| Author: | | Kiwi Pentaxian Registered: March, 2012 Location: Timaru Posts: 4,225
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 29, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $530.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Light weight, small, water resistant, high image quality | | Cons: | Limited focal range | |
I brought the DA 20-40mm Limited in August 2015 (a year ago) second hand here on the Pentax Forum Marketplace. Like others looking at this lens I had seen the reviews where there were problems, and noted that there was clearly some significant sample variation with copies of this lens. After a number of test images with the seller, we were both satisfied that this lens was a sharp copy, with no de-centering or other noticeable image quality issues. Living in NZ as I do, it is also a lot harder, and more expensive to change lenses if it isn't right.
If buying this lens - do your homework and make sure you get a good, sharp, non-de-centered copy, then you will be happy.
I brought the DA 20-40mm Limited as my travel walk-around wide lens. In this regard, as you can't control the weather when travelling, for me a walk around travel lens has to be water resistant. I have previously owned the DA*16-50, and DA 18-55 WR for this purpose, both were sold after I purchased the DA 20-40mm. The DA*16-50 is a really good lens image quality and low light wise, but I found it a little too big and heavy for travel. The DA 18-55 is also a good lens, but does not come near to matching the DA 20-40mm Limited for image quality, and doesn't have as wide apertures. On the latest trip, on the boat that goes up to the Niagara Falls, a non-WR lens was not an option, the DA 20-40mm Limited did not disappoint.
I own and shoot a lot of prime lenses, including all the DA Limited primes (although I sold the DA 35 Macro a while back). Since purchasing the DA 20-40mm Limited I have barely used the 40mm, the 70mm is still very useful for portraits, and I still carry the 15mm for when I want wider than 20mm, but I am finding I am not using it much. I have kept the 21mm as it has a different colour signature to the DA 20-40mm and I still find I like the images the 21mm gives of water, but I am also not using it nearly as much as I used to.
I have recently completed a 3 week work / vacation trip to the USA, Canada and UK. I brought along the DA 20-40mm Limited, DA 55-300mm WR, the 15mm, 21mm, 70mm Limited Primes, and my Zeiss ZK 35/2 prime. 6 lenses. I found some days I used the Zeiss 35 extensively, but what I noted on this trip was how much I used the DA 20-40mm Limited, and how pleased I was with the images. I never used the 15mm, and I barely used the 21mm during this 3 week period.
The DA 20-40mm Limited, and DA 55-300mm WR makes for a good image quality, light, water resistant 2 lens travel kit. Usually when I am out walking and exploring I will take my K-3, the 2 zooms, and one additional prime. What I have found on the latest trip is that the DA 20-40mm is better than good enough, that I am seriously reconsidering even bringing the prime - maybe just the DA 70mm Limited for portraits.
Every lens is about a set of compromises, and how useful it is depends on what use you have brought it for.
I have some excellent prime lenses for image quality - Zeiss 28mm/2, Zeiss 35mm/2, Voigtlanders, DA Limited's, FA 50/2.8 Macro and a range of other Pentax prime lenses. I think I have a good basis for comparison.
The DA 20-40mm Limited image quality is right up with many of these lenses - certainly the DA Limited prime lenses, the colour signature is pleasing to my eye. The lens is water resistant, light weight, well built, and a pleasure to use.
My conclusion with the DA 20-40mm Limited is that it is a very good set of compromises, and that is provides a very useful wide angle lens, especially for travel, for Pentax APS-C cameras. After a year of use in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, USA, Canada and the UK I can recommend a good copy of this lens to other Pentax users. I am very happy with my copy.
        | | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: May, 2014 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,046
7 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 25, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $574.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Small, Light, Weather sealed, Quiet | | Cons: | Limited range | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K-5 IIs
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First of all I can't give an extensive review for this lens since I only had it a couple of weeks. Maybe after a few months I'll update this review to give you a better perspective on how I feel about this lens. I have lusted for this lens for quite a while now, but the thing that held me back was the price. Due to the limited range and due to some negative reviews I was hesitant to fork over that much money for it. A few weeks ago I was looking at the BH website and saw that this lens was selling for only $574 Used in 9+ condition !
This was about the lowest price I had yet to see for this lens new or used, so I got it. I figured I could always send it back within 31 days if I did not like it.
So, lately I have been testing this lens under as many real-life conditions as possible, hoping I would not have to send it back. Like I said, it's only been a few weeks if that many, but so far I'm pleasantly surprised. This lens is a marvel of engineering and so fits well with my K-5 IIs which is a marvel of it's own.
First I will describe the Aperture which some people have complained about being too slow. At 20mm you can open up to f2.8, at 25-30mm f3.5, at 35-40mm f4.0. Not bad considering that even some limited primes within those focal ranges are not much faster.
