RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: SDMs of DA* Lenses Continue to Die

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

SDMs of DA* Lenses Continue to Die

In fact, those SDM death reports have never ever stopped. Different users/owners of those expensive SDM lenses, in particular mostly with DA*16-50 and DA*50-135, have been reporting/complaining about the death of the SDMs in their lenses, at various different Pentax forums everywhere on this planet, from day to day.

A few very recent cases as reported:-

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=33020855
(DA* 16-50)

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=32988147
(DA* 16-50, 50-135 and DA* 300)

http://www.dchome.net/viewthread.php?tid=757982
(DA* 50-135; Posts in Traditional Chinese)

So, putting aside the ridiculous slow speed of the SDM lenses in doing AF of the Pentax SDM design (of which this "modern" design is yet much slower than the original Pentax body-driven "screw" AF back to the 80s!), the reliability of the SDM is still in question after years of launch. What have Pentax been doing? Still no solution and any possible remedial action by the manufacturer?

And, it's rather funny that someone has suggested that it's Hoya whom should be blamed instead of "Pentax"? So, what's the difference?? (Fanboyism in action and serious symptom shown?!)

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Real Engineer · 807 weeks ago

Does the word, "hyperbole" mean anything to you?

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elho_cid · 807 weeks ago

There are 1089 users on www.pentaxfriends.eu and only one reported SDM problem - problem which Pentax service fixed. I recall one guy had similar AF failure with FA 28-105.
Statistics doesn§t work with forums on dpreview. I you'd ask there "Who ever saw a sasquatch?" the poll result would be very similar. I never saw neither sasquatch nor SDM failure. I admit that both may exist, but the probablility is low.

1 reply · active 807 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 807 weeks ago

The probability is NOT low when the same issue has been so widely reported, over years and repeatedly by all different users.

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Walter · 807 weeks ago

With estimates of failure (based on several polls) exceeding 20%, I believe "hyperbole" is not an appropriate response to this problem. Add to this the fact that Pentax has not responded at all to this long-standing problem and that a 1 year warranty is all that is offered (wow! what confidence in your so-called "premium" lenses).

Why cannot Pentax amend the length of the warranty on the SDM lenses to 3 or 5 years? Are they not confident their SDM assemblies will last that long?

Third party manufacturers can do it.

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Peace · 807 weeks ago

I almost never agree with RH posts here, but the SDM failure is indeed a universal experienced problem.
Although my own 4 DA* lenses are still working I'm totally not confident that they live trough decades to come. If there is foundational design flaw with these lenses then Pentax should react with a call-back for all involved DA* lenses and repare them free of charge and with shipping included. These are top lenses as advertised by Pentax and they need to maintain normal function for at least 10 years.

Pentax should show some backbone and react to problems which are this wide spread, i for one will not pay for any repair if my SDM failure is experienced. And indeed i go to court for it, maybe in a joint effort.

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Real Engineer · 807 weeks ago

Firstly, 20% of a poll on a forum is meningless jibberish.
You can have 100% failure on a poll and it be in fact less in reality than a 0.01% failure rate on another poll.
Its the actual percentage that are returned that is important.
If you are suggesting that 20% of DPreview polls constitutes a high percentage of the actual failure in world then you are both wrong and guilty of hyperbole. It is illogical to assume anything from the data given. Pentax may have a serious issue with quality control or it may have a a handful of issues that are not even Pentax issues. Till a common link is found and reported everything is speculation.
If these are the only lenses in the series which has sold how many tens of thousands by now, is it still a major problem as you claim?
Bottom line is you don't know.
Claiming that you do is wrong.
I have been on the receiving end of FUD so I damn well know what it is like and what it does to reputation.
Yet even after I was vindicated (installer error, by people who don't read the manual no less) in my case the reports went on for years as to the unreliability of my product.
Till you know the facts you have nothing but speculation.
But you can do great harm to Pentax anyway so have at it.

Peace,
could you provide data for it being a "universal" problem?
Some valid statistics to show your case?
You yourself have four and don't have a problem yet you are claiming its universal.
You are adding to hysteria and yet you are one of the ones without a problem.

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jamesm700 · 807 weeks ago

Well that fanboy who said Hoya should be blamed is 'me' but my wording was poor, I should have said responsible for the owers with problems. Pentax president can't do anything to help unless Hoya gives the green light. Hoya is not to blame, but Hoya is responsible to its customers, if Pentax won't Hoya should. Would you not agree. Even you RH link them " know it is not fair to judge on the samples produced by beta unit(s) with beta firmware. But then *when* Pentax/Hoya try to tell the world that those are production samples but actually these are not."

Funny what a short memory you have... and how you can twist things, did you read the whole post that ended 4 hours ago? I don't own any SDM lens, I was trying to help those who do, becuase if Pentax won't can't, then its Hoya or Hoya should? NO?

3 replies · active 807 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 807 weeks ago

So, what do you think, James:-

1. *Should* Pentax/Hoya acknowledge and fix the problem?

2. *Will* they do it?

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jamesm007 · 807 weeks ago

If and only if the failing of the SDM system is 'much' greater than normal, an un-precedent amount, then too many will suffer a financial loss and yes Pentax/Hoya *Should* acknowledge and offer some remedy. At the very least, and this would not cost them anything (relative) is to allow screw drive AF with SDM lens, as with the old K10D. So owners can keep the lens from being a nice looking paper weight and still have full AF, just more noise, might even be faster ;). However it would not be without precedent if they don't do anything as many including Canon, Nikon have pretended to be blind and hard of hearing as well on similar situations. I think Hoya/Pentax, has/had a golden opportunity to make a first class impression with the public as a company thats serious about its customers and the future. Now *will* they do it. Honestly I don't know, and my gut feeling goes both ways.

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RiceHigh 110p · 807 weeks ago

Thanks for the reply and I in general agree. :-)

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

SDMs of DA* Lenses Continue to Die

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