While Raf's on the wrap-up tip, it might be a good time to chip in before I sort out my New Year's Eve shot with the
HD Pentax-DA 1:2.8-4.0 20-40mm ED Limited DC WR. I imagine it will be taken late in the evening after several drinks, so don't expect to see a processed image anytime soon
I bought a copy of this lens some years ago when it was first released, but it was clearly a bad copy - damn near unusable at the wide end until stopped down to f/8.0 or so - so I returned it. As I have all the other DA Limiteds I felt no strong urge to replace it until last year, when an upcoming trip to Alaska made me reconsider, for its relatively compact versatility and weather resistance.
My first copy was silver, the current one is black. In either flavour it is a beautiful lens, with a gloriously smooth zoom ring referencing the old Takumars and fantastic build quality overall. For those used to the DA Limited primes, it is not a small lens - both slightly longer and thicker than the FA 31 Limited. It is fairly light though. Focus is virtually silent, and nicely accurate and decisive on the KP. Manual focus was surprisingly easy despite a very short focus throw; the focus ring is particularly well damped for an AF lens - nicer in fact than any of the DA or FA Limiteds.
I was a little apprehensive about IQ second time around. I needn't have been. At all focal lengths sharpness across the frame was at least good from wide open. Bokeh is generally pleasant, chromatic aberrations were minor, and I saw no flare (although I don't recall making any deliberate attempt to induce it). Nothing to complain about at all.
With all that said, nothing about the rendering from this lens really wowed me. The DA Limited primes all have a special place in my heart, with quirks and unique qualities which are a pleasure to learn and exploit. This one's just a little bit beige, for want of a better word.
My efforts this month were a little half-arsed, as usual: more opportunistic than creative. I missed the 1st and the 26th, and many images were safety shots at best. But I enjoyed myself, even with the silly mail box series. It's an easy lens to just carry with you on the camera, ready to go - and as we all know, the best camera is the one you have with you when the time is right.
There is a handful I'm reasonably happy with:
It will remain a useful travel lens: basically a slow normal with a little bit of wriggle room either side, rather than going properly wide or long like a "real" zoom. Without the DC focus and weather sealing though, I would struggle to justify keeping it. If the upcoming DA* 16-50/2.8 is any good this limited (in the true sense of the word
) zoom might get its marching orders.