I compared the Sharpness of this lens against my 16-45mm f4 and 35mm Macro f2.8. The good thing about this lens is that it does not extend much from the body like my 16-45mm does. At 20mm it extends about 2/3 of an inch. at the other focal lengths it does not extend past 1/2 of an inch from the body. The distance scale on this lens is quite limited in that after 5 feet it goes straight to infinity with nothing in between, but that might have to do with lens design for zooms which I now little about
From what I can tell, this lens is a tad sharper than my 16-45mm across all focal lengths except maybe the 30mm focal length, why I don't know ? What this lens got going for it, is the way it renders the colors and the contrast. Not artsy, not over-saturated, but amazingly life-like. At 35mm, my 35mm f2.8 Macro is sharper across the length of the frame, but to tell you the truth, there is not much difference between all 3 lenses unless you really pixel-peep. If you really want sharp though, set the camera to ISO 80. Then you start moving into 3D territory...
Handling : Although this lens is supposed to be all metal, it is very light to the point where I think it's some kind of aluminum instead of real metal ? Nevertheless it is very well built, but I wish it had the heft of my other limited lenses just my opinion... The focusing is very well damped as well as the Zoom dial. So there is no problem there. One thing is the very fancy lens cap. I am so afraid that I might drop it and lose it (@$40) that I keep it in my left hand when shooting. This lens is light and well balanced enough for me to do that thankfully.
Autofocus is nearly silent and pretty quick. You really have to put your ears pretty close to the camera to hear it. This is perfect for places like museums, operas, churches, funerals, where the loud buzzing whirl of other lenses might become annoying. One thing I noticed is that the AF is faster and much more accurate if you limit the auto focusing points. I set my AF to Sel Mode and only use one focusing point, so far this has worked best for me.
Bokeh is reasonable mild/smooth a little better than on my 16-45mm, but not better than on my 35mm, or 77mm. I have not had the time to test this much so I can't say much about it.
Aberrations: What I like about this lens is this new Pentax Anti Flare coating. This really helps when shooting into the light, not just sun light, I'm talking about street lights and car lights and things like that. This lens does not fall apart like my Limited and other lenses do in those conditions. Another thing I noticed though is that this lens produces a little bit more CA under certain circumstances than my 16-45mm. It could be my copy, but I'm still investigating.
If you take all the features into consideration, not just pixel-peeping sharpness, this is a wonderful lens and a marvel of engineering. Time and experience will tell whether I will send it back, but so far so good. | | | | | New Member Registered: May, 2013 Posts: 13
9 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 29, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $825.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Color, Weather Sealed, Light, Compact, Flare Resistance | | Cons: | Slow Autofocus, Price, Lens Cap | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-5IIs
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I bought this looking for an upgrade over the DA SMC 18-135 which I had used for a year or so and actually liked but I purchase a few of the limited series lens and was astounded at much better they rendered color and, in general, how much sharper they were over the 18-135. The HD 20-40 obviously doesn't have the zoom range and it isn't as useful in that regard but it renders colors so much better and is much sharper. I apparently got a good copy since I have found mine to be decently sharp wide open and very sharp when stopped down just a little more. The new HD coating works amazing well in tough, high contrast conditions. The autofocus motor is quiet. Not as quiet as SDM but much quieter than screw drive. It is a bit slow sometimes to lock onto a subject. Can be a tad frustrating at times.
Construction is top level and then lens feels good on the camera. Not too heavy but substantial enough. The weather sealing works very well. I was recently involved in a kayaking mishap where mine and my wife's tandem kayak sprung a leak in the middle of a bay in the Florida Keys. Eventually the kayak became too unstable to paddle and flipped. My wife saved the camera but it did get partially dunked in the bay. We were stranded out there for a couple hours till a boat came by and rescued us. The lens held up totally fine and the camera has of course okay as well. I was impressed! We of course were exhausted, dehydrated, and glad to be out of the water.
The price is steep for what it is but I wasn't willing to pay the equivalent to get the DA* 16-50 with potential SDM issues and the extra weight. I did find a good deal on this lens lurking Amazon but I do think the lens is a little too expensive for what it is. Maybe $799 for it brand new.
The lens cap is 62mm in size, the filter size is 55mm, and expensive! Don't lose it because it costs $40 to replace! It fits over the "lens hood" if you can call it a lens hood. My opinion is that flare is such a minimal problem with this lens that it could go without the lens hood the majority of the time.
I really enjoy using this lens. It stays on my camera 90% of the time.
