50mm 1.4 Squeaking

[hugebob]

<p>Hi All,<br>

The other day, I heard a very noticeable squeak coming from my 50mm f1.4 lens while it was focusing. Is this something I should put in for a repair? My other lenses don't do this. But, then again, they're L's (if that really means much in this regard). Hopefully, this will be just a matter of the techs lubing gears or something.</p>

[chris_seldon_lady]

<p>Hi Robert,<br>

maybe I'm wrong, but it sounds just like another failing 50/1.4 AF module... Nevertheless I wouldn't send it for a check, unless it is still under guarantee: this is a cheap lens and the price for any AF repair would be relatively high and hardly worthwhile.</p>

[ed_hazera1]

<p>It's amazing what is considered cheap today.</p>

[Charles_Webster]

<p>Yeah, somehow I don't think $500 is a cheap lens.</p>

<p>I think Christian is mixing up the f/1.4 that the OP is asking about with the $100 f/1.8.</p>

<p>I don't think an AF repair would approach the price of the f/1.4 lens, while I certainly might with the f/1.8.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

[felix_mizioznikov]

<p>well there are little mice that operate the focusing ring so maybe one is getting old.</p>

[steve_dunn2]

<p>The 50/1.4 is well known for having a less-than-robust focusing mechanism. In general, lenses which offer <abbr title="full-time manual focusing">FT-M</abbr> use ring USM, but this lens offers FT-M and uses the cheaper micro USM. To do that requires a bunch of additional components, and unfortunately in this lens some of those components are plastic and not as durable as they should be.</p>

 

<p>Unfortunately, I can't help you with the next step because I don't know whether squeaking is a symptom of impending failure; my 50/1.4 has not had any problems and I'm not sure if the previous reports I've seen of focusing problems with this lens included squeaking.</p>

 

<p>I'd be inclined to leave it alone as long as it works. If you wait and it does eventually break, then you'll have to send it in to get it fixed, and it will take time and cost money. If you send it in and it turns out to need repairs, then it will probably require about the same time and cost as if you'd waited, and there's the possibility that if you wait it may never actually break. If you send it in and it doesn't need a repair, then you've been without the lens and had to incur a cost that you wouldn't have had you waited. So it seems to me that not getting it fixed unless it does actually break is the best option. But that's just my opinion.</p>

[peter_j2]

<p><strong>Robert Nurse: </strong> Do you have and use a hood for this lens? The front protrudes. Unless you use a hood all the time with this lens (especially while stored) then you risk damaging the USM motor even just by putting the lens face down.</p>

<p>Fix the lens only when the autofocusing mechanism jams.</p>