The future of Screw Drive?

coreyhkh · 06-01-2012, 08:41 AM

Hey guys do you think Pentax will keep this option in there future camera for a long time. I am looking at getting the sigma 500 or the Pentax 560mm in the future and I am wondering if I got the Sigma would I be able to use it in a generation or too.

**Lowell Goudge** · 06-01-2012, 08:52 AM

screw drive will always exist on some camera, as back compatibility to AI lenses exists on some nikon cameras.

It may disappear from entry level but that would be a marketing mistake in my opinion, unless there is a full line up of HSM only lenses.

Forcing enry level users to purchase only new lenses too would have killed pentax in the past. I don't think they are that far removed yet, although the market for good legacy lenses even from the F and FA range is drying up fast, let alone manual focus. In short, the marketing claim of "there are 23 million lenses out there that will fit this camera" has been totally captured by almost every casual user who has one or two legacy lenses, let alone by people who have 50, 100 or more lenses.

pete-tarmigan · 06-01-2012, 09:18 AM

Since the thread mount is a smaller diameter than the K-mount, the former will always work with K-mount bodies. Since it wouldn't make sense to drop the K-mount on APS-C or 24mmx36mm ("full"-frame) bodies to save a few millimetres and strand thousands of customers, I can't imagine them dropping the K-mount unless they cease manufacturing APS-C and full-frame bodies altogether.

vonBaloney · 06-01-2012, 09:26 AM

Originally posted by pete-tarmigan

Since the thread mount is a smaller diameter than the K-mount, the former will always work with K-mount bodies. Since it wouldn't make sense to drop the K-mount on APS-C or 24mmx36mm ("full"-frame) bodies to save a few millimetres and strand thousands of customers, I can't imagine them dropping the K-mount unless they cease manufacturing APS-C and full-frame bodies altogether.

Screw-*drive* for autofocus, not screw-mount.

The kit lenses that come with the bodies still have screw-drives. Screw-drive lenses in the wild probably far outnumber the SDM ones. Don't think they are going to abandon them suddenly. You would see a switch to SDM kit lenses first while the body maintained the screw drive.

RioRico · 06-01-2012, 09:53 AM

Let's just whip out the old Tarot cards (Waite deck) and see what's in store with PRIC... let's see, Hierophant crosses Death, Lovers are reversed, Judgement is on top... yes, the screwdrive stays, that's pretty clear. Let's just hope the PRIC planners dealt a similar tableau, eh?

eddie1960 · 06-01-2012, 10:40 AM

Originally posted by RioRico

Let's just whip out the old Tarot cards (Waite deck) and see what's in store with PRIC... let's see, Hierophant crosses Death, Lovers are reversed, Judgement is on top... yes, the screwdrive stays, that's pretty clear. Let's just hope the PRIC planners dealt a similar tableau, eh?

LMAO

Not much chance it will lose support as long as the make K mount bodies . a time may come where the entire lineup of lenses is SDM and then they may limit the number of bodies to support it
may come
not soon

**JimJohnson** · 06-01-2012, 10:48 AM

If Pentax paid any attention as to what happened to Palm as a company, screw drive AF will be around for at least another couple generations.

Palm had a wonderful line of personal digital assistants (PDA). At one point they sort of hit the end of what they could do with the original type of operating system and its upgrades. About this same time the PC industry shifted from 32bit Windows to 64bit Windows. Palm decided A- they wouldn't release a simple driver to use older Palm devices on 64bit Windows, B- they would introduce new devices and a new operating system that made no provision for running applications designed for the older operating system. Palm management was SO sure that all those people who professed love for their Palm devices would toss everything in the trash and simultaneously buy a new Palm device and all new applications.

By the time HP bought out a dying Palm, even HP couldn't persuade all the ticked-off Palm fans of the superiority of the new platform.

Will screw drive last forever? Probably not. Pentax did abandon TTL flash technology only a couple generations into digital bodies. But you can still use those TTL flashes in either manual or (many of them) auto-thyristor mode. My current screw drive DA lenses will still work as manual focus lenses on non-screw drive bodies. Of greater concern is that my DA lenses have no independent aperture ring. If Pentax were to abandon its legacy mechanical stop down method, there would be no alternative way to use any of the current lenses.

vonBaloney · 06-01-2012, 10:53 AM

Originally posted by JimJohnson

Of greater concern is that my DA lenses have no independent aperture ring. If Pentax were to abandon its legacy mechanical stop down method, there would be no alternative way to use any of the current lenses.

Then you can then stick them on an even smaller sensor camera like the Sony NEX -- the K adapters for those often have an manual aperture ring.