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: January, 2013 Location: Texas Posts: 32 | | Review Date: March 10, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $950.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Build Quality, Light Weight, Image Quality | | Cons: | Price, limited range | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K30
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Except for the limited zoom range, this lens is very practical: small, light, all-metal, low minimum focusing distance, 49mm filters, very good autofocus and manual focus.
I took only 5 'test' photos with it, the brick house of my neighbor. The results are really excellent, and I don't understand some other reviews:
- I cannot see vignetting!
- Sharpness:
- at 20mm / 2.8: Center 90, Edges 80
- at 20mm / 4.0: Center 100,Edges 90
- at 20mm,5.6: Center 100,Edges 90
- at 40mm/4.0: Center 90,Edges 80
- at 40mm/5.6: Center 100,Edges 90
'100' being near-perfect.
I love it!
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2013 Posts: 2
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 7, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $996.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp,great built, compact, good contrast | | Cons: | Poor quality control - first sample required RMA exchange, marginally useful lens hood | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 7
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3
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My first copy was badly decentered, with the left side very soft and a weird lack of sharpness at 30mm, f/5.6. BH Photo was very good about making a prompt and hassle-free RMA exchange.
The second copy was noticeably better, with excellent sharpness across entire field at all focal lengths when used between f/5.6 and f/7.1 except for lower right corner at 20mm. Closed down, this lens is very good, but it's not really suitable for dim indoor light due to the need to stop down for best results. A bit of localized sharpening and increased clarity in Lightroom generally solved this problem.
Excellent build, weather-sealing, and compact size/light weight were the deciding factors when compared with the much larger and heavier Sigma 18-35mm, which I might have bought otherwise. It is somewhat sharper than my non-VC Tamron 17-50mm toward the edges, but not by a great margin.
It took some time to determine the best way to use this lens for maximum image quality, but I now find it very suitable for general use. Overall, it's sharper than I expected from the Pentax Forum and DXO reviews.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2009 Location: Georgia, VT Posts: 1,657
19 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 3, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $896.95
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Light, Small, Build Quality, Picture Quality | | Cons: | Small-ish Aperture, Slow Auto Focus | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-3, K-5, K-x
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I have every SMC Pentax Limited lens with the exception of the 35mm Macro, and that's pretty much my carry-around kit (in addition to a Sigma EX DG 100-300mm F4 on occasion). Out of those lenses, the DA 21mm, FA 31mm and FA 43mm are my most-used, with the FA 31mm taking up the majority of time on my cameras. So when this 20-40mm Limited was announced, I was pretty excited. A Pentax Limited zoom that covers my most-used range? AND weather resistant? YES PLEASE!
I agonized over this lens vs the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8. I'm a real slave to wide apertures, and that Sigma has some mouth-watering specs at a lower price. It's a hard sacrifice going from F1.8 to a variable F2.8-4. But in the end the 20-40mm won me over with its weather resistance, much lighter weight and reasonable size. Also, it's a Pentax Limited.
Of course, the first thing I did when I received the DA 20-40mm is physically compare it to the FA 31mm since that's the one most often on my camera. Turns out the 2 are pretty close. The 20-40mm with the hood removed is almost exactly the same length as the 31mm. The hood is only 1/4" long and no wider than the lens, so it adds no real bulk. The 20-40mm has a slightly larger diameter than the 31mm, presumably to accommodate the focus motor. And surprisingly, the 20-40mm is 2 ounces lighter than the 31mm (10.5oz vs 12.5oz). As far as fitment on my cameras goes, the 20-40mm makes the setup lighter while keeping the overall size about the same.
Build quality is jaw-droppingly good. The zoom and focus rings are flawlessly damped, and there's no give anywhere. Everything is made of aluminum and finished to perfection. I got a silver one to go with my silver K-3 and K-5, and I'm in awe of how well made this lens is. It even surpasses my other Limited lenses. The zoom ring has a great machined look that's reminiscent of my old Super Takumar 50mm F1.4 (although it was a focus ring on that one).
Auto focus is impressive, though less than I'd hoped. The auto focus accuracy is spot-on with my K-3, even in ridiculously low light. It gets perfect focus without any need for the AF assist light, even when I can't see the object I'm focusing on with my own eyes. I guess that's as much because of the K-3 as anything else, but I expected the smaller aperture to have more negative impact.
But as far as auto focus speed, I expected the built-in motor to perform a little better. It's no faster than most screw-drive auto focus lenses I own, and noticeably slower than many, including the DA 15mm, DA 21mm and FA 31mm. Sure, it's silent, but I've never been bothered by the sound of screw-driven auto focus. I would've preferred a screw-drive mechanism in this case if it meant faster performance.
