[HarisF1]

That's a good way to sum this up. My lens didn't seem to give up. His did. At least with SDM. Ironically I bought my lens as failed SDM but I woke it up and it never gave me trouble again. I am pretty sure mine was from the Pentax offices closing out and may have had an SDM replacement motor and just sat on the shelf too long. Waking it was painless and it hasn't ever been a problem since.

One of my previous ones (50-135) was in a similar state to yours. Must have been left in storage for ages after the elderly owner passed away. It was sold as clearance and the SDM seemed to be not working. I opened it up and gave it a bit of a massage and it started working intermittently. After a bit more use it was probably the fastest SDM unit I'd ever used. (Sold it off later but that's just opportunistic!)

[UncleVanya]

Hi I've been trying to convert my DA*15-50 to screw drive without success. I am able to access the DEBUG MENU and download the LEENSEEP file to an SD card and then to my computer using notepad++ I then modified 16ea (C0 to 8 zero) under column 3. I copied this to an sd card and reloaded it but no go. I must be doing something wrong as the lens works on an older film camera in the screw drive mode.

So you were able to use the lensrom r/w menu item to STORE the file (LENSEEP.LNS) to the SD CARD and edit it.

Do I have to save the LEENSEEP file in Text Documents or All Files? Do I have to name the file a specific name for the lens to recognize it?

It has to be the exact same name it started as including the extension. Put it in the root directory of the sd card. I suggest copying the original I modified file to another location and calling it original_16-50_lenseep.LNS before making your mods.

After I loaded the modified file to the lens I then attempted to down load it to a formatted SD card and there wasn't anything there.

This is really strange. You used the LOAD command under the lensrom r/w menus? The load command should go through the file and then a VERIFY step. Failing verify should leave the original file in the lens.

I then reloaded the original file to the lens and then downloaded it to another formatted SD card and it (original file) was there.

So I'm assuming that I'm not making the modified card correctly for the lens to accept it.

I'm using a K10 as used by Clover in his original post.

Much thanks in advance!!!

Remember that the file must be the same name. The file must be in the root directory and the file must be LOADED from the LENSROM R/W menu. (STORE puts it in the card from the lens. LOAD puts it in the lens from the card. )

We're there any error messages?

[Atchuu]

So you were able to use the lensrom r/w menu item to STORE the file (LENSEEP.LNS) to the SD CARD and edit it.



It has to be the exact same name it started as including the extension. Put it in the root directory of the sd card. I suggest copying the original I modified file to another location and calling it original_16-50_lenseep.LNS before making your mods.



This is really strange. You used the LOAD command under the lensrom r/w menus? The load command should go through the file and then a VERIFY step. Failing verify should leave the original file in the lens.



Remember that the file must be the same name. The file must be in the root directory and the file must be LOADED from the LENSROM R/W menu. (STORE puts it in the card from the lens. LOAD puts it in the lens from the card. )

We're there any error messages?

There were no error messages.

I will attempt to follow your instructions to the letter. I was using Clovers and may have messed up

My K10 uses the words

lens rom load from file
lens rom save to file
lens rom read/write

When I'm saving the modified file to the new formatted SD card do I save it under text or under all files?

[UncleVanya]

There were no error messages.

I will attempt to follow your instructions to the letter. I was using Clovers and may have messed up

My K10 uses the words

lens rom load from file
lens rom save to file
lens rom read/write

When I'm saving the modified file to the new formatted SD card do I save it under text or under all files?

I don't recall the exact message in notepad++ I think all files.

[Cascadilla]

I just received my 50-135 back from "Uncle Vanya" and it works perfectly on my K3 bodies. If you don't have the older Pentax body needed to turn off the motor or don't want to get involved with tinkering with your lens, I highly recommend his services. And no, he didn't ask me or pay me to write this.

[Petrus_One]

May God Bless this man: Justin Hamblin - for making this clear and fully understandable video + instructions + dropbox database of Debug-menu-opening files (camera model specific).

You Tube

You Tube

My precious lens works well again. :-)

[UncleVanya]

The only change I suggest is when you replace - don't replace all. Use the find next, then replace each one - one at a time and just don't replace the one's that are in the wrong column.

[Petrus_One]

Interesting is the theory in photouniverse video:

You Tube

You Tube

He said that SDM issue is due to "discharged capacitor, that needs recharging after long time not being connected to the camera body. He states, that in his copy SDM issue was gone..... ?????

[UncleVanya]

Interesting is the theory in photouniverse video:

Pentax Reliabilty? - YouTube

He said that SDM issue is due to "discharged capacitor, that needs recharging after long time not being connected to the camera body. He states, that in his copy SDM issue was gone..... ?????

Loads of theory - but it doesn't seem to hold water as new old stock lenses that have sat unused for years seem to work fine for at least a while. My lens was a "dead" sdm purchase that had sat for years but when revived with the manual focus method it has never gone back to being a problem even after months of non-use. I am at a loss as to why some lenses have repeat failures, some have no failures, and others have one failure and never another. The crux of the problem is that without good reliable data people leap to conclusions. I can say this. I have converted over 50 lenses - and no one has ever come back to say their lens doesn't work converted. Screw drive conversion is very very reliable. I keep my own 50-135 as SDM at this point because I don't rely on it for anything other than my own enjoyment. If I were using it in a professional capacity I would likely convert it to avoid potential down time or have a spare already converted in my bag. For me the 50-135 is so good it is worth the risk or the screw drive sounds to use it.

[Petrus_One]

It is all clear, that after screw-drive conversion these lenses are not affected by any electrical problems of the lens internal AF circuit itself. They only rely on the mechanical, camera-driven system.
I just wondered if the "capacitor" theory had any sense. You can also find films on the YT showing, that direct, mechanical stimulation of the SDM engine can fix it.... don't know for how long.

[Class A]

You can find on the YT, that direct, mechanical stimulation of the SDM engine can fix it....

Which is consistent with the commonly accepted explanation that the SDM motor has a mounting issue and can get into a binding state, the latter being able to kill it for good. There were good posts about what exactly is suboptimal with respect to the mounting of the SDM motor and why it is only logical that the design is prone to fail.

The "capacitor theory" has no merit at all, AFAIC.

[jonhock]

Why can't a person just tape over the contacts? This may have been mentioned in this thread, but I haven't read all 48 pages. It's like I have my head buried in the sand (or snow?)

[bennyxyz]

Why can't a person just tape over the contacts? This may have been mentioned in this thread, but I haven't read all 48 pages. It's like I have my head buried in the sand (or snow?)

What if the tape peel off and drop inside the camera?

[UncleVanya]

Why can't a person just tape over the contacts? This may have been mentioned in this thread, but I haven't read all 48 pages. It's like I have my head buried in the sand (or snow?)

The sdm contacts are only for power. Taping them up doesn't tell the camera that the lens is not seem capable. That info comes from the lens communicating over the data pin. Changing the lens eeprom to lie to the camera is what works.

[jonhock]

First, I don't even know if the tape would work, and secondly, if a piece of electrical tape did work I would be sure to change it whenever I used an SDM lens. I have Sigmas with HSM motors but I've never had a problem with them. As stated above, my copy of the SMC Pentax-DA* 50-135mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM is on the way. I'll try it and see if it works.