topic Re: SERVO focus on EF lenses with R5 in EF & RF Lenses

SERVO focus on EF lenses with R5: Is it harmful to the gears?

ovdmse — Fri, 09 May 2025 12:36:38 GMT

Hi. How harmful is using SERVO-mode for gears in the lens? I shoot on R5, but the fleet of optics is EF-L (24-70). I've heard from photographers I know that using EF lenses with SERVO-focus leads to rapid wear of the lens mechanism parts. Is it so?

Re: SERVO focus on EF lenses with R5

Peter — Fri, 09 May 2025 08:37:55 GMT

No problems here after 17 years.

Re: SERVO focus on EF lenses with R5

ovdmse — Fri, 09 May 2025 08:41:23 GMT

We are talking specifically about the SERVO in modern mirrorless cameras (R5) and older lenses. There were no difficulties with 5Dm3.

Re: SERVO focus on EF lenses with R5

Peter — Fri, 09 May 2025 08:48:22 GMT

Should there be any difference? No problems with M5 since it was