Background

I thought about getting the Limited primes setup I had previously with my former Pentax bodies. Those were the 21mm, 40mm and the 70mm. This go around, I decided to see what the 20-40mm Limited zoom had to offer. Got this lens for half of what it would cost me to get the 21mm and 40mm alone. While not as small as those lenses – why not give it a go as I’ve never had it before!

Let’s journey together to see how this lens fairs and what we think of it!

Disclosure – images were post processed to my liking and in various styles. Processed from RAW and sharpened in Topaz Photo AI.

Handling/Size/Weight/Build

Based solely on the size and the fact that it is a metal lens, you’d be forgiven if you thought, like I did, that the lens would be heavier than it is. The choice of metal – aluminum – makes it light weight.

Handling is easy as well with one zoom ring and a full time manual focus override for the focusing.

It doesn’t take much to go from 20mm to 40mm.

It feels very solid in hand.

Aesthetically – it has a retro vibe to it that reminds one of the styling of on pre AI Nikon manual focus lenses.

Weather Sealed

This is a weather resistant lens, pairing well with Pentax’s legendary weather sealed camera bodies!

Please make your own decisions on how and in what conditions you’ll shoot your gear.

Image Quality

So here is what most want to know. Sharpness is here! I won’t go so far as to say that the zoom is the equal of the Limited primes – but to know the difference is the need to pixel peep. The base image quality is there for you to be able to get some very nice sharp images with good color and contrast.

The lens also has the ability to focus very close to subjects, so getting in for detail shots is not a problem.

Close focusing also lets you shoot wide open at f/2.8 to f/4 and start getting some out of focus areas in the background. Don’t expect a lot – but it is possible with the right shooting technique. All in all – everything here is a definite thumbs up in the image quality.

Wide open the images can be missing that “bite”. Not a big deal with the modern post processing techniques. Even stop down a little and the lens optics clear up any of the wide open faults.

Focusing

Focusing is quick and confident for stills. Typical Pentax focusing – so expect a little bit of jittery or pulsing sometimes when the subject contrast is lacking. On the K-50 and K-3, though – I’ve only missed a few shots where auto focus missed the mark.

VR (Shake Reduction Stabilization)

This lens has no VR. All modern Pentax DSLRs have SR or Shake Reduction, so you have that stabilization built in!

Bottom Line

Pentax’s 20-40mm f/2.8-4 Limited Ed WR lens is a gem. I’ve seen it written in places where they call this zoom “a pocket full of primes”. I can certainly see where they could have gotten that adage from.

If the ultimate IQ is your goal – the Limited primes are probably a better route for you. However, if you want close to Limited primes quality without the need to switch lenses – you get a 30-60mm field of view with this lens.

I’m really a fan of the Pentax Limited series of lenses. Used, they are a real bargain for what you get in focus, features, durability and image quality.

Bottom Line = Highly Recommend.