Wrenching on a 16-50 DA*

<p>So day 2 of our lives as K-r videographers started off with our trusty DA* zoom ring jamming. Way, way, way out of warrenty, and I'm cheap, so I'll tear it apart. My experience with such things leads me to believe that there is probably a set screw inside somewhere that worked itself loose and landed somewhere it doesn't belong. The mechanism hasn't felt gritty, loose, or otherwise unusual leading up to this event.</p>

<p>I've seen this issue appear on other threads, but the posted solution is always a send-out repair. I'm no stranger to the internal workings of SLR lenses, just wondering if I'm the first one here with the guts (or lack of sense) to tear into a 16-50. Any tips? </p>

<p>Good luck. I'm not a fan of taking apart lenses. My attempt at fixing a 50mm A f/2 was a bust. I had a bag of lens parts. I ended up using the lens as a loupe. And keeping in mind, that repairing the 50mm was supposedly a really easy fix.<br>

The question I always ask myself is, will I have a paperweight that is unfixable when done? If the answer is probably or maybe, I send it off, hoping the repair will cost less before I destroy whatever it is. </p>

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<p>My impression is that in Pentax-F, -FA, and -DA lenses there are generally parts that are inherently destroyed when you take apart then lens, so that you have to have a replacement part at the ready to do any internal servicing.<br>

Whenever I've had Eric work on a -F or -FA lens, there were parts billed for that weren't the ones that needed replacement.<br>

It's also really easy to destroy some contact brushes inside the -DA lenses when you take them apart.<br>

If Eric Hendrickson will work on that lens, his prices are very very reasonable.</p>

<p>That was anti-climactic... I smacked the butt of the lens (with the butt cap on) with my hand and it freed it right up...</p>

<p>Just goes to show you that everything needs to get burped at least once in their lives...</p>

<p>Matthew, my 16-45 f/4 blew off the hood of my car in the mountains this past weekend, hitting the pavement, and the zoom ring was jammed when I picked it up. I felt sure I would have to send it off for repairs. In a fit of frustration the next day, I rather forcibly tried to turn the zoom ring. To my surprise it "broke loose" almost like the sensation you get when you use a wrench on a tight nut, and it started working again. The lens does not seem to be damaged in any other way. Your experience sounds quite similar to mine. I can only assume that Pentax designed these things to take a bit of accidental abuse without a failure. </p>

<p>To be perfectly honest, Maria is a butterfingers, but she'll usually fess-up when she drops something. There were no noteable events leading up to this experience.</p>

<p>Without opening up the lens to see what's going on, I'm guessing the mechanism got past the wide end stop and just needed some encouragement to get back where it needed to be. No rattles or anything at this point, focus & zoom are smooth as ever.</p>

<p>This has been a daily use lens for years, never so much as a hiccup before yesterday. We'll just have to make sure we don't slam it to 16mm too aggressively in the future. I like shooting wide, maybe I'm wearing out the end stop. I suppose I should stop trying to get to 15mm with it!</p>

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<p>"To be perfectly honest, Maria is a butterfingers, but she'll usually fess-up when she drops something"</p>

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<p>Matt, you do know Maria peruses this forum.</p>

<p>I had a similar experience two years ago when I did the Mt Colden loop in the Adirondacks. I slipped on a "dry" rock after many miles without a slipup on very wet rocks.<br>

<br /> And I had camera in hand. Knowing that I twisted as I fell and raised my camera hand to take the full brunt of the fall on my forearm.<br>

<br /> My K10D still hit a bit. The K10D survived unscathed except a scratch or two, but my 16-45 seems to hunt more than it used to and occassionally a shot does come out unfocused.<br>

Forearm was bruised and dripped blood a bit for the final 3 or 4 miles. No broken bones though, so I was very fortunate.</p>