Jim's Law of Gear Obtainence (LoGO):
Each new lens is bought to meet a want/need, and that is very much based on what other lenses you own that don't quite do the job/lust-slaking. That's what keeps a kit alive/healthy/expensive! And of course, filling that empty/imaginary hole in the kit redefines the next want/need, and the cycle repeats again/endlessly/until you check into rehab.
Financial pressure may create/justify a need to sell a few lenses, so after examining/drawing straws regarding what's in the bag, the shooter choose what gets less use/love/good reviews and carefully/recklessly lets a few go. And yet again the cycle repeats.
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| from dxomark.com |
So what has me in such a reflective/silly mood (hey stop that!) today? It's due to my repurchase of the DA40 Limited. Yes I owned this before and really liked it, then went all-in on zooms like the Tamron 28-75 that was just as fast but more versatile, then went to all-manual primes. But clearly there was this gaping hole between 24 and 50mm and by the LoGO I had to... (hey stop that!)
At one point I also owned the DA40 XS lens, which is cuter and tinier (well, not cuter as such) than the Limited. The quick-shift clutch is a nice feature though, so the Limited is a better choice for me because... OK spill it: I found a used Limited 40 for $229 online, and that was irresistible. There: I said it, and I am feeling much better now!
Of the three Limited lenses I've tried (40, 70, 21) I liked the DA40 best, so picking up this bargain was a no-brainer. Literally! Well, I really liked the 70 best too, but that's at least another $100 used so I can afford to like the DA40 more. Yes, that's it - I like the DA40 best per square mm and per dollar, so it's really value density that matters.
My other amazingly good reason is that I own a prime lens from every Pentax manual-focus lens series (Tak, SMC-M, SMC-A) but not a Limited, which focuses manually/any time I want even when in autofocus mode. So it had to be in my kit! That and it's tiny & cute (less and more so respectively than the XS).
Oh wait I forgot the best reason/excuse of all! I own the Limited-lens version of PentaxForums' 2013 t-shirt (the middle one but in white), and I don't want to give it back - so I must own a matching Limited. So it's a matter of use it (lens) or lose it (shirt) more or less, as it were. Although to be entirely correct I believe that's a DA70 focus scale on the shirt... maybe next time?
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| image from pentaxforums.com 2013 t-shirt sale |
