Originally posted by Mr Spocko Nobody would buy a Canon 20-40mm f2.8-f4!
I don't disagree some of the Canon lenses are quite big size wise, I know I've used a few. That's the price you pay for electronic aperture, and in lens motors
The DA 15mm made sense because it offers a wider angle than normal zooms, the 100mm is a macro and well play with the WR aspect too so again that's a sensible lens to have in a range (everyone has a 100mm macro or near enough) 60-250mm well I think a bit pricey myself I'd go for a 70-200mm personally..but it's not completely off the wall that offering.
20-40mm just seems weird and falls into a bad place range wise. It's not wide enough, not fast enough, and not much at the tele end, and erm it's just damn expensive. I just can't see it doing that well. If you have a WR zoom already why bother? It's got to compete v the 17-50mm's which are cheaper and faster, the 21mm f3.2 well it kinda compete with their own lens.
Maybe I don't get it but I can't work it out
Oh yes they do, they just traded 2.8, WR, and size for 17mm
(I know APS users buy this lens too)
http://www.photozone.de/reviews/177-canon-ef-17-40mm-f4-usm-l-test-report--review
I do think that a person should pickup a 17-50/2.8 first if they dont have one, before getting this lens, I think the price itself already shows that. (it makes me cry, sigh) ;_; Pentax is trying to sell a macbook air here. In terms of pure horsepower it's nothing special but there's nothing in the market that's quite like it. In macbook air's case these are battery life, screen, macOS (great for mobile imo), and build quality. Macbook air shouldn't be your primary computing tool though, you should buy a desktop first.
If you're an APSC user and like street photography / hiking, would you prefer to have a 17-50/2.8 or 20-40/2.8-4 WR? The 20-40 has three things in its favor: WR, size, and build quality. IMO these means you're much more likely to carry it, it's not specs alone that determines photography. You will have no hesitation to pickup a WR, small lens just because it might rain, or when there's no more space in your bag after you bring that quintessential 70-200 (or 50-135/60-250). See that the same logic can be applied to a macbook air.
I've experienced firsthand that while metal lenses (Takumar, DA Limiteds) may have no direct spec benefit over a fast zoom lens, there's the intangible quality of using something so beautiful and precisely crafted, that you actually want to pick it up and use it (again, same with apple products)
But $1k