Sigma HSM lenses for Pentax?

Pentastic! · 11-22-2007, 10:47 AM

I've been unable to find a thread covering this question. Any word out there if and/or when Sigma (or any other mfr) will offer their lenses for Pentax with the HSM motors now that the K10D supports the SDM lens?

mattdm · 11-22-2007, 11:29 AM

No news yet. Pentax isn't licensing the interface to them, so they'll have to reverse-engineer it. And of course first they'll need to make a judgment call about whether that's even worth the effort.

little laker · 11-22-2007, 01:05 PM

I would think that Tamron would be the first, since they seem to work with Pentax from time to time

But that's just a guess.

Bryce · 11-23-2007, 12:42 AM

There woudn't be much point in adding a HSM motor on a Pentax lens... The AF motor is in the body!

m8o · 11-23-2007, 01:00 AM

To feed our never ending rumor mill'ing around...

There's a related rumor that Sigma will be releasing the 120-300 f/2.8 lens for Pentax. Complete supposition based on this rumor, but my thought was that is being made possible due to the advent of SDM support w/the 1.3 firmware; with SDM just being another variant known as HSM by Sigma; and I surmised the only reason the 120-300 f/2.8 wasn't released for Pentax was it can't support the legacy focus mechanism and only could be focused w/its in-lens system. If K10D and SDM/HSM can 'talk', I can maybe get what I really wanted a few months ago instead of the prime I had to buy...

Bryce, I guess you're not up on Pentax's most recent advanced focusing method's direction...?

SupremeMoFo · 11-23-2007, 06:25 AM

Originally posted by little laker

I would think that Tamron would be the first, since they seem to work with Pentax from time to time

But that's just a guess.

It would make sense except that Tamron has no AF motor inclusive lenses for any mount not just Pentax.

Originally posted by Bryce

There woudn't be much point in adding a HSM motor on a Pentax lens... The AF motor is in the body!

Pentax DA* 16-50 and 50-135 SDM are both lens-based AF setups. Yes the cameras still have a AF motor in the body for backwards compatibility's sake. The only DSLRs on the market which skip an internal AF motor completely are the Nikon D40 and D40x.

Bryce · 11-23-2007, 02:50 PM

Originally posted by m8o

Bryce, I guess you're not up on Pentax's most recent advanced focusing method's direction...?

It seems I am not up to speed on Pentax's AF system.
What is the benefit of an in lens motor? Is it faster, quieter, or does it use less power?

m8o · 11-23-2007, 03:06 PM

I'm no expert (far from it). Quite, yep. Supposed to be faster but reports are it isn't, or not by much? If true, hoping it will be; perhaps this 1st rev isn't as good as it will as it evolves (which usually happens). Is it supposed to be more precise/accurate? Anyone else know? Dunno about the power utilization; it's a good question worth investigating.

little laker · 11-23-2007, 03:24 PM

I wonder if the focus speed can be increased through a firmware update

I would at least hope that they'd work on an accurate focus system before trying to make a fast focus system.

PePe · 11-24-2007, 03:02 AM

Originally posted by Bryce

What is the benefit of an in lens motor? Is it faster, quieter, or does it use less power?

I have been using the SDM 16-50 lens for about a month now. So far so good.
Regarding AF, I never had a problem with the traditional AF system. However, this one seems to have at least one clear advantage. The SDM-system is very quiet indeed compared to the shaft-driven one.

mattdm · 11-24-2007, 05:54 AM

From a thread on dpreview: For the DA* lenses, Pentax apparently uses a tiny ultrasonic motor that drives the same focusing shaft as the in-body lenses. This has the advantage of working with the K100D/K110D and *ist cameras, but doesn't have the speed advantage of an ultrasonic ring motor as used in Canon and Nikon's USM/AF-S lenses.

