A sad day...........

For the second time the SDM motor in my 16-50 has given up the struggle.

Failed just when I needed it as well. I think it has now come time to retire this lens, good as it is, as it is getting silly now in terms of reliability. The cost of repairs will put it over the 50% used value so it`s no longer economical to keep persevering.

Replacement is likely to be the Sigma 17-50 HSM as I do like having f2.8 available. Just live without the weather sealing............... It should be much more reliable and still perform pretty well?

No longer have a K5 so I can't hack the 16-50 for screw drive......................

I am a bit sad really, but I don't trust the technology any more.

I have the 20 - 40mm Ltd which is a delight. A 15mm Ltd hides away in the front of my camera bag or pocket when I want wider.

There's one listed at SRS used, but it is maybe a little too much at the moment. The crazy thing is that I can still buy a new lens from SRS and even with postage to Hungary it is still cheaper than buying it locally...... Go figure.....

Really beginning to wish I hadn't done a big streamlining of lenses a couple of years ago.............! Would have had a couple of options ready to go.

Can you not find a cheap K10D or similar on Ebay, do the hack and then re sell it?

Edit: I see on your sig you have a K200D, can't you do the hack with that?

Actually................ I THINK I still have it...... Kept for sentimental reasons but we have moved house 3 times in the last few years with another move coming up and it could be anywhere in amongst all the chaos.... I wasn't aware the SDM hack was possible on the K200?

I think it can be done on any Pentax body pre K-3 depending on firmware installed.

LINK

Instructions to do 16-50mm at beginning of that thread

Ah but by the time I am in command of the technical aspects and have the time to sit down with it and find the K200 I am going to need a normal view lens. I was always going to keep the 16-50 regardless and see later when I had more time what could be done with it.

It's a lesson for having a back up available!! I have sold so much equipment on over the last few years to go to a two lens set up and I am now regretting it!

Going to have good look through that. I've read them for the K5 but not the seen the K200 mentioned before.

Thank you! I suppose what have I really got to lose even if it all goes horribly, horribly wrong!

Shame that Budapest isn't near Brentford - Asahi Photo charge £150 for an SDM motor replacement, less than half the price of the cheaper used lens from SRS and a fifth of the new price (I bought mine new 10 years ago for £475, but it's on motor no.3). Why not a 16-45 to keep you going? 2,8 isn't quite so necessary these days.

Either convert it to screw-drive or go with the Sigma - it's an excellent lens and most consider it optically better than the Pentax too. Weather sealing is the only thing you'd miss, but the Sigma is solidly built so light rain wouldn't be a problem.

AH well. Can`t get the debug menu to come up on the K200. I seem to have firmware version 1.01 which is apparently different to what was being used in the posts.

That`s that plan dealt a blow then.

The K-5 could work too - just keep trying to find a solution, they're definitely out there.

I sold my K5...... ONly kept the K200 for sentimental reasons. I think I know the issue. WIndows 10 won`t save the file without appending .txt and I can`t find a way to stop it doing it.....

I`m getting really frustrated with this as it should have been repaired with the new parts that are apparently meant to be more reliable by the local Pentax Service Centre. It is an expensive lens that is a currently a paperweight and it looks like one way or another I`ll have to spend quite a bit of money to get a functioning lens back.

Or just put in a box and forget about it as the repair frankly didn`t last very long and I really don`t trust the basic lens any more. And if I can`t even do the screwdrive without buying another camera......

Can't you just rename it afterwards?