The aperture is something everyone's been talking about ever since this lens was announced. While no DA Limited has ever had a large aperture, for some reason many Pentaxians were surprised when this one followed the exact same trend. There's nothing terribly surprising about a small-ish aperture on a DA Limited lens. I *was* a bit surprised by the variable aperture, but then this is the first Limited zoom ever, so it's not like there was any precedent to make me think it should be otherwise. At first I wasn't sure if this aperture range would suit my needs. Lately most of what I shoot is my baby daughter indoors, for which the FA 31mm was perfect. I was spoiled by being able to shoot at F2.2 and low ISO and having perfect results every time. So the small aperture of the 20-40mm threw me for a loop, and initially I really didn't like it. It was annoying enough that I contemplated sending the lens back and waiting for the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 after all.
But then I did something weird... I cranked up the ISO. All the way up to 3200! (I almost never went beyond 800 before). Lo and behold, the pictures turned out beautiful! Sure, there was grain, but there was also tons of fine detail. A quick trip through denoising software and a little sharpening made those pictures come out as clean as anything shot at ISO 800. It was a revelation. I'm sure the camera's denoising engine would do an admirable job as well, but I've been a RAW shooter for years and that won't be changing anytime soon. The point is, the small-ish aperture of this lens doesn't have to be a limitation as far as low-light shooting goes.
As for bokeh, the 9 rounded blades do an absolutely stunning job here. Sure, there's less out-of-focus area in the scene due to the smaller aperture, but even F4 gives some very nice bokeh at 40mm when the subject is close enough. It's creamy smooth in front and behind the plane of focus, and it transitions beautifully. On the downside, starbursts from points of light are somewhat disappointing. I needed at least F22 to get any respectable star shape, and having 18 points makes it look a bit odd.
If you read this whole review, I kept the best for last: picture quality! This is what ultimately convinced me that I made the right choice with this lens, despite the smaller aperture. The old cliché "like a prime lens at every focal length" might just apply here. The only softness happens wide open at 20mm, and then only away from the center. Anything else is amazingly sharp, especially on a K-3 with the AA filter disabled. I can't believe the amount of detail and micro-contrast this lens delivers, it's like magic. As far as zooms go, it's quite possibly the best I've ever seen.
edit: to clarify, the edges and corners ARE soft wide open at 20mm, but the center remains very sharp. This is the only range I came across where sharpness takes a noticeable dip. By F4, the sharpness has caught up to the rest of frame again. And I personally don't find the softness objectionable, it's what I'd expect from the wide end of a lens in this focal length range.
Flare? Glare? Nope, not with this lens. I shot right into the sun on a bright Winter morning and only got the faintest amount of glare in the frame, barely discernible at all. I got no flare whatsoever, though. Shot wide open, I can make out the merest hint of purple fringing in the far corners of the frame, but that's it. And that's pixel-peeping at 2x magnification. This is unbelievable, and puts the CA-monster FA 77mm Limited to shame.
I read some comments from other people who ended up with decentered samples of this lens. I know that feeling too well, I experienced the same thing with my DA 15mm Limited. But with this 20-40mm, I struck gold; no quality control issues that I can see whatsoever. Call me lucky... this time.
I've found my new favourite lens, and it is the 20-40mm Limited. I'll be sure and try the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 as soon as I have a chance, but it would have to be absolutely perfect to get me to change my mind. For now, the 20-40mm is taking the honored place of the FA 31mm as the featured lens on my camera.
UPDATE - January 6th, 2014
I just read the PentaxForums.com "In-Depth Review" for this lens, and I find it interesting that their findings on image sharpness are completely reversed from my own. They found this lens softer wide open at 40mm, but sharper wide open at 20mm. I guess it's either due to sample variation or different testing methods.
In any case, to give an idea of how sharp this lens is, here's a photo I took at 40mm, F8 and ISO 3200 using a K-3:
You can click on the image to see a full size version. Pay close attention to the eye closest to the camera at 1:1 magnification. That's where the camera was focused.
Second example (sorry, all I have are baby photos recently). This one was taken at 40mm, F4 (wide open), ISO 3200 using a K-3:
Again, on the full size version, pay attention to the eye closest to the camera. The eyelashes are about as sharp as can be. Also, if you look at the right edge of the picture, you can clearly see some in-focus texture in the cushion fabric. Same on the left edge with the blanket, the fabric texture can clearly be made out. Again, this is wide open.
UPDATE - February 1st, 2014
I continue to love using this lens daily for all kinds of different subjects. As far as I'm concerned, this is a constant aperture F4 lens, with F2.8 available to me as a bonus when I really need it. Some of the best zoom lenses ever made have an F4 constant aperture (Sigma 100-300mm F4, Pentax 60-250mm F4, 20-35mm F4, 24-50mm F4, 12-24mm F4, Nikon 16-35mm F4, etc, etc) so when I look at it that way, this lens becomes even more awesome.