11-22-2007, 10:47 AM	#1
Pentastic! New Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 15	Sigma HSM lenses for Pentax? I've been unable to find a thread covering this question. Any word out there if and/or when Sigma (or any other mfr) will offer their lenses for Pentax with the HSM motors now that the K10D supports the SDM lens?

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11-22-2007, 11:29 AM	#2
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	No news yet. Pentax isn't licensing the interface to them, so they'll have to reverse-engineer it. And of course first they'll need to make a judgment call about whether that's even worth the effort.

11-22-2007, 01:05 PM	#3
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	I would think that Tamron would be the first, since they seem to work with Pentax from time to time But that's just a guess.

11-23-2007, 12:42 AM	#4
Bryce New Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Monroe, WA USA Posts: 19	There woudn't be much point in adding a HSM motor on a Pentax lens... The AF motor is in the body!

11-23-2007, 01:00 AM	#5
m8o Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: 40°-55'-44" N / 73°-24'-07" W [on LI] Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,092	To feed our never ending rumor mill'ing around... There's a related rumor that Sigma will be releasing the 120-300 f/2.8 lens for Pentax. Complete supposition based on this rumor, but my thought was that is being made possible due to the advent of SDM support w/the 1.3 firmware; with SDM just being another variant known as HSM by Sigma; and I surmised the only reason the 120-300 f/2.8 wasn't released for Pentax was it can't support the legacy focus mechanism and only could be focused w/its in-lens system. If K10D and SDM/HSM can 'talk', I can maybe get what I really wanted a few months ago instead of the prime I had to buy... Bryce, I guess you're not up on Pentax's most recent advanced focusing method's direction...?

11-23-2007, 06:25 AM	#6
SupremeMoFo Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 668	Originally posted by little laker I would think that Tamron would be the first, since they seem to work with Pentax from time to time But that's just a guess. It would make sense except that Tamron has no AF motor inclusive lenses for any mount not just Pentax. Originally posted by Bryce There woudn't be much point in adding a HSM motor on a Pentax lens... The AF motor is in the body! Pentax DA* 16-50 and 50-135 SDM are both lens-based AF setups. Yes the cameras still have a AF motor in the body for backwards compatibility's sake. The only DSLRs on the market which skip an internal AF motor completely are the Nikon D40 and D40x.

11-23-2007, 02:50 PM	#7
Bryce New Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Monroe, WA USA Posts: 19	Originally posted by m8o Bryce, I guess you're not up on Pentax's most recent advanced focusing method's direction...? It seems I am not up to speed on Pentax's AF system. What is the benefit of an in lens motor? Is it faster, quieter, or does it use less power?

11-23-2007, 03:06 PM	#8
m8o Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: 40°-55'-44" N / 73°-24'-07" W [on LI] Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,092	I'm no expert (far from it). Quite, yep. Supposed to be faster but reports are it isn't, or not by much? If true, hoping it will be; perhaps this 1st rev isn't as good as it will as it evolves (which usually happens). Is it supposed to be more precise/accurate? Anyone else know? Dunno about the power utilization; it's a good question worth investigating.

11-23-2007, 03:24 PM	#9
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	I wonder if the focus speed can be increased through a firmware update I would at least hope that they'd work on an accurate focus system before trying to make a fast focus system.

11-24-2007, 03:02 AM	#10
PePe Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Helsinki, Finland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 597	Originally posted by Bryce What is the benefit of an in lens motor? Is it faster, quieter, or does it use less power? I have been using the SDM 16-50 lens for about a month now. So far so good. Regarding AF, I never had a problem with the traditional AF system. However, this one seems to have at least one clear advantage. The SDM-system is very quiet indeed compared to the shaft-driven one.

11-24-2007, 05:54 AM	#11
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	From a thread on dpreview: For the DA* lenses, Pentax apparently uses a tiny ultrasonic motor that drives the same focusing shaft as the in-body lenses. This has the advantage of working with the K100D/K110D and *ist cameras, but doesn't have the speed advantage of an ultrasonic ring motor as used in Canon and Nikon's USM/AF-S lenses.

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