Pentax smc DA* 50-135mm SDM Issue

jamesm007 wrote:

Demoguy wrote:

On Tuesday I went to Everett Wa. to look at a possible project. The Nimitz, CVA 68 is back from a long deployment so I thought I would stop along the waterfront and take some photos. I pulled out my camera (k-3) with the DA* 50-135 on it and lo and behold, no auto focus. I bought this lens last year on black Friday, so its three weeks out of warranty. Anyway it was @ 29 deg F so I ended up using manual focus and with my bad eyes the result was not so good. Today I mounted the lens on my K-5 and nothing happened, then on the K-01 and it woke up. Tried it on all the other cameras and it worked fine. I wonder if it was just cold or if this is a sign of SDM failure.

Has anyone had this lens fixed at CRIS recently and would you have a cost?

Thanks,

Joe

Because its a known issue of some sort I would call and ask for some good will from Pentax. In any case I believe the cost I have seen to repair, although not cheap would be made back if you ever sold it. Also considering it is a great lens you will still be ahead if you pay the repair cost (should be under $270?). You also have other no cost ways of restoring AF written above.

You may want to just send it in for a cost and state on the letter how close out of warranty it is. When you call and speak to someone they don't have the power to say, "no charge". They are office phone... When being repaired they can make it a no charge more easily. But there would be a small fee for shipping back to you if not repaired.

But again as I have written over and over. Pentax needs to get rid of this issue. It has to keep some would be Pentax buyers away from Pentax you would think. Pentax only needs to change a few lens. Why not coat the DA* lens with the HD coating, give it a bit faster motor (just a bit) and call it DA*II series of lens. Buyers would know the SDM issue is gone on those models.

Just the very fact we are even writing about it shows a demon real or not called SDM AF failure is still with Pentax.

Very astute observation James. My 50-135 failed some months back (AF as dead as the extinct Dodo) and I have just dropped it off at the hospital over the holidays. That lens would barely have been on my cameras for more than 100 shots. To all intents and purposes brand new. I've also heard the cost to repair this SDM failure can be as much as $300 or more, yes? It makes it a very expensive lens instead of just an expensive lens - around $1200 new plus $300 for repairs? A hidden cost is also that because of the reluctance of people to buy used SDM lenses, their resale value is less than it should be.

On a related topic, I know there is a method linked to on other forums to convert a lens from SDM to screw drive. I have read and reread these instructions but find some of the steps difficult to follow and understand. Has anyone who has successfully interpreted the instructions re-written them in a clearer way?