DA 16-50mm not autofocusing

chickenherby · 11-23-2012, 02:46 AM

I have bye a 16-50m and now it dos not autofocusing on my K30

Sandy Hancock · 11-23-2012, 03:47 AM

Welcome to the club.
Buy a new one; they're stupidly cheap today. I did.

calsan · 11-23-2012, 04:41 AM

Don't buy another one, that would be rewarding Pentax for making a failed product.

If it's still under warranty: Take it back ASAP!

**jatrax** · 11-24-2012, 11:00 AM

Just to be sure please check that both the camera and the lens are set to 'AF'. The AF switch on the lens has caused me momentary panic when it was on MF and I did not notice.

If they are then test the lens on another camera if possible. If that fails then returning or repairing is your only option. If you just got it you should have some recourse even if you bought it used. If you bought new then return it.

chickenherby · 11-28-2012, 12:46 AM

I have send it back and i got my money.Now i make my pictures with the DA 17-70mm F4

Boris · 11-28-2012, 01:02 AM

Sorry to disappoint you, but DA 17-70/4 has the same SDM AF motor that is prone to failure.

bymy141 · 11-29-2012, 12:44 PM

I've had my 16-50 for around 4 years, > 200k shots around the globe.
Now, sometimes (mostly in warm conditions) it gets stuck, or has problems to focus from infinity towards close range.
What works for my lens is the following:
Put the camera *and* lens in manual focus mode.
Swiftly turn the focus ring on lens in both directions a few times.
Put both AF switches back to AF mode.
Problem should be gone for some time now.

Good luck, Bert

Sandy Hancock · 12-06-2012, 08:05 PM

A little update for anyone interested. Today I got my DA*16-50 back from C.R.Kennedy (Pentax's distributors in Australia), and they have replaced the SDM free of charge. That is despite the lens being second hand and under a U.S. warrantee.

I am very impressed.

Alizarine · 12-06-2012, 09:46 PM

Originally posted by Sandy Hancock

That is despite the lens being second hand and under a U.S. warrantee. I am very impressed.

Congrats

I wish that is a Pentax standard response worldwide >_< it is after all, still a Pentax product regardless of the country it was shipped to / bought from..

docspin · 12-09-2012, 02:04 AM

I had an used one from one month and , at present , it works fine on my K5 ... others Pentaxians have had the same trouble on the prevoius lens production but it seems that after 2011 the new one doesn't trouble....someone told me that on the old DSLR with previous autofocusing firmware the problem is more probably to happen ... It's true ?

**jatrax** · 12-09-2012, 02:24 PM

Originally posted by docspin

someone told me that on the old DSLR with previous autofocusing firmware the problem is more probably to happen ... It's true ?

Not likely. Best answer has been that the motor in the lens fails or jams after some time. So, no firmware change in the camera is going to affect that.

There is more involved than just time of production. Many people still have older ones that work fine. And some people report failure on newer ones. This may be due to parts sourced from different places, variable quality in the parts or maybe even just how a particular photographer uses the lens. No one (except possibly Pentax) really knows.

There is a thread here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/199282-end-sdm-autofocus-failure.html reporting that Pentax has changed the motor components or design and that they feel there should be no failures in lenses made in 2012.

docspin · 12-20-2012, 12:27 PM

Originally posted by jatrax

Not likely. Best answer has been that the motor in the lens fails or jams after some time. So, no firmware change in the camera is going to affect that.

There is more involved than just time of production. Many people still have older ones that work fine. And some people report failure on newer ones. This may be due to parts sourced from different places, variable quality in the parts or maybe even just how a particular photographer uses the lens. No one (except possibly Pentax) really knows.

There is a thread here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/199282-end-sdm-autofocus-failure.html reporting that Pentax has changed the motor components or design and that they feel there should be no failures in lenses made in 2012.

