[creampuff]

I'd like to offer a different take on the matter.
Buyers in some countries are allowed to return lenses to the retailer (whether online or brick & mortar) on a whim or for whatever reason, legitimate or trivial (eg. try because you can return no questions asked, buyer remorse, use for one assignment and returning it later, etc.) all under the catch phrase of consumer protection. Well perhaps some of the bad/defective lenses get "recycled/refurbished" and later sold online again to unsuspecting online buyers. Can you really guarantee the stock is absolutely brand new when you get it?

Where I am, if there's a problem, you can probably get a one for one exchange with the shop you bought the gear within a day or so (but there's absolutely no refund) and after that any problem is handled by the local agent. So if there were problematic lenses, they get addressed by the shop (who returns it to the agent) or gets service by the local agent's service department.

Anyway here in Singapore it is hot and humid, hazarding a guess that perhaps the environment could have a bearing on the reliability of the SDM motors. Perhaps the squirrel doing the focusing likes warm weather...

[GoremanX]

Nikon offer 4 year extended warranty via registration.
Canon are known to fix stuff for free outside warranty periods, especially L glass.
Pentax sit on their hands and say "Not me mate".

I tried to find Nikon's warranty terms on their site, but couldn't. So I assumed they were similar to Canon.

I only have experience with Pentax so far. It's been a mixed bag, really. Sometimes I'm damn proud of my choice, other times not so much. Every time my SDM lens scares me, or we start discussing SDM reliability... that's when "not so much" kicks in.

I really wish Pentax actually cared.

[GoremanX]

Anyway here in Singapore it is hot and humid, hazarding a guess that perhaps the environment could have a bearing on the reliability of the SDM motors.

Oh I totally agree there. Every time my SDM lens has given me issues, it was in cold weather.

But for Pete's sake, it's WEATHER-SEALED!!! Pathetic -5c weather shouldn't even matter!!!

[little laker]

But for Pete's sake, it's WEATHER-SEALED!!! Pathetic -5c weather shouldn't even matter!!!

When I shot Pentax Digital I had the kit lens out in -40 weather, without any problems.
I've also had both my present Sigma lenses out in the same temps.
The only 2 lenses I've ever had problems with in cold weather are my Zeiss 200mm f2.8, and my Pentax Super Tak 300mm f4.... which was condensation caused by the glass taking forever to climatize... and I pulled them out to early

[tokyoso]

Oh I totally agree there. Every time my SDM lens has given me issues, it was in cold weather.

But for Pete's sake, it's WEATHER-SEALED!!! Pathetic -5c weather shouldn't even matter!!!

sorry to hear that. sounds like your lenses do take a fair amount of as-advertised abuse.

[rustynail925]

If there is no Pentax Service in your Country would you still get the DA 50-135?

[bfo]

Oh I totally agree there. Every time my SDM lens has given me issues, it was in cold weather.

OK. Guess Norway isn't the place to own this lens. We've just finished 90 days straight with sub zero (Celsisus) temperatures.

[sebberry]

Perhaps if you plan on using your lenses outside in the cold they should be kept in the freezer when at home so they don't have to go through big temperature changes?

[Russell-Evans]

Not a random guess...
We have a large community of Pentax shooters here (see out latest gathering) and we know most of the users if not by name, then by sight.

Looks like you have 40-50 people in your group. How many have a SDM lens?

Thank you
Russell

[wlachan]

There seem to be 2 groups of people in this issue:

group #1: has experienced a failure or knows someone who has, and resents it. Feels the need to warn everyone about it (this is me). Considers people in group #2 as "apologists"

group #2: has not experienced a failure and feels a need to defend their choice of purchase. Considers people in group #1 as "extremists". (this could've been me)

Then there's a 3rd group, with no opinion either way because they were smart enough to buy something else.

I think there might be another group which is similar to group 2. They would defend to the extreme, every failure had perfect explanation which had nothing to do with Pentax. Their stubbornness suggest they might be closely related to their local Pentax, or even hired by them in some way. Good pets don't bite the hands that feed them.

[GoremanX]

I think there might be another group which is similar to group 2. They would defend to the extreme, every failure had perfect explanation which had nothing to do with Pentax. Their stubbornness suggest they might be closely related to their local Pentax, or even hired by them in some way. Good pets don't bite the hands that feed them.

I wasn't going to state that, no matter how much I've been wondering about it. But I'm glad someone other than myself did

[hyyz]

I have a DA* 50-135mm. Although it works 95% percent of the time, it still doesn't give me the peace of mind. I have reported the problems in two threads.

Now, whenever I use this lens, I am worried it might fail. This is not because I heard these discussions but because of these:
1. I have experienced the failures (although only twice).
2. AF sound is inconsistent from time to time. Sometimes it is nice/smooth while other times it is a little rough/noisier. (I have noticed it more worries me at min. focus distance - noisier.)

Reason 2 is especially worrisome. It makes me to think that some internal gears want to get out of place in some occasions. Although my other screw-drive AF lenses are noisier, they are consistent and always produce the same AF sound for the same lens. This gives me the peace of mind. I wish I could have the same confident from my 50-135mm but I can't.

[jeffrey r]

Sorry Frank, just today I could have used the 50-135 at my daughters school! So it was on my mind!

I was using the tam 28-75 and it was not long enough. All I could think was damn I wish I had the 50-135.

Gus, this is a shame, but I know where you're coming from. I have both the Tamron 28-75 and Pentax 50-135, and my kid just had a nice event/presentation at his school. I debated which lens to bring, and decided that my 50-135 would be preferable to the 28-75 due to its range. It turned out I was correct, and was very glad I brought my 50-135 along.

Mind you, I still had to "wake up" my 50-135, which usually consists of about 1 minute holding down the shutter button until it decides to start autofocusing, but it has always eventually worked. But the 50-135 really allowed me to get some nice close-ups of the kids, in a relatively dark room (the 2.8 constant aperture was great to have), the lens was easy to hand-hold, and the silent SDM focusing was nice to have. And the results were great--the 50-135 really did a great job in the auditorium, where a lot of lenses would have had trouble. Add the weather sealing when I need it (paired with my K200D), and it is clutch.

Bottom line, the 50-135 is a great lens, but the darn SDM is a problem. Being out of warranty, I pray mine never totally fails.

[tokyoso]

I have a DA* 50-135mm. Although it works 95% percent of the time, it still doesn't give me the peace of mind. I have reported the problems in two threads.

Now, whenever I use this lens, I am worried it might fail. This is not because I heard these discussions but because of these:
1. I have experienced the failures (although only twice).
2. AF sound is inconsistent from time to time. Sometimes it is nice/smooth while other times it is a little rough/noisier. (I have noticed it more worries me at min. focus distance - noisier.)

Reason 2 is especially worrisome. It makes me to think that some internal gears want to get out of place in some occasions. Although my other screw-drive AF lenses are noisier, they are consistent and always produce the same AF sound for the same lens. This gives me the peace of mind. I wish I could have the same confident from my 50-135mm but I can't.

is it supposed to be good when a lens works a majority 95% of the time....?

[ManixZero]

Thanx a lot!!

There I was smugly staring at a nice redundancy cheque and thinkin' K7+DA17-70SDM just to help while away the job huntin' days.

It had taken weeks of ummin an arrhrin to come to this choice.

Then

I read this post!

Now I ain't so sure about the lens choice! I quite fancied the idea of SDM HSM or whatever just because of focus speed and noise but now I'll have to start all over.

Maybe I'll just go for the twin kit offering of the two DA WR lenses and save my money for a Tammy SP90

Cheers MZ