I read a post of benjikan in the last few days that indicates the SDM situation is MUCH IMPROVED from what it was a year ago. In the past, this was the situation:
a. a number of owners had SDM failures, particularly on 16-50 and 50-135 zooms, we don't know an exact percentage as to occurrence, but certainly there were enough reports to be worrying.
b. according to a distant post on dpreview.com, a bracket failure causes the problem
c. Some owners had to send their SDM lens in for repair, i.e. not only for the initial repair, but a second time which meant: they don't have a PERMANENT REPAIR of the problem.
d. when asked, Pentax reps were often quoted as saying things like "what problem?"
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I was shocked the other day in reading this benjikan message:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/102277-my-da*-...ml#post1052373
In the above and in a follow=up message 2 or 3 posts later, benjikan says that Pentax knows about the problem, and he has had the SDM motors replaced with a revised motor, pre-emptively, on both his 16-50 and 50-135.
So after the benjikan posts, the folloing factors appear to have changed
A. One assumes there will still be occasional SDM failures as existing stock with faulty motors is exhausted - no change
B. Its not a bracket failure as once reported, its a motor failure of some kind
C. Pentax has a revised motor ready for installation to fix the lens
D. A Pentax rep., at least to benjikan, acknowledges that there is a problem.
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As the owner of 2 SDM lenses, this is VERY GOOD NEWS! At least now if i experience a failure, I know my lens is repairable.
Or am i reading this all wrong?