect focus, and as you move out from the centre towards the edges of the frame, the area in perfect focus is gradually closer and closer to the camera - to the point where it's actually just a few metres away.

Another way to think of it would be that the area in perfect focus is mapped by a cone which encapsulates the entire frame, with the wide end of the cone near your camera, and the tip of the cone in the centre of the frame and somewhere in the distance. The various points along that cone represent the distance where that part of the frame is in perfect focus.

There's a way of working around this for landscapes and similar types of shot, and that's to focus slightly beyond your subject, such that it's still reasonably sharp, whilst pulling the in-focus areas at the edges and corners further away from the camera and towards your subject.

Does that make any sense? I realise I'm not describing it too well
09-17-2018, 02:50 PM   #14
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Thanks for the explanation - I think I understood! I thought that field curvature (which the majority of lenses suffer from to varying degrees, due to curved elements focusing on a flat plane rather than a curved one) was most noticeable at wide apertures and became less of an issue when you stop down - as long as you don’t hit diffraction. I’ll do some tests tomorrow and report back. 😀
09-17-2018, 03:01 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by microlight Quote
I thought that field curvature (which the majority of lenses suffer from to varying degrees, due to curved elements focusing on a flat plane rather than a curved one) was most noticeable at wide apertures and became less of an issue when you stop down - as long as you don’t hit diffraction. I’ll do some tests tomorrow and report back. 😀
It can vary considerably by lens, but stopping down doesn't necessarily reduce field curvature... rather, it increases the depth of acceptable focus across the frame so that - hopefully - the curvature isn't (so much of) an issue.

Roger Cicala's article HERE is worth reading. In it, he quotes:

"My major point is that when stopping down, the field doesn’t really flatten. If you look very, very closely, in a few instances the curvature actually increases in certain locations as you stop down, but that’s a geeky detail. The takeaway message is that stopping down a lens doesn’t flatten the field. You have to stop down enough that the depth of field becomes greater than the curvature."

I didn't even read that article until I noticed the behaviour of my 20-40.

My contention with the 20-40 - at least, my copy of it - is that at 40mm when focusing on distant subject matter, it's not practical to stop down far enough that field curvature becomes irrelevant - at least, not in normal use. But, as I alluded to in an earlier post, it's something I'm getting used to, and my enjoyment of the lens is improving. I just have to consider this particular quirk

Last edited by BigMackCam; 09-17-2018 at 03:44 PM.
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