Originally posted by emr I don't think anybody really knows the situation today - or on the whole for a longer period. JohnC of Pentax has posted on dpr that they're looking into it (with the semi-arrogant undertone that the whole thing is mainly just an internet rumour).
I think that whether there's any truth in the SDM failure rate or not, Pentax should do something to regain customers' trust because the situation today is clearly effecting sales. Longer warranty for SDM problems for new and older lenses would do it.
Of course the Boulanger guy he responded to suddenly vanished after JC made a series of claims that imply the guy could of spoke a little less than the truth such as:
- the authorized service centers for SDM lenses are very few in the US and fairly new.
- service technicians never speak directly to customers let alone launching into affirmation such as "a 25 cents part caused this".
- the guy latter on claimed the lenses were his wife's not his and of course she had another last name.
- he refused to say where and when he send the lenses although he claimed he had a quote for repairs.
- he never posted again after being questioned although in my book he made some serious allegations without any proof and it could be in his best interest to work with Pentax in resolving his alleged issues. Instead he chose to fake surprise that the evil Pentax had the balls of looking into his claims instead of rolling over and die in shame.
All in all even from the start it seemed a bit "unlucky" to have 3 lenses stop working in the same time but now after the guy failed to support with the slightest evidence his claims I am pretty sure he just made the whole thing up.
Radu