Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm
What Buyers Say
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
This budget telephoto lens receives mixed reviews. Many users praise its value for the price, noting clear focus and decent image quality for occasional use like moon photography. However, several verified buyers report issues with soft focus, dust contamination, and poor build quality, especially with the 2x teleconverter. It is best suited for those with realistic expectations who are willing to use a tripod and manual focus.
Pros
- Great value for the price
- Clear focus for occasional use
- Decent image quality on tripod
- Good for moon and eclipse photography
- Solid adapter and converter machining
Cons
- Soft focus on some units
- Dust contamination from 2x teleconverter
- Requires lots of light (f/8 max aperture)
- No image stabilization
- Adapter lacks back cover
Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm
The Pentax HD DA 20-40mm f/2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR lens is highly praised for its superb build quality, sharpness, and beautiful color rendition. Users love it as a versatile walk-around lens for street photography and landscapes, especially on APS-C bodies like the K-3. The main drawbacks are its variable aperture and a price that many feel is too high for the performance gain over kit lenses.
Pros
- Superb build quality
- Excellent sharpness
- Beautiful color rendition
- Weather resistant
- Versatile focal range for street and landscape
Cons
- Variable aperture (f/2.8-4)
- High price for performance gain
- Limited zoom range
- Not as wide as some kit lenses
Scores
Specifications
| Big Mike's SLY500 500mm | Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | telephoto | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 500 mm | 20 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 1000 mm | 40 mm |
| Elements | — | 9 |
| Groups | — | 8 |
| Aspherical Elements | — | 1★ |
| ED Elements | — | 1★ |
| Coating | multi-coated | HD coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/8 | f/4 |
| Min Aperture | f/8 | 2.8-4 |
| Constant | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Diaphragm Blades | — | 9★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | T Mount | Pentax K |
| Format | — | APS-C★ |
| Weather Sealed | — | ✓★ |
| Weight | 1.16 kg | 0.28 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 67 mm | 55 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | DC |
| Stabilization | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 500 mm | 280 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | — | 1:5★ |
Pros & Cons
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
- Strong stabilization (81st percentile)81st %ile
- Strong versatility (72nd percentile)
- Below average user sentiment (6th percentile)6th %ile
- Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
- Below average build (15th percentile)15th %ile
Pentax Limited Series 23010 40mm
- Strong build (86th percentile)86th %ile
- Strong social proof (86th percentile)86th %ile
- Strong bokeh (81st percentile)81st %ile
- Strong macro (74th percentile)
Verdict
Scores 77 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 8 of 21 specs.