| Latest Review Posted | SMC Pentax-DA 40mm F2.8 Limited
I am one late adopter of this lens. It was actually an impulse purchase after seeing Hinman's K-x + DA 40 shots. I already own the FA35 and FA50. Could the lineup be more crowded? Well, it turned out that it can! I thought the lens would be just a short fling, and that I'll go back to FA 35 after two-three months or so, but it's beena year and the DA40 have been seeing more action than any of my other lenses.
First lets start with the pros. Of course the feature that stands out the most from this lens is the size. It allows for very small and inconspicuous camera packages. With the *istD, I actually can comfortably fit the combo in my winter jacket pocket (K-x fits but not comfortably). Also find is amazing is the balance when used with K10D + grip. I'm sure most SLR users are used to the front-heavy feeling that we get because of big lenses. DA40's weight is pretty much negligible, and therefore allows for very comfortable one-hand operation with K10D + grip.
The supplied hood is great in that it allows for cap-free use (I never cap this lens). Couple this with the great one-hand balance and your camera will almost always be ready for action. Most of the time you only need your right hand to take pictures.
As far as image quality goes, the lens leaves (almost) nothing to be desired. Of particular note is the sharpness, which is great at 2.8 and amazing starting at 3.5. Bokeh is not special but looks very nice. The only downside is the modest fast aperture and reso... |
