- A great all-rounder type lens that’s almost at the standard focal length for APS-C sized image sensors (35mm would be equivalent).
- A lens that’s frankly special and unique due to how physically convenient it is yet still achieves no compromises image quality.
- Small portable size, probably one of the smallest 35mm lenses available.
- Easily carry the lens with you in a pocket or similar (comes with a soft leather bag). Even if you are a photographer that prefers zoom lenses, also having this lens with you at all times should be a given. Just make sure your bag is big enough to hold that zoom after you become smitten with the 40mm.
- A sharp high contrast lens from its widest aperture. Edge to edge sharpness abound.
- Bokeh quality is exceptional thanks to the large number of aperture blades.
- “good enough” for 35mm full-frame sensor if a FF-DSLR is ever released by Pentax.
- High all metal build quality and dependable auto-focus method (screw-drive) you can depend on as a life-long lens.
- Lens specifications and serial number engraved on the lens.
- Quick-shift manual focus is useful as always. It’s useful to me when I’m done using the lens and then I manually rotate the lens back to it’s smallest size before putting it back into the camera bag.
- The lens doesn’t have any issues with flare or chromatic aberrations.

- The manual focus ring is almost too small.
- I somehow got a small scuff on my manual focus ring, showing a tiny bit of silver aluminum. Not sure how it happened, but don’t expect the lens to stay completely black unless you baby it (I don’t baby my equipment by any means).
- Screw drive auto-focus, while reliable, is louder than in-lens SDM motors. Not really a negative given the positives of screw drive, unless you really need something low noise.
- The lens hood and lens cap, while convenient in some ways, takes a few seconds to attach and remove as they are screw thread type devices.
- 40mm focal length isn’t optimal on APS-C cameras. When photographing people at events, it’s primarily best for waist and up style images instead of full body ones. A Pentax 31mm Limited lens in this respect is a better buy if you can afford one.
- Not specifically designed to be weather resistant (WR), but those are a newer addition to Pentax’s lens lineup.
- I would like to see nice especially curved aperture blades like the D-FA 100mm WR Macro lens has, but the sheer number of blades the 40mm LTD has compensates for that.

Part of the challenge of DSLR photography is finding the motivation to take equipment out as sometimes the stuff can be burdensome compared to say a digicam in your pocket. I take this lens out by itself attached to the K-7 all of the time as it’s just that convenient. Get a camera bag that can hold just that combination and you have a high quality, fully optical (viewfinder, etc) system that’s ready at a moments notice without much baggage holding you down. Pentaxians are doing a disservice to themselves if they don’t have a copy of this lens. No lenses are prefect, including this one, but it does many things right. It gives you a good deal of convenience and mobility, yet also gives you strong performance at a reasonably useful focal-length.

More information and pictures on my blog entry about the lens here:
http://photographybanzai.com/2010/12/02/lens-review-pentax-da-40mm-f2-8-limited/

Similar Products Used:

Pentax FA50mm f1.4

The colours my lens produces with my Pentax K-x are very pleasing, including skin tones (I used automatic white balance).

I find the sharpness quite good, but my camera (Pentax K-x) has only 12 million pixels, so it is difficult to tell whether sharpness is good or fantastic.

I find the focal length very well suited for people pictures.

My SLR does not look too professionnal with a lens as flat as this one. I like that.

The build quality seems awesome.

The lens is very light and small.

The screw in lens cap is a bit fidly, care must be taken not to scratch the front element of the lens. I put a circular filter (a B+W) between the lens cap and the lens hood, to protect the front element.

I find manual focusing is a bit tricky, I think it is due to the fact the focusing ring is very slim (probably because the lens is so flat).

Great lens.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax 50mm f/1.4 (autofocus lens)
Canon 50mm f/1.8 (manual focus lens, the maximum aperture is a guess, I cannot remember exactly what it was)

- Built quality
- Size and weight
- Sharpness
- Lovely Bokeh
- PRICE

Just one little thing (but I must be really picky): I had and issue with its size in combination with COKIN P filters - the filter holder gest too close to the camera and cannot fully rotate as it is stopped by the camera bulit-in flash. But I understand, that a 49mm filter screw should wear an COKING A filter, not the P ones I use with my 16-50 zoom.

Realy excellent lens with great built quality. Is use it as my standard prime mainly for portraits and landscape. It is super-sharp and I just love its bokeh.

Customer Service

Have no experience

Similar Products Used:

Pentax 70mm limited

super, SUPER SHARP
nice and light
focuses fast and sharp

none. absolutely none

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this lens! It's tack sharp (if you model has large pores, or fine wrinkles, be prepared to do some airbrushing)! It's tiny. I like to travel with this lens alone if I'm going somewhere where bulky packs will be a problem (and you can carry your camera in slim-profiile bag that doesn't necessarily have to scream "camera inside"). I absolutely love it and use it 85% of the time.
If only it were physically possible to create pancake lenses for a wide angle lenses and a portrait-length lens, I'd only use primes. Even with the DA* lenses coming out, this is going to be my go-to lens.

AND...

it's inexpensive enough not to worry about damaging!

Similar Products Used:

50mm f/1.8 AND f/1.4 from Pentax, Minolta, Canon and Nikon
Pentax 43mm f/1.9 Limited

Extremely sharp, great contrast and very good focus speed on the K10D

ZERO...

I have only had this lens for about a week and it never ceases to amaze me as to how incredibly sharp this lens is. Looks strange on my K10D's with Battery grips. People seeing it don't know what to make of it.

One of the best prime lenses in this focal length i.e. 35 to 60mm.

The image I uploaded is just one example of how sharp and saturated this lens is.

http://www.pressbook.com/homebook.asp?langue_id=2&owner_id=5144

Customer Service

Not Needed

Similar Products Used:

21, 40, 70 mm Pancake Lenses