Until the release of Panasonic’s diminutive 14mm F2.5, Pentax’s DA40mm F2.8 was the undisputed Mini-me of the camera world. I’ve got both and finally got round to showing how they stack up…
My findings:
- They are nearly the same depth. The Panasonic lens extends farther from the lens mount while the Pentax lens extends farther into the camera body
- The Panasonic is smaller in diameter
- The Panasonic is lighter. It’s a well-built plastic lens. No distance scale and electronic AF.
- The Pentax is better built. It’s an all-metal jewel befitting the “Limited” title. It has a distance scale (no DOF markings) and mechanical AF, but the AF ring is ridiculously narrow.
- The Panasonic IQ is nice but the Pentax IQ is nicer.
This isn’t really an apples-to-apples comparison, as the Panasonic is 28mm equivalent focal length while the Pentax is 60mm equivalent focal length. But as I said from the start, this is pancake-to-pancake!