**monochrome** · 06-01-2012, 11:12 AM

Originally posted by vonBaloney

K adapters

all I need to know

**Lowell Goudge** · 06-01-2012, 11:23 AM

maybe we should look at it this way, how long in years and camera series did it take to remove the aperture coupling to allow open aperture metering on K mount lenses, with KA capable bodies..

Let's see now, the Pentax program plus came out when, 1983, and it was somewhere around the year 2000 and at least 20 or 30 camera models later, when the coupling disappeared.

Yeah, i might be alive when it does.

Davidw0815 · 06-01-2012, 11:24 AM

I think abandoning the screw drive would be a really bad decision. My lens collection is the main reason why my next camera definitly will be a Pentax. If the screw-drive is discontinued, all my AF lenses will become manual focus lenses. In that case I would be open to Canon/Nikon/whatever... Why should Pentax let us off the hook? Discontinuing the screw-drive would make switching to other brands much easier.

**monochrome** · 06-01-2012, 02:02 PM

As has been suggested, Pentax might move rapidly to in-lens motors (DC, ring or a beter HSM design) and might drop the screw drive motor from certain bodies that were optimized for use with the new lenses.

But they would likely continue to offer models that retained a screw drive motor, albeit with a different feature set.

Wouldn't it be ironic if a FF body was the first to drop the screw-drive motor? Well, the did say any FF camera would be different.

bickrs · 06-01-2012, 02:08 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

...

Wouldn't it be ironic if a FF body was the first to drop the screw-drive motor? Well, the did say any FF camera would be different.

My FA Limiteds say

vonBaloney · 06-01-2012, 02:08 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

Wouldn't it be ironic if a FF body was the first to drop the screw-drive motor? Well, the did say any FF camera would be different.

That would be one way to make sure they sell some new lenses when it arrives.

**Ash** · 06-01-2012, 02:13 PM

FA limiteds make Pentax the brand with a difference. They're also screwdriven lenses. That to me says it all.

06-01-2012, 08:41 AM	#1
coreyhkh Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: London Ontario Posts: 131	The future of Screw Drive? Hey guys do you think Pentax will keep this option in there future camera for a long time. I am looking at getting the sigma 500 or the Pentax 560mm in the future and I am wondering if I got the Sigma would I be able to use it in a generation or too.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Screw Drive Bigma	derekkite	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	5	04-10-2012 08:33 AM
can the 50-135mm used with screw drive mode in k5	nirVaan	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	7	04-03-2012 04:02 PM
Loud Screw Drive	userage	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	12	12-17-2011 11:03 PM
Screw driven AF cameras. More high end = better screw drive?	Reportage	Pentax DSLR Discussion	13	09-01-2011 08:38 AM
Screw drive firmware for SDM lenses	Russell-Evans	Pentax DSLR Discussion	228	04-30-2010 10:28 PM

06-01-2012, 08:52 AM	#2
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,886	screw drive will always exist on some camera, as back compatibility to AI lenses exists on some nikon cameras. It may disappear from entry level but that would be a marketing mistake in my opinion, unless there is a full line up of HSM only lenses. Forcing enry level users to purchase only new lenses too would have killed pentax in the past. I don't think they are that far removed yet, although the market for good legacy lenses even from the F and FA range is drying up fast, let alone manual focus. In short, the marketing claim of "there are 23 million lenses out there that will fit this camera" has been totally captured by almost every casual user who has one or two legacy lenses, let alone by people who have 50, 100 or more lenses.

06-01-2012, 09:18 AM	#3
pete-tarmigan Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Conception Bay South, New-fun-land Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,272	Since the thread mount is a smaller diameter than the K-mount, the former will always work with K-mount bodies. Since it wouldn't make sense to drop the K-mount on APS-C or 24mmx36mm ("full"-frame) bodies to save a few millimetres and strand thousands of customers, I can't imagine them dropping the K-mount unless they cease manufacturing APS-C and full-frame bodies altogether.

06-01-2012, 09:26 AM	#4
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by pete-tarmigan Since the thread mount is a smaller diameter than the K-mount, the former will always work with K-mount bodies. Since it wouldn't make sense to drop the K-mount on APS-C or 24mmx36mm ("full"-frame) bodies to save a few millimetres and strand thousands of customers, I can't imagine them dropping the K-mount unless they cease manufacturing APS-C and full-frame bodies altogether. Screw-drive for autofocus, not screw-mount. The kit lenses that come with the bodies still have screw-drives. Screw-drive lenses in the wild probably far outnumber the SDM ones. Don't think they are going to abandon them suddenly. You would see a switch to SDM kit lenses first while the body maintained the screw drive.

