Originally posted by Loren E WHY would Pentax continue producing SDM lenses? Ok I get how from a business perspective it might make sense (albeit unethically) to stay silent about SDM failure rates, but to put MORE SDM lenses into production????
I think DC motors aren't as silent as the SDM motors and that Pentax feels like their failure rate isn't high enough to warrant a change. Bear in mind that no one has an idea of what the true failure rate is on these motors at five years. Some guess high and some guess low. For that matter, we have no idea if DC motors are going to be any better, since they have been out now a total of three months.
Also, the current SDM motors may not even be the same motors that were initally placed in lenses that burned out. Benjamin Kanarek had his SDM motors replaced in the last six or eight months and was told that they were improved motors over the initial ones (but still called SDM).