UPDATE - July 13th, 2014
I'm starting to think there are some serious issues with quality control regarding this lens' manufacturing. Apparently I got a perfect copy, unfortunately other pentaxians haven't been so lucky. It's impossible to dismiss the complaints from people who have received a decentered copy, or are getting poor results. My copy of this lens continues to excel in every way, not least of which is autofocus accuracy. The focus for ALL my shots taken with this lens is always spot on, it's almost magical. I've needed no focus adjustment on either my K-5 or K-3 with this lens, even at F2.8. Based on this, I've had to increase my autofocus rating from 5 to 8, despite the occasional slowness of the focus motor.
Today I had a chance to try the other lens I was considering before deciding on this 20-40mm: The Sigma 18-35mm F1.8. Sure enough, the image quality with that lens was amazingly good, just as good as the 20-40mm in most cases and somewhat better in extreme cases (like at full zoom). However about 1/3 of my shots with the 18-35mm ended up being misfocused, usually not enough to be obvious on the camera's LCD at a glance, but enough to make some pictures disappointing. It's like the 18-35mm induces a bit of front or back focus, but only randomly, so it can't really be corrected for in the camera. Very frustrating. It even happened on 2 nearly identical shots, back-to-back. One shot was in perfect focus, the other was slightly back focused. This is never an issue with the 20-40mm.
Also, the 18-35mm is HUGE and HEAVY for the type of shooting I've been doing lately. All in all, I'm glad I decided on the 20-40mm rather than wait for the 18-35mm. It turned out to be the perfect choice for my needs. But then I'm lucky I got a good copy... apparently not everyone is so lucky  | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: June, 2011 Location: Gulf Coast Posts: 45
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 2, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $896.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Size, classic 35mm focal lengths | | Cons: | None. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K5 ll
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My FA31mm has not been used since it's arrival ! Using in a disciplined manner, not just zooming, I now have classic focal length reportage lenses on my camera. I have found this to be very sharp (maybe to sharp) in the center at all focal lengths even wide open ( f5.6 at 40mm) which is not really my style anyway, f5.6 f8 is what I use for the most part.
Now I have had this for a while I now can give a more realistic review update. I find the auto focus is not very good at all. When it focuses on a subject, very slow by the way, gets a fix on it and will not focus on a new area just a few feet away. It needs to be encouraged to refocus by manually putting it out of focus first. This procedure makes for a very slow lens handling and therefore consider the auto focus very poor. Hope they can fix this with some sort of update. | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2007 Location: France Posts: 804
9 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 16, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $890.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | IQ, color rendering, "limited" style | | Cons: | Slow AF, price | | New or Used: New
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For the IQ, this lens outperforms the DA21 by a large margin, and it is a f2.8 lens, not a 3.2. The border are a bit soft at 20 mm f2.8 but at F4 it is already largely homogeneous. Flare resistance is excellent.
At 40 mm it is beyond the FA43 limited on the center resolution, but the FA43 is a high performer here, and he challenges the FA43 for the border resolution.
At 30 mm the FA31 outperforms this lens in terms of sharpness, but it is the FA31. CAare very well controlled, better than on the FA31.
In every aspects this lens is a very good performer. The price is a bit steep, though, but expected to be reduced. And we have to pay for the WR and DC engine.
An ideal lighweight combo could be the DA15, this zoom and the DA70.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2008 Location: Emeryville, CA Posts: 1,122
12 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 16, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $900.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Lightweight, WR, Rendering, sharpness, | | Cons: | Slightly cooler color than other DA ltd. primes | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5
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I had high hopes for this lens. I had been using my 15, 21, 35, 40 and 70 for about 3+ years but I wanted a light WR zoom with those same lovely ltd. qualities. I can say that the 20-40 has met my high hopes and carries all of the qualities I was looking for. The build quality is excellent. The zoom ring is smooth and in my opinion nicer than the DA*. I had the 16-50 and still have the 50-135. Although larger than any of the DA primes it still carries that small and light design forward if you compare it to other zooms in this focal range. On my k-5 you can easily 1 hand this although that is not my typical shooting style. It looks and feels great on the k-5. One big benefit over the DA primes is the quiet focus. The other for me is not having to constantly change lenses or locked into a single focal length. I do a lot of hiking in all types of weather so the short time I've had the lens, I find that I'm really loving the convenience of not being locked into a focal length.