06-01-2012, 09:53 AM	#5
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Let's just whip out the old Tarot cards (Waite deck) and see what's in store with PRIC... let's see, Hierophant crosses Death, Lovers are reversed, Judgement is on top... yes, the screwdrive stays, that's pretty clear. Let's just hope the PRIC planners dealt a similar tableau, eh?

06-01-2012, 10:40 AM	#6
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Originally posted by RioRico Let's just whip out the old Tarot cards (Waite deck) and see what's in store with PRIC... let's see, Hierophant crosses Death, Lovers are reversed, Judgement is on top... yes, the screwdrive stays, that's pretty clear. Let's just hope the PRIC planners dealt a similar tableau, eh? LMAO Not much chance it will lose support as long as the make K mount bodies . a time may come where the entire lineup of lenses is SDM and then they may limit the number of bodies to support it may come not soon

06-01-2012, 10:48 AM	#7
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,772	If Pentax paid any attention as to what happened to Palm as a company, screw drive AF will be around for at least another couple generations. Palm had a wonderful line of personal digital assistants (PDA). At one point they sort of hit the end of what they could do with the original type of operating system and its upgrades. About this same time the PC industry shifted from 32bit Windows to 64bit Windows. Palm decided A- they wouldn't release a simple driver to use older Palm devices on 64bit Windows, B- they would introduce new devices and a new operating system that made no provision for running applications designed for the older operating system. Palm management was SO sure that all those people who professed love for their Palm devices would toss everything in the trash and simultaneously buy a new Palm device and all new applications. By the time HP bought out a dying Palm, even HP couldn't persuade all the ticked-off Palm fans of the superiority of the new platform. Will screw drive last forever? Probably not. Pentax did abandon TTL flash technology only a couple generations into digital bodies. But you can still use those TTL flashes in either manual or (many of them) auto-thyristor mode. My current screw drive DA lenses will still work as manual focus lenses on non-screw drive bodies. Of greater concern is that my DA lenses have no independent aperture ring. If Pentax were to abandon its legacy mechanical stop down method, there would be no alternative way to use any of the current lenses.

06-01-2012, 10:53 AM	#8
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by JimJohnson Of greater concern is that my DA lenses have no independent aperture ring. If Pentax were to abandon its legacy mechanical stop down method, there would be no alternative way to use any of the current lenses. Then you can then stick them on an even smaller sensor camera like the Sony NEX -- the K adapters for those often have an manual aperture ring.

06-01-2012, 11:12 AM	#9
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by vonBaloney K adapters all I need to know

06-01-2012, 11:23 AM	#10
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,886	maybe we should look at it this way, how long in years and camera series did it take to remove the aperture coupling to allow open aperture metering on K mount lenses, with KA capable bodies.. Let's see now, the Pentax program plus came out when, 1983, and it was somewhere around the year 2000 and at least 20 or 30 camera models later, when the coupling disappeared. Yeah, i might be alive when it does.

06-01-2012, 11:24 AM	#11
Davidw0815 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 437	I think abandoning the screw drive would be a really bad decision. My lens collection is the main reason why my next camera definitly will be a Pentax. If the screw-drive is discontinued, all my AF lenses will become manual focus lenses. In that case I would be open to Canon/Nikon/whatever... Why should Pentax let us off the hook? Discontinuing the screw-drive would make switching to other brands much easier.

06-01-2012, 02:02 PM	#12
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	As has been suggested, Pentax might move rapidly to in-lens motors (DC, ring or a beter HSM design) and might drop the screw drive motor from certain bodies that were optimized for use with the new lenses. But they would likely continue to offer models that retained a screw drive motor, albeit with a different feature set. *Wouldn't it be ironic if a FF body was the first to drop the screw-drive motor?* Well, the did say any FF camera would be different.

06-01-2012, 02:08 PM	#13
bickrs Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire Posts: 327	Originally posted by monochrome ... *Wouldn't it be ironic if a FF body was the first to drop the screw-drive motor?* Well, the did say any FF camera would be different. My FA Limiteds say

06-01-2012, 02:08 PM	#14
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by monochrome *Wouldn't it be ironic if a FF body was the first to drop the screw-drive motor?* Well, the did say any FF camera would be different. That would be one way to make sure they sell some new lenses when it arrives.

06-01-2012, 02:13 PM	#15
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	FA limiteds make Pentax the brand with a difference. They're also screwdriven lenses. That to me says it all.