[typericey]

Thanks for the replies, warm welcomes, tips and lens recommendations.

Just an update on the grip: after posting the review I was able to learn to hold the camera better and tuck my pinky in the grip. Of course there are other DSLRs with better, deeper grips, but I just wanted to correct what I said about the endangered pinky, so I wont deter would be buyers who will read my review. Of course, YMMV.

About the lens, I plan to get just one more. For now, my eyes are still set on the 20-40mm Limited. The WR and the looks are a huge plus. I see the price has dropped and I hope they are still discounted when I am ready to buy.

[carlb]

Thanks for the replies, warm welcomes, tips and lens recommendations.

Just an update on the grip: after posting the review I was able to learn to hold the camera better and tuck my pinky in the grip. Of course there are other DSLRs with better, deeper grips, but I just wanted to correct what I said about the endangered pinky, so I wont deter would be buyers who will read my review. Of course, YMMV.

About the lens, I plan to get just one more. For now, my eyes are still set on the 20-40mm Limited. The WR and the looks are a huge plus. I see the price has dropped and I hope they are still discounted when I am ready to buy.

There's a very nice, and well priced, silver 20 - 40 for sale in the Marketplace.

[typericey]

There's a very nice, and well priced, silver 20 - 40 for sale in the Marketplace.

Tempting indeed, thanks for the tip! The color is kind of a deal breaker though.

Not sure if there are other nerds here, but just wanted to say: The KP + HD 20-40mm combo is the kind of camera that Darth Vader would rock, haha!

[SharkyCA]

Thanks for the replies, warm welcomes, tips and lens recommendations.

Just an update on the grip: after posting the review I was able to learn to hold the camera better and tuck my pinky in the grip. Of course there are other DSLRs with better, deeper grips, but I just wanted to correct what I said about the endangered pinky, so I wont deter would be buyers who will read my review. Of course, YMMV.

About the lens, I plan to get just one more. For now, my eyes are still set on the 20-40mm Limited. The WR and the looks are a huge plus. I see the price has dropped and I hope they are still discounted when I am ready to buy.

Just as an add on, there are other grips available for th kp, Accessories | PENTAX KP | RICOH IMAGING

[mikesbike]

Another welcome to the forum! I enjoyed reading your description of the KP's concept, and your appreciation of it. It is indeed a reflection of long-established classic design. The particulate tone of the silver color, BTW, is there due to a lengthy heritage. I have some exceptionally fine silver Pentax lenses I purchased many years ago for my Pentax AF film bodies from the 1990's, which now look perfectly beautiful on my silver/black KP. It looks great with black lenses also.

---------- Post added 10-27-20 at 09:27 PM ----------

Not sure if there are other nerds here, but just wanted to say: The KP + HD 20-40mm combo is the kind of camera that Darth Vader would rock, haha!

I can see why you find this lens attractive. I have one, and it is my most often-used zoom lens, especially when I want to be on the move and my carrying to be as compact as possible. It is very well-made, and fits with the KP's concept perfectly. Imaging is very fine. The next most compact to complement the KP's design, but with an amazing zoom range for its compactness, is the DA 18-135mm, also featuring WR and very good AF. Very versatile, offering less need to change lenses. If you look in the SLR lens section, you can locate the thread- "DA 18-135mm WR Show us what it can do" which is loaded with images from it. It is best to start with the last page first and work backwards. It can even deliver good closeups and with very decent bokeh! For a constant aperture f/2.8 all-around lens for low light situations, etc. I like the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM, which is well-built with good handling features and good AF. I wound up with all three. Each has its own use depending on the circumstances.

[typericey]

So I browsed the DXO Mark lens database and was a bit surprised with my findings. Note: I actually resisted looking at DXO for the longest time because I didn't want to obsess with measurements, but here I am back in that rabbit hole.

My observations on DXO measurements:
- the DA 50mm 1.8 is one of the highest scoring lens and is sharp from f2.8. Comforting to know that I made the right choice for my first lens
- the sharpness of the HD 20-40mm across all stops and focal lengths are quite disappointing. Too bad as it is a handsome lens with WR that's currently at a good price. Seems sized/balanced right for the KP too.
- Quite impressed with the sharpness of the Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC HSM. With it's price, I'm inclined to get this now over the HD 20-40mm. But no lens is perfect, it is not WR and aesthetically an eyesore (IMO) and seems not a good match to the KP. I had a Canon mount version of this lens so I have an idea how it looks and performs.

I'm sure that my observations are not new for Pentaxians and I may be beating a dead horse at this point. Anyway, so much to learn about the Pentax ecosystem. I'm taking it slow and enjoying the journey.

