Originally posted by bertwert I like screwdrive, it's fairly simple and reliable. Plus with limited size lenses it's quick and the noise is barely noticeable.
Why not keep it for size and weight benefits of lenses - is screwdrive really that terrible to so many people?
I am fine with the screw drive. My fastest focusing lenses (the FA 135 f2.8 and DA 40 limited) are screw driven. Unfortunately, they aren't always very accurate when it comes to auto focus -- it probably comes from having a really short focus throw. In the long term, though, it seems as though most brands have moved towards having in lens motors -- I think to reduce noise and because they are (should be) more accurate.
And honestly, it isn't as though you can't have pretty small lenses that have in lens motors -- the DA 20-40 limited and Canon's EF 40mm STM both come to mind.
That said, Pentax couldn't possibly remove the screw drive motor from their bodies until the last screw driven lens was off their books for at least five or six years. And with the rate that they release new lenses, that seems unlikely for the foreseeable future.
---------- Post added 01-28-20 at 05:47 AM ----------
Originally posted by Socrateeze The fact that this lens is essentially a re-badge of the Tamron makes the delays from that stated in the initial roadmap less excusable, in my view. Had it been a Pentax original, with the stellar quality that Pentax is known to be able to produce, I would have felt more forgiving. For my part, the delays from the initial roadmap and (what seems to me to be) the slow introduction of new FF lenses in general suggests a trend of ongoing frustration for FF Pentaxians. Notwithstanding the coatings, which are very welcome, the price differential from the Tamron has likewise helped to cement the wisdom of me moving to a different system.
But for those who feel stuck in FF Pentax land, this looks like a solid lens, and I am delighted that you have this lens at last.
My guess is actually that Pentax had a change of plans, initially thought they would design this lens themselves and then decided that the Tamron with a Pentax treatment, would be adequate for the job. This isn't a DFA * lens and never was supposed to be. I'm not sure how much better a Pentax designed DFA 70-200 f4 would actually be.
If it sounds like optimism around here, it is not just because of this lens (although many are glad for it). It is because there are hopefully a few other things that are rumored to be coming out soon (K-new, DFA *85) and rumored "10 lenses in the pipeline." Of course, it may take five years for those lenses to be developed, but the idea that Pentax is continuing to develop gear is a positive, when last year was pretty dry from that standpoint.