Originally posted by Tom M I just said they would stop making cameras with screw-drive motors.
When?
Quote: Q: Will PENTAX continue to develop DSLR bodies with the older body-based focusing system?
A: Yes. We will continue to develop bodies that support the body based focus system in addition to the SDM system.
source
Hell, they even gave their reason for keeping the screw drive
Quote: Q: Will PENTAX be developing SDM-only lenses from now on?
A: No: Despite the great advantages of our SDM autofocus systems, we will continue to develop both SDM and body-based focus systems. In fact, different types of lenses have different requirements. For example, our unique Limited lenses are often so compact that there is no space for an SDM autofocus motor. Until time and technology present other options, we will continue to develop both types of autofocus systems.
Call me crazy, but i can't see SDM being put into a pancake lens ATM. So for them to make their future bodies SDM only, it means that they'd either have to have SDM pancake lenses, or they risk having people being recommended good optical quality lenses that are manual focus on some bodies, but AF on others (kinda like the Nikon D40/40X/60 vs every other Nikon DSLR thing)
As it is, Pentax pride themselves on backward compatability. killing the screwdrive would kill a good feature like that. I agree, SDM is the way of the future, but we pentaxians also look backwards and enjoy our classic lenses as well. So i can't see them ditching screwdrive just yet...
EDIT: i just realised something
I don't see Pentax ditching screwdrive completely. Nikon have screw drive in everything BUT D40, D40X and D60. Their D80 has it. Their D200 & D300 have it. and the Pro bodies have it. so, on the assumption that there's a K1000D in the pipeline, that may not have it, but i can't see the successors to the K200D and K20D losing screwdrive...