Pentax DA 35mm F2.4 vs 40mm XS vs 40mm Limited
What's in the Box / Specifications
The DA 35mm f/2.4 comes in a standard Pentax DA lens box, which is to say a glossy black box with red, green, and white lettering. Inside the outer shell is a thicker corrugated cardboard box that contains the lens, which is wrapped in bubble wrap with the usual desiccant packet to keep it dry in transit. The only other thing in the box is the paperwork, which comprises a warranty card and warranty information, a user manual, and a piece of paper informing you that Ricoh has purchased Pentax. No hood is included. The lens comes with a standard push-on rear lens cap and a pinch-style plastic front cap. The box is quite compact, really only as big as it needs to be to hold the lens.
The story is much the same with the DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited: same style box (though square instead of rectangular), same design (though missing a picture of the lens itself), same reinforced box-within-a-box, and same paperwork. The only significant differences are as follows: 1.The lens itself is packaged inside a classy leather pouch rather than bubble wrap, 2. The lens comes with a metal hood and tiny little metal screw-on front cap, and 3. The rear cap is of the sturdier screw-on variety.
Unfortunately, the DA 40mm f/2.8 XS was not yet available in the USA as a stand-alone purchase at the time of our review, so we received our test unit in a K-01 kit. As such, the lens simply came in a plastic bag securely stowed within the larger K-01 box. Like the DA 35/2.4, this lens does not come with a hood. Like the DA 40/2.8 Limited, it comes with a tiny front cap, but in this case the cap is of the push-on variety and is made of rubber. The rear cap is the same plastic push-on variety that comes with the DA 35/2.4. Shortly after initially posting this comparative review we also received a boxed 40mm XS. Surprisingly, inside the box the 40mm XS was packaged in the same way as in the K-01 kit. The box simply contains spacers and the same small cardboard enclosure which holds the lens. It is pictured to the left. If you're willing to live without the box, it may be cheaper to buy the K-01 kit rather than the standalone lens, and then selling the camera.
Specifications
DA 35mm f/2.4 | DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited |
| Focal Length | 35mm (52.5mm effective) | | Angle of View | 44° | | Diaphragm Blades | 6 | | Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.3m (0.98ft) | | Maximum Magnification | 0.17x | | Aperture Range | f/2.4 - f/22 | | Construction | 6 elements in 5 groups | | Filter Diameter | 49mm | | Weight | 124g (4.4oz) | | Dimensions | 63mm x 45mm (2.5 in. x 1.8 in.) | | | Focal Length | 40mm (60mm effective) | | Angle of View | 39° | | Diaphragm Blades | 9 | | Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.4m (1.31ft) | | Maximum Magnification | 0.13x | | Aperture Range | f/2.8 - f/22 | | Construction | 5 elements in 4 groups | | Filter Diameter | 49mm | | Weight | 90g (3.2oz) | | Dimensions | 63mm x 15mm (2.5 in. x 0.6 in.) | |
DA 40mm f/2.8 XS |
| Focal Length | 40mm (60mm effective) | | Angle of View | 39° | | Diaphragm Blades | 9 rounded | | Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.4m (1.31ft) | | Maximum Magnification | 0.13x | | Aperture Range | f/2.8 - f/22 | | Construction | 5 elements in 4 groups | | Filter Diameter | 27mm | | Weight | 51g (1.8oz) | | Dimensions | 63mm x 9.2mm (2.5 in. x 0.36 in.) | |
The DA 35mm f/2.4 comes in a standard Pentax DA lens box, which is to say a glossy black box with red, green, and white lettering. Inside the outer shell is a thicker corrugated cardboard box that contains the lens, which is wrapped in bubble wrap with the usual desiccant packet to keep it dry in transit. The only other thing in the box is the paperwork, which comprises a warranty card and warranty information, a user manual, and a piece of paper informing you that Ricoh has purchased Pentax. No hood is included. The lens comes with a standard push-on rear lens cap and a pinch-style plastic front cap. The box is quite compact, really only as big as it needs to be to hold the lens.
The story is much the same with the DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited: same style box (though square instead of rectangular), same design (though missing a picture of the lens itself), same reinforced box-within-a-box, and same paperwork. The only significant differences are as follows: 1.The lens itself is packaged inside a classy leather pouch rather than bubble wrap, 2. The lens comes with a metal hood and tiny little metal screw-on front cap, and 3. The rear cap is of the sturdier screw-on variety.
Unfortunately, the DA 40mm f/2.8 XS was not yet available in the USA as a stand-alone purchase at the time of our review, so we received our test unit in a K-01 kit. As such, the lens simply came in a plastic bag securely stowed within the larger K-01 box. Like the DA 35/2.4, this lens does not come with a hood. Like the DA 40/2.8 Limited, it comes with a tiny front cap, but in this case the cap is of the push-on variety and is made of rubber. The rear cap is the same plastic push-on variety that comes with the DA 35/2.4. Shortly after initially posting this comparative review we also received a boxed 40mm XS. Surprisingly, inside the box the 40mm XS was packaged in the same way as in the K-01 kit. The box simply contains spacers and the same small cardboard enclosure which holds the lens. It is pictured to the left. If you're willing to live without the box, it may be cheaper to buy the K-01 kit rather than the standalone lens, and then selling the camera.