[automorphism]

My observations on DXO measurements:
- the DA 50mm 1.8 is one of the highest scoring lens and is sharp from f2.8. Comforting to know that I made the right choice for my first lens
- the sharpness of the HD 20-40mm across all stops and focal lengths are quite disappointing. Too bad as it is a handsome lens with WR that's currently at a good price. Seems sized/balanced right for the KP too.
- Quite impressed with the sharpness of the Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC HSM. With it's price, I'm inclined to get this now over the HD 20-40mm. But no lens is perfect, it is not WR and aesthetically an eyesore (IMO) and seems not a good match to the KP. I had a Canon mount version of this lens so I have an idea how it looks and performs.

I'm sure that my observations are not new for Pentaxians and I may be beating a dead horse at this point. Anyway, so much to learn about the Pentax ecosystem. I'm taking it slow and enjoying the journey.

It's always interesting hearing other people's impressions about lenses. I have the Pentax-A 50mm f/1.8 and it is also pretty sharp from 2.8 onwards. I kind of think a company would have to really make a big mistake making a lens to make a 50mm that didn't do well at f/2.8.

[pres589]

I don't know how much "numbers only" the scoring of such things on DXO is. Take it with a grain of salt. That said, yes, the DA 50 1.8 is quite sharp by f2.8 and isn't shabby wide open. The price to IQ ratio with that lens is pretty hard to beat.


I've never used the DA 20-40 so grain of salt, but generally, the goal of the Limited lenses is to have a pleasingly rendered image when using them. They're also decently fast optics but that is not a primary design goal, generally speaking. I think the DA 20-40 design goals were nice out of focus rendering, good colors, in a fairly compact package.


Every system seems to have some universal lenses like a fast 50, and then there's glass like the DA 20-40 that doesn't seem to exist in other systems. Really all of the Limited lenses from Pentax are unique (although some are more unique than others, if that makes sense).

[Des]

- the sharpness of the HD 20-40mm across all stops and focal lengths are quite disappointing.

It's not a macro, but how sharp do you need?


If you went by DxOMark scores you would never buy a Limited lens. The 15, 21 and 40 Limiteds all get mediocre ratings. Why buy the DA 35 f2.8 Ltd macro rather than the higher-rated DA 35 f2.4? Why bother with the DA 70 f2.4 Limited when you can get the DA 50 f1.8?

I used to fuss about these ratings once. Then I figured out for myself that they are nonsense. Look at real world images and listen to real user experiences. The reasons people love the Limiteds don't seem to be measurable in bench tests. You can't measure the little thrill that using these lenses can give.

I've never used the DA 20-40 so grain of salt, but generally, the goal of the Limited lenses is to have a pleasingly rendered image when using them. They're also decently fast optics but that is not a primary design goal, generally speaking. I think the DA 20-40 design goals were nice out of focus rendering, good colors, in a fairly compact package.

Exactly.

Most modern lenses are plenty sharp enough for most of the things people want to use them for. The differences are in more subtle things. I have the DA 35 f2.4 and used to have the DA 50 f1.8 (the plastic fantastics). Each is very sharp. Each can deliver pleasing images. But neither would ever be my favourite lens. I would prefer using the FA 43 or the DA 20-40 to either of them. The colours, the bokeh, the microcontrast in the centre, the overall rendering - these are what the Limiteds offer.

[Rondec]

I think DXO Mark scores are affected by size of sensor you use (APS-C lenses always score lower) and speed of the aperture (fast lenses always score higher). I would really look at other review sites like ePhotozine to get a better picture of what lenses are worth getting and which are better to avoid. There is also a nice review section on this Forum -- I would avoid looking at the numbers (everyone seems to give their lens a 9 or a 10), but looking at the photos and the narrative you can see a lot about a lens's strengths and weaknesses.

[house]

I think DXO Mark scores are affected by size of sensor you use (APS-C lenses always score lower) and speed of the aperture (fast lenses always score higher). I would really look at other review sites like ePhotozine to get a better picture of what lenses are worth getting and which are better to avoid. There is also a nice review section on this Forum -- I would avoid looking at the numbers (everyone seems to give their lens a 9 or a 10), but looking at the photos and the narrative you can see a lot about a lens's strengths and weaknesses.

The numbered score is pretty meaningless and seem to emphasize fast lenses.

The individual measurements and the various visualisations are pretty useful.

Sharpness > field map is very useful as it shows, in a clear way, how a lens performs across the frame at various apertures. It wont put Pentax lenses in a very good light but matchez very closesly my own experience. Only it took years to figure out.

[simsburyphoto]

Helpful discussion in helping me decide if I should get a KP