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12-10-2014, 05:42 PM   #1
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Fixing DA 16-50mm f/2.8 lens motor failure - is there a sticky, or wiki page?

My 16-50mm motor takes a while for the SDM to get going, and I suspect it is the sign of the motor failure.
I remember seeing a post about how to change the firmware so that it would use screw drive instead of SDM (provided the body supports it of course).
Last time I looked it was not available for K-5 but maybe someone has found way around it by now I hope !

Anyhow - it would be nice to have a sticky or a wiki page on how to change the drive mechanism... or am I not searching in the right place?

12-10-2014, 05:56 PM   #2
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Interesting... I have the same problem with my DA* 60-250mm. I don't use it that often but when I do I have to exercise it. Initially it won't focus at all but after cranking focuser manually for a while and getting it to focus near, far, near, far, etc. it seems to loosen up and work properly. Very disconcerting but at least it hasn't needed a repair!
12-10-2014, 07:21 PM   #3
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Just curious, don't think that it is related to stickiness, how do you keep your lens when it is not mounted on the camera? I keep mine always standing up in the lens pouch. I noticed that if I keep it lying on the side, it seems to get sluggish easily - however, I have no scientific proof. I had the SDM motor replaced in my DA* 50-135 lens, now I don't encounter the problem as you described; perhaps due to the new motor and/or may be the way I keep it too.
12-10-2014, 07:38 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by aleonx3 Quote
Just curious, don't think that it is related to stickiness, how do you keep your lens when it is not mounted on the camera? I keep mine always standing up in the lens pouch. I noticed that if I keep it lying on the side, it seems to get sluggish easily - however, I have no scientific proof. I had the SDM motor replaced in my DA* 50-135 lens, now I don't encounter the problem as you described; perhaps due to the new motor and/or may be the way I keep it too.
I used to keep it front down in my bag just because it fit better but now I keep the mount down. Hope it makes a difference.

12-10-2014, 07:43 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by gbeaton Quote
I used to keep it front down in my bag just because it fit better but now I keep the mount down. Hope it makes a difference.
I keep it front glass element down in the pouch in I think the most stable position. Before I had the SDM motor failure in the 50-135mm I keep in my camera bag lying flat...
12-10-2014, 07:51 PM   #6
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I keep mine in horizontal position. I might try the suggestion. But nevertheless, if anyone has any pointers on where the instructions are to change the firmware on DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 so that it will use screw drive, using K-5, that would be very much appreciated.
12-10-2014, 07:58 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by dartagnon Quote
I keep mine in horizontal position. I might try the suggestion. But nevertheless, if anyone has any pointers on where the instructions are to change the firmware on DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 so that it will use screw drive, using K-5, that would be very much appreciated.
I think it has been discussed before in another thread that someone had a firmware hack to disable SDM and use only screw drive in this link.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/208353-how-...m-f-2-8-a.html

12-10-2014, 08:02 PM   #8
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I'd do it for you with a K-x if you were in Melbourne, Dartagnon.


The thread is here ... I'd not act on the first pages of posts, read 'em through to the end:


https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/208353-how-...m-f-2-8-a.html
12-10-2014, 08:12 PM   #9
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Thanks for the replies aleonx3 and clackers.
I searched in this forum with keywords 16-50mm & SDM but couldn't see the post... how could I miss that !
I'll go through the instructions and see if there are ways for me to try locally first. :-)
Thanks heaps.
12-10-2014, 11:40 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by dartagnon Quote
Last time I looked it was not available for K-5 but maybe someone has found way around it by now I hope !
It probably *was* available last time you looked... it's just that no one ever updated the initial post to indicate that - the post mentioning that the K5 and others were supported is several pages in. The link in the original post does go to a page that mentions it though.

Now, if they'd just do a *mac* version, I'd probably switch all 3 of my DA* lenses back to screw drive. It feels faster to me, and since my K5 sometimes decides it doesn't need to autofocus at all no matter how out of focus something is, having the AF be silent sometimes means I don't notice til I've taken several shots that the AF has gone to sleep.
12-11-2014, 12:41 AM - 1 Like   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by narual Quote

Now, if they'd just do a *mac* version, I'd probably switch all 3 of my DA* lenses back to screw drive.
Come on, Narual, defy the unfair accusation that Mac users don't understand computing.

Just edit a simple ASCI text file, man - we know you can do it!
12-11-2014, 04:29 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
Come on, Narual, defy the unfair accusation that Mac users don't understand computing.

Just edit a simple ASCI text file, man - we know you can do it!
Is that all it is? I thought it had to be tethered to the PC to do it. I have to admit I didn't read too far past the .exe on the installer.

It's funny... before OS X, I can't imagine too many programmers would have bothered with macs. Now at least half the developers I know use one, and most of the mac users I know are developers. (the rest are either graphics people, or people who I've told to buy a mac so I'll stop being asked to fix their PC every time they break it)

---------- Post added 12-11-14 at 06:35 PM ----------

Looking again -- it says you have to do it in debug mode, and the only way I see to use debug mode is with PK_Tether, which is windows only.

Sure, I could install a virtual windows environment, dual boot, or just start up one of the windows boxes I have sitting in a closet gathering dust (or even my eeepc netbook!), but I don't care *that* much.
12-11-2014, 09:47 PM   #13
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The debug mode is on the camera ... standalone in the case of the K-x, no tethering of anything required. :-)
12-12-2014, 03:46 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by narual Quote
Is that all it is? I thought it had to be tethered to the PC to do it. I have to admit I didn't read too far past the .exe on the installer.

It's funny... before OS X, I can't imagine too many programmers would have bothered with macs. Now at least half the developers I know use one, and most of the mac users I know are developers. (the rest are either graphics people, or people who I've told to buy a mac so I'll stop being asked to fix their PC every time they break it)

---------- Post added 12-11-14 at 06:35 PM ----------

Looking again -- it says you have to do it in debug mode, and the only way I see to use debug mode is with PK_Tether, which is windows only.

Sure, I could install a virtual windows environment, dual boot, or just start up one of the windows boxes I have sitting in a closet gathering dust (or even my eeepc netbook!), but I don't care *that* much.
There are pretty detailed directions in this post: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/208353-how-...ml#post2737443.

You don't need to use pk tether at all. You just stick a file on a memory card and put it in your camera. Someone even created the files you need and put them on drop box to access the debug mode: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8as9d8y1jqc79y2/AABpyH5tau2mxrw8K68yUb2Xa?dl=0
12-12-2014, 04:25 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
I'd do it for you with a K-x if you were in Melbourne, Dartagnon.


The thread is here ... I'd not act on the first pages of posts, read 'em through to the end:


https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/208353-how-...m-f-2-8-a.html
Any chance you would help another helpless Melbourne Mac user with a K7. Not that I will hopefully need it very soon with a new lens on a K3, but would be nice if my back up body was already dialled in for unexpected failure.
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