The lens is sharp wide open throughout the zoom range. I did have to fine tune the autofocus to get it operating at its best, but that is not unlike all of my other lenses. I tend to think it is more a function of my K-5 rather than any lens. The sharpness was pretty consistent across the frame as well. I will do some testing against the DA35 ltd to test absolute sharpness. That lens is the sharpest I have in my bag and I am curious mainly because from looking at the images that I took with the DA 20-40 it looked impressively sharp.
The one aspect of the lens that will take some getting used to is the color. The ltds. primes rendered slightly cooler than other lenses i had and the 20-40 is slightly cooler than the primes. Again I'm going to do some side by side testing to make sure it isn't just a figment of imagination. I took some landscape and portraits and I really like how the zoom renders its images. I also like the bokeh. It tends to be more smooth and has a nice transition. The other positive aspects of the lens are how contrasty the images are.
Overall, I think Pentax has produced a really stellar performer and like my DA*50-135, the DA20-40 feels like having a bag of primes packed into a single lens. Yes 900 is a lot of money but considering, I already don't miss the DA21, 40, and may consider selling the 35, I'd say it is worth its cost.
12/20/13 Update. I have taken side by side testing with my DA35 and I can say it produces images of equal quality and sharpness. Which for me still seems hard to believe. So I bumped up the Value to 10. Again many may question the cost but, for me it easily replaces 3 excellent primes.
I'd also like to update that if you are coming from using the DA primes and were used to creating sharp star-like patterns with your night shots shot against a bright light source, the rounded aperture blades do take some of that away. You can still create them they are just not as sharp.
2/23/14 Last Update. After a lot of shooting with this lens, I finally decided to let go of my DA35 Macro. For me that says a lot for the DA20-40. The close focusing of the DA20-40 was good enough to for how I shoot. And I just didn't see enough of a difference in sharpness for me to keep the 35 Ltd. Macro. I will also update that the lens does a very good job of flare control. Not quite to the degree of the DA15 but more than commendable. In very high contrast situations you will get some purple fringing if you shoot wide open. I find it more prevalent in the corners rather than throughout the image. Overall I could be not be happier with this lens. Don't let the reviews scare you away.
| | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2012 Location: Ballarat, Victoria Posts: 24
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 12, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $999.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Lightweight, build quality, WR, colour and sharpness | | Cons: | Would be nice if the lens was a constant f2.8 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
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I received my lens yesterday and had the chance to snap off some shots on my trusty K-5 before it had to go under the tree. This lens is a Christmas present from my wife and I was fortunate enough to be home when the lens was delivered. I managed to convince my good lady that I needed to test the lens before wrapping to make sure I had not received a faulty copy. I only had a short time testing the lens but I managed to get off a few shots. My initial impressions are very favourable! The lens appears quite sharp and I particularly like the colour rendering and the bokeh is also very pleasing.
I bought this lens to cover 35mm and 50mm focal lengths (35mm equiv) and I can see it being mounted to my camera full time. It will be the perfect walk around lens. Nice build quality, light, sharp, great colours and weather sealed! Perfect!
I also own the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 but I can already see that I much prefer the handling and images from the Pentax DA20-40mm lens on my K-5. Feels like I have two primes built into one lens with this unit. The Pentax is smaller and lighter than the Tamron and the autofocus feels snappier. I will probably sell the Tamron now as I can't see it being used again. The images out of the DA20-40mm are much more appealing to me.
I have given a score of around 9 based on my limited time with this lens. Once I have had more time shooting I will update my score. The only wish I have at the moment is that it had a constant aperture of at least f2.8. But then the lens would probably need to be larger and heavier.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,887
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 3, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $240.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Quite small, nice build quality, useful focal range, great image quality | | Cons: | Slow focus, focus accuracy, max aperture not super fast | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3
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This lens is taking more time than usual for me to really reach a conclusion and that's because it's a bit of an oddball with many things being neither here nor there - the focal range is short but useful, the maximum aperture is OK but not great, the focus is quiet but slow and not always accurate (at least my copy).
I have wanted this lens since it first came out as I have all the DA Limited primes and I love using them. A WR zoom that covers the most useful focal range with a decently fast max aperture and the feel and IQ of a Limited lens sounds great and I bought a used copy even though I already own the 16-85mm as a high quality WR option.
Image quality
Image quality is very good indeed. The lens is sharp wide open at all focal lengths, colour and contrast are typical DA Limited, flare is minimal and I haven't noticed any distortion. Though this lens isn't fast enough to be a real bokeh monster, the out-of-focus rendering is nice, especially wide open at 40mm.
Focal length
This is a short zoom that doesn't go as wide or long as even a kit lens and yet it covers focal lengths that are good for probably 90% of what I want to do. In practice I've found in the past that the DA 21mm is wide enough for most things so 20mm should be fine, and it is, but you'll probably want to have a wider option for when it's needed.
Aperture
f/2.8-4 is not particularly fast, especially at the long end and I can't help but feel that for the price and size it should really be a constant f/2.8 or even f/2.8-3.5. At 40mm and f/4 it's still possible to isolate close subjects and the other image quality factors still allow a nice 3D feel despite the modest aperture.
Size, build and handling
The build quality is typical of the DA Limiteds in that everything feels nice but it's also lightweight. The zoom ring is lovely and smooth. In fact it feels light enough to give the impression that a large proportion of it is empty space and the lens could probably be made more compact. The lens is pleasurable to use, more so than probably any other zoom I've tried, which is what I'd hoped for in a Limited.
Focusing
The focusing motor is nice and quiet but a little slow. With no fine-tuning my copy focuses perfectly at 20mm but is a bit off at 40mm and with this being a zoom, fine-tuning becomes a question of finding a setting that satisfies at both ends of the range, which is not easy. So far a change to -7 improves the results at 40mm while apparently leaving the 20mm untouched, which seems strange. I still need to play a little more with this though as it's not perfect at 40mm. Other people report that their copies are fine with no fine-tuning needed.
Summary
In summary, this is an excellent lens for walk-about use but many of it's limitations mean that there's almost always something better in terms of range or speed and at least equal in image quality. So what sets this lens apart? Why should you buy it? Well, I suppose it brings together a number of factors that you won't find elsewhere all together in a package that's this small and light. There's nothing that offers this image quality, range, speed, Limited build and pleasure of use all together in one package. However, as soon as you're willing to compromise on any one factor (size, weight, speed, IQ etc) there is immediately something that's better. That means that this lens is the best for what it is, but that niche is very narrow. In my case I'll keep it because there's no zoom this size and weight that I can enjoy using, and get such good results from, as much as a DA Limited. That makes it a great walk-around lens where there's no pressure to need anything wider, longer or faster, but if I do need to go outside of this lens's limitations then I'd take something else instead.
In the end I sold my copy but I could be tempted to get another in the future if I can find one that focuses properly at both ends of the focal range.
Baby feet by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Madrid by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Berries by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Lost in the sand by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Gijon by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Posts and rope by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Plastered by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
2021-07-29_01-26-12 by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2020 Posts: 131
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 12, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $528.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | good build, appearance; light weight; compact size; optics | | Cons: | lens cap and thin hood; no aperture ring; manual focus only on my K10D without firmware update; not designed for FF cameras | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 7
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K10D, K-3 II
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Great little zoom lens, covering a good range for me. I wish they made this for FF cameras, to go with my forthcoming K-1 and my old LX cameras. It autofocuses well on my K-3 II camera, but I discovered after I bought the lens new that it won't autofocus with my K10D; this is only a minor problem to me because I like to manual focus. [I see on the "Notes" at the top of this review page that there is "No autofocus on older bodies (*istD series, K100D, K110D, and film)", and I presume this list includes the K10D, so I have only myself to blame for not researching enough. I just didn't consider the possibility that this lens would not autofocus with my K10D because my DA 12-24mm f/4 lens autofocuses well with it; my K10D works quite well, thank you. [After I posted this initially, three readers have pointed out that I need to update my K10D firmware through the Ricoh website, and then I should have autofocus ability with this lens -- good to know.]
The lens cap is maddening to use, as is the thin lens hood. The cap takes a good pull to take off, and I wonder what thousands of such pulls can possibly do to the lens zoom structural elements over time. Also, the lens cap only fits over the lens hood, so you have to have the lens hood on to have the lens cap on. There aren't many good lens caps out there, and I can imagine designers/engineers going crazy trying to develop what one would think would be a simple item to be practical and easy in use.
The lens hood has to be removed to put on a filter, and this is a huge problem because the hood is placed then on top of the filter threads, which means you turn the lens hood with the filter and can only turn it counterclockwise (as seen from the viewfinder) because turning it clockwise will loosen the hood and not give good turning motion on the filter. I also have difficulty with filters sitting too tight on the lens, making them very hard to remove. The screwing in of the lens hood onto my polarizing filter definitely has the effect of tightening the filter onto the lens, making it hard to pull off. I've played with this quite a bit and am convinced I'm doing nothing wrong. Just bad design for filters.
I haven't really looked at bokeh, so didn't rate it. The lens' optical sharpness seems very good, and the aberrations seem very slight for a zoom lens encompassing these focal lengths (I'm very impressed at 40mm, and at 20mm the distortion is minimal with not much vignetting). I don't see color problems. I used a resolution chart to test the lens (with K10D at ISO 100 in direct sunlight) for sharpness and distortion at 20, 30, and 40 mm, and at f/2.8, f/3.5, and f/4.0 wide open (respectively), up to f/22, and the sharpness and lack of distortion is excellent -- even at 20mm. The sharpness improves at f/8 over wide open, but the wide-open sharpness is good for most purposes. The narrow focal-length zoom ring does its job, turning about 60 degrees to the left (counter-clockwise, as seen from behind the camera) from 40 to 20 mm; good design, with no possibility of "zoom creep" when pointing up or down. The filter does not rotate when the lens is focused or zoomed. The thin manual focusing ring turns about 90 degrees from infinity (also counter-clockwise as viewed from behind the camera) to closest focus, and it's not as good as typical manual focusing rings on older (pre-F-series) Pentax lenses, but it's adequate.
For me, the lens is over-priced (my listed price above includes sales tax, as bought from B&H with free shipping). But in terms of the optical quality, it seems impressive indeed, and worthy of being in the Limited family. I will keep it and probably use it a lot on my K-3 II cameras (though in practice, it has not come close to replacing my DA 12-24mm lens as my standard walkaround lens on my APS-C cameras, as I thought it might when I ordered it).
Below are photos showing the lens on my camera:
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: July, 2016 Location: Alps Posts: 35
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 29, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $530.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Compactness, limited handling, rendition | | Cons: | AF | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3 II
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Great lens, typical limited rendition / handling, a bit big for a Ltd though - but still really compact for a zoom with this specs, definitely lightweight.
After hesitating for a while for which normal prime I wanted, I ended choosing this Ltd zoom...
31 Ltd was a long time wish but so expensive. I owned the DA 35 but was not impressed and didn't like the cheap plastic feel. The FA 35 was going to be a bit similar. The Ltd 35 was almost my choice but the endless macro focus ring didn't appeal me. The Sigma Art 30 is just too big for my taste - compactness I value most over max aperture & bokeh (for my "art-ish" bokeh captures I use the M 50/1.4).
I already own a M 28/2 that's quite good but no AF, and the Sigma 17-50/2.8 which is bigger and heavier, doesn't have the Ltd handling and rendition, but a much better AF and zoom range, which is my choice when I need to be more reactive and versatile.
In the end I consider it an "adjustable prime" -zoom range absolutely not an issue- and it fits perfectly for my use : a high quality normal field of view with superb contrast and colors, and compactness. AF is quite slow and hunting so think about it for what you intend to use it. Sharpness is impressive and so is the bokeh (close-ups) considering the slow aperture.
Example @40mm F/4 ISO100 with K-3 II :
100% crop :
It fits well in a compact/quality kit, consisting of the additional Ltd 15 and PLM 55-300 (relative quality compared to Ltd's but still!) - and eventually M 50/1.4.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: March, 2010 Location: Manila, Philippines Posts: 1,421
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 21, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | WR, metal build, retro design, surprisingly light | | Cons: | slow to focus, so-so sharpness, expensive | |
Let me begin by saying that I have tried all the DA limited lenses before I got this lens. My most favorite is the DA 21, followed by the DA 70 and the HD35 if you want super sharp images.
I bought this lens simply because of its the WR claim plus the rendering of a limited lens and the focal length is very ideal for my use as I really want a WR travel camera set up. Truly that the lens is light and a joy to hold because of the retro design and it is very light. The AF is silent but not that fast (maybe more on the slow side for me). The images that it produces are good but not that great as the 21 / 35 / 70. At 20 mm the HD 20-40 is sharp wide open but the 40mm f4 it is not. The color rendering, micro contrast is very nice and really punches as well as the micro contrast.
I think the lens should only cost about $500 brand new
If you plan get this lens and think that you can replace your existing 21/35 limited lenses, you might get frustrated as the primes produce better IQ overall. But if you want a small lens that is WR, silent, sexy and passable IQ during travel, this can do the job. | | | | | Moderator
Site Supporter Registered: February, 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Posts: 11,267
7 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 14, 2013 | Not Recommended | Price: $900.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Physical beauty and handling, DC AF and WR | | Cons: | Weak at the short end, too big for a DA limited | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 6
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-3
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I had high hopes for this lens. It looks and feels amazing, and it focusses quickly, quietly, and nice and close. Flare resistance is pretty reasonable. It is disappointingly big though.
Between 30mm and 40mm the IQ is excellent, and the bokeh is superb despite only being f/3.5-4.0 in that range.
Unfortunately edge performance is pretty hopeless wide open at the wider end, and only really becomes useable beyond f/5.6, and good beyond f/8.0.
Unacceptable in such an expensive lens.
I will be sticking with my DA*16-50 for weather-proof zooming in that range, and with my limited primes for fun/ultimate IQ.
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