Thanks for your information...

clover · 12-27-2012, 05:58 PM

for cheap repairing SDM failure...
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/maintenance-repair-articles/208353-how-de...m-f-2-8-a.html

11-23-2012, 02:46 AM	#1
chickenherby New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Nalbach-Germany Photos: Gallery Posts: 13	DA 16-50mm not autofocusing I have bye a 16-50m and now it dos not autofocusing on my K30

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11-23-2012, 03:47 AM	#2
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	Welcome to the club. Buy a new one; they're stupidly cheap today. I did.

11-23-2012, 04:41 AM	#3
calsan Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,548	Don't buy another one, that would be rewarding Pentax for making a failed product. If it's still under warranty: Take it back ASAP!

11-24-2012, 11:00 AM	#4
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Just to be sure please check that both the camera and the lens are set to 'AF'. The AF switch on the lens has caused me momentary panic when it was on MF and I did not notice. If they are then test the lens on another camera if possible. If that fails then returning or repairing is your only option. If you just got it you should have some recourse even if you bought it used. If you bought new then return it.

11-28-2012, 12:46 AM	#5
chickenherby New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Nalbach-Germany Photos: Gallery Posts: 13 Original Poster	I have send it back and i got my money.Now i make my pictures with the DA 17-70mm F4

11-28-2012, 01:02 AM	#6
Boris Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Israel Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 932	Sorry to disappoint you, but DA 17-70/4 has the same SDM AF motor that is prone to failure.

11-29-2012, 12:44 PM	#7
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	I've had my 16-50 for around 4 years, > 200k shots around the globe. Now, sometimes (mostly in warm conditions) it gets stuck, or has problems to focus from infinity towards close range. What works for my lens is the following: Put the camera and lens in manual focus mode. Swiftly turn the focus ring on lens in both directions a few times. Put both AF switches back to AF mode. Problem should be gone for some time now. Good luck, Bert

12-06-2012, 08:05 PM	#8
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	A little update for anyone interested. Today I got my DA*16-50 back from C.R.Kennedy (Pentax's distributors in Australia), and they have replaced the SDM free of charge. That is despite the lens being second hand and under a U.S. warrantee. I am very impressed.

12-06-2012, 09:46 PM	#9
Alizarine Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Manila Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,185	Originally posted by Sandy Hancock That is despite the lens being second hand and under a U.S. warrantee. I am very impressed. Congrats I wish that is a Pentax standard response worldwide >_< it is after all, still a Pentax product regardless of the country it was shipped to / bought from..

12-09-2012, 02:04 AM	#10
docspin New Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 8	I had an used one from one month and , at present , it works fine on my K5 ... others Pentaxians have had the same trouble on the prevoius lens production but it seems that after 2011 the new one doesn't trouble....someone told me that on the old DSLR with previous autofocusing firmware the problem is more probably to happen ... It's true ?

12-09-2012, 02:24 PM	#11
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Originally posted by docspin someone told me that on the old DSLR with previous autofocusing firmware the problem is more probably to happen ... It's true ? Not likely. Best answer has been that the motor in the lens fails or jams after some time. So, no firmware change in the camera is going to affect that. There is more involved than just time of production. Many people still have older ones that work fine. And some people report failure on newer ones. This may be due to parts sourced from different places, variable quality in the parts or maybe even just how a particular photographer uses the lens. No one (except possibly Pentax) really knows. There is a thread here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/199282-end-sdm-autofocus-failure.html reporting that Pentax has changed the motor components or design and that they feel there should be no failures in lenses made in 2012.

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12-20-2012, 12:27 PM	#12
docspin New Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 8	Originally posted by jatrax Not likely. Best answer has been that the motor in the lens fails or jams after some time. So, no firmware change in the camera is going to affect that. There is more involved than just time of production. Many people still have older ones that work fine. And some people report failure on newer ones. This may be due to parts sourced from different places, variable quality in the parts or maybe even just how a particular photographer uses the lens. No one (except possibly Pentax) really knows. There is a thread here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/199282-end-sdm-autofocus-failure.html reporting that Pentax has changed the motor components or design and that they feel there should be no failures in lenses made in 2012. Thanks for your information...

12-27-2012, 05:58 PM	#13
clover Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Near Paris Posts: 141	for cheap repairing SDM failure... https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/maintenance-repair-articles/208353-how-de...m-f-2-8-a.html