DA* 16-50mm wiggle

The very front section of my new DA* 16-50mm has a little sideways play - I can wiggle the section a few

millimetres from side to side. That doesn't seem normal! Anyone else with this lens experiencing the same

thing?

Mine does, I think they all do. Still a good lens, though, although I've only had mine for about a week, and the K10. My first digital, and I haven't taken a photo for quite a few years, so it's all new to me. The wobble has a year to get worse or drop off, in which case back she goes for a warranty fix. Mind you, I've been giving my old MF smc-m's a serious look, that old 50 1.4 gives the 16-50 a run for its money as far as IQ goes. My wobble is about a millimetre, by the way.

Mine's a bit more than a millimetre, perhaps 2-3. I'm asking about this because I think it's

just appeared - I've had the lens a few weeks and I don't recall this happening until today. It's

the sort of movement that makes me wonder if the lens is out of alignment in some way,

although recent pics suggest otherwise :)

Ok, now I've noticed that the focus ring on the lens doesn't stop at either end of it's marked

extremes. It just keeps turning. Is *that* normal???

Yes, the focusing ring is coupled to the focusing mechanism by a slip clutch to enable the

QuickShift focusing feature.

 

Godfrey

If it really does wiggle that much, get rid of it ASAP. That's a classic

quality control problem with zooms, and something that gets worse over time. It's an expensive repair if you wait past warrenty.

For lenses that cost so much, I'm seeing quite a few complaints about this lens. I wouldn't think QC would be such a problem with the top of the line.

I'm waiting for the Pentax agent to get back to me about sending the lens in for a check

up. What at pain!

I pulled out my DA*16-50, set it to 50mm, and tried wiggling the front of the lens. It moves

about 3mm when pushed lightly from side to side.

 

Seems normal. This one seems to work very well. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Godfrey

"If it really does wiggle that much, get rid of it ASAP. That's a classic quality control problem with zooms, and something that gets worse over time. It's an expensive repair if you wait past warrenty."

 

No no, it's a skill issue, or maybe a bad camera setup, but I'm doubtful it has anything to do with quality control. No product from any company EVER leaves the factory without being 100% fit for consumer use. I'm quite certain it's your fault.

 

(i'm being sarcastic and idiotic in reference to another thread)

Why not keep it on the other thread?

 

G

I couldn't resist...it's out of my system (i think).

Actually, having owned two (2) bad copies of this lens, I can tell you that is NOT normal. There was a whole batch of those lenses with poorly machined housings...I first read about this in (holding my breath) dpr and as I looked into it, more and more affirmed this...Now that I have my third ''perfect'' copy, it has ''0'' play...But now that I have a good copy, I am paranoid about using it...

I hear horror story after horror story on these forums. What I find amazing is that I've never

experienced any of the horrors.

 

The one I have shows a certain amount of movement as above, but indeed works extremely

well. That's all that matters to me.

 

Godfrey

Godfrey

I am sure that 1/2 the folks did get good copies, but all those folks who complained can't be all wrong. I ended up sending my lens to Pentax in Co and they did send me back a different lens and did acknowledge that the one I sent to them was bad.