Originally posted by Weevil Hi, Thanks for posting this video... I do not have any SDM issue at the moment, but I'd like to know what are the Pentax Bodies that are compatible for the hack ? I have saerched a bit in this thread, and cannot find that info (unless I have missed something ?)
I also read that K-5 would work... but I have a K-01, would that work ?
otherwise, I may check the ads for a used Kx or Kr (I remember reading that those ones should work).
thanks!
The change impacts the lens itself. So the question is do you mean what bodies will the lens work on afterwards (all of them) or what bodies can you do the modification on?
---------- Post added 09-26-17 at 10:45 AM ----------
Originally posted by mattb123 Has anyone had success with the 60-250? I thought I had heard this process (or one like it) didn't work on them. I'd love for that to be wrong!
No one that I know has been able to convert this. Only one person reported success and later recanted his statements. I have a working 60-250 and I have not been able to convert it in my testing. The conversion seems to work at first but it rapidly fails. The lens starts to work as screw drive and then suddenly starts working as SDM. It doesn't seem quite as simplistic as I am saying - it's more of a tug of war between the two systems at first.
Originally posted by Duc-Driver Yes - I tried a lot but without success.
To convert a 60-250 we need to modify hardware of the lens...but I don't want to disassemble my (sdm working) lens.
What hardware would you modify? Unless you mean firmware that cannot be written to by the interface we have to the lens?
Originally posted by Ishpuini Follow-up on my conversion last month.
Both DA*16-50 and DA*50-135 have been focusing as never before. Such a joy not to have to wake them. There's a bit more noise now, but still not much compared with some screw drive only oldies.
Changing the firmware doesn't seem to change AF behaviour alone however. I first thought it was a coincidence, but I checked other DA zooms and they still work as I remember the DA*s working before. This could be specifically related to my using Lightroom, but I notice two things are different for DA*16-50 or DA*50-135 images since the hack:
- Focal length now registers with digits after the comma for the hacked lenses. This used to be rounded to the unit, and it still is as such for my other Pentax zooms. Doesn't make any difference, but it's just strange.
- More annoying: the lens corrections no longer immediately recognize the lens. With pre-hacked DA* zooms and other Pentax glass checking "Enable Profile Corrections" would be enough to engage the corrections, as the software would ID the correct profile immediately. For both hacked lenses, however, I need to explicitly select Pentax in the Make dropdown now before it will automatically select the proper profile. Fortunately no manual selection of the Model necessary. So one step (and a few mouse manipulations) extra.
Well, I would rather do a few extra clicks in post processing (and take care to synchronize the setting over multiple files within the same shoot more often) and have accurate and fast AF in the field, than have to use MF and miss focus a few (rare but still) times as I experienced those three weeks on my last trip. so I'm still happy to have done the conversion!
Just a note I thought interesting to add. Not sure others have noticed this? I didn't read about it in this thread, or did I miss it? It is a long thread...
hth, Wim
That is interesting. I have never paid attention to that and you are the first person to mention it that I recall. I'm not surprised and wonder if the lens profiles could be modified to match the changes so that automatic corrections could be applied.
Originally posted by mattb123 The SDM seems to be toast in mine. What is the mod, do you know? I might take a chance since this thing is mostly a paper weight at the moment.
Matt - I'm so sorry to hear that. I would reach out to KEH and see if they can do the SDM repair. They seem to offer that service more cheaply than Precision. I honestly can't think of a way to make the lens work otherwise.