Pentax I believe explained a bit of the problem to a member on the other forum and there the situation was created that there was a misalignment issue with the AF system that makes it lock up. This was with the DA*16-50 lens so therefore I don't think SDM has much to do with the issue.

Besides that every lens maker is having a problem with their lenses, recently Sigma for example called back a badge of lenses for HSM problems.
And I'm sure you can find problems with Canon's USM motors as well as for every other brand.

oops I meant the 18-50 f/2.8 so it doesn't go to 55mm
One or two members here have that lens and I believe they are quite happy with it. link

It depends on what kind of photos you want to make indoors, if it's for parties or the normall indoor photos of the family you don't need the long lenses up to 75mm, you would be more happier with the wider end of the lens then to make group photos if you need to make one.

I actually bought the DA*16-50 for that reason and I'm liking it really well so far.

David, unreliable SDM, please enlighten me?

I know the DA*16-50 was trouble lens but SDM might not be solely to blame but the whole focus system of that lens
Take the 17-70, SDM only, can you find a person that posted they had one with a broken SDM?
I could find one on DPreview and on pentaxforums but they came back to life after cleaning the contacts.

There is also a Sigma 18-55 f/2.8 lens if that's more to your liking of focal range and the new Sigma 17-50 f/2.8.

For that matter why brother develop new lenses then?
That's far harder then changing a register of a mount

No one is talking about that I believe and actually I was talking about the opposite then entry-level.

The k-mount is great for 135 format but less so great on APS-C.
They used that register distance for the mount because it comes close to 50mm which is regard as "normal" on 135 format and you got 50mm f/1.2 and f/1.4 lenses for that, great super but with APS-C 35mm is closer to normal so if they bring the register closer to that you can get very fast lenses at that range for a good price. For example if they use 36mm that's 1cm shorter then the K-Mount they could make 35mm f/0.9 lenses.
Also it easier to design other faster lenses as well.
That's all needed to compensate for the lost off DOF you get when using smaller format.

Funny enough Olympus had more than twice the market share in 2008 than Pentax

It's the Gemini Observatory on Hawaii that captured this one, they use a 8,1 metre telescope to get this picture don't know about the photographing device.
One of my older teachers on university helped to build them so it got mentioned almost every week.
(it could also be Mauna Kea...)

Here is the official site http://www.gemini.edu/

and here is the official article on their site. http://www.gemini.edu/node/11486

Thank you Hefty for the explanation.
Still my mind can't really grasp it.

The lens has a smaller angle of view on APS-C sensor so it should behave like a 42mm shift lens on 135 format right?

Wasn't that why Pentax brought out all those funny colours off the K-X?

What would they do if you hang the heaviest camera with the heaviest lens around your neck?

Came across this and I knew there are some astro fans around here so needed to post this.

Neither does what is in the photo for me but that they actually where capable of doing it, capturing a planet on a photo does make me warm.

Just get the DA55-300 it's the best "budget" zoom Pentax has to offer.

You could also look for 70-200 f/2.8 lenses from Sigma or Tamron, they aren't that super expensive either and there where a lot in the classified lately I believe.

Not really pretty but well it's the first of an Earth based telescope making a photo of another planet outside our solar system.

here is the full article link