|
Pentax SMC-DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited - Review / Test Report |
|
Lens Reviews -
Pentax
|
|
Page 1 of 3
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published April 2007
Special thanks to Rüdiger Neumann for providing this lens!
Introduction
Pentax has quite a reputation regarding street photography thanks to their
extensive "Limited" lens lineup which covers the range from
moderate wide-angles to moderate tele. These lenses aren't exactly cheap
but ultra compact and high quality items. The Pentax SMC DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited
is one of these lenses. Looking at its shape it is quite obvious why it is
called a pancake lens - it is as flat. Just like most current Pentax
lenses it is a DA lenses with a reduced image circle dedicated to the APS-C
format. Its field-of-view is equivalent to 60mm on full format cameras.
Now this is a bit of a problem because "60mm" f/2.8 isn't exactly in the sweet
spot of user desires. Fortunately Pentax was at least sane enough to keep
the price level to a relatively moderate degree.
Thanks to the extensive use of metal rather than plastics the build quality
of the lens is excellent. The focus control ring of the tiny lens seems to be
made for elfs but then there's simply not enough space for anything bigger.
The cutey is a bit of weird fellow when mounted on the rather substantial
K10D (see above).
Typical for most Pentax lenses the DA 40mm f/2.8 has no internal AF motor and
relies on a slotted drive screw operated by the camera. Consequently AF
operations generate a moderate degree of noise. The AF speed is very fast
on the K10D - finally the focus group is about as light-weight as it gets.
The focus accuracy of the tested sample was excellent.
| Specifications |
|---|
| Equiv. focal length | 60 mm (full format equivalent) |
| Equiv. aperture | f/4.2 (full format equivalent, in terms of depth-of-field) |
| Optical construction | 5 elements in 4 groups |
| Number of aperture blades | 9 |
| min. focus distance | 0.4 m (max. magnification ratio 1:7.7) |
| Dimensions | 63 x 15 mm |
| Weight | 90 g |
| Filter size | 49 mm (non-rotating) |
| Hood | screw-in type (supplied) | |
| Other features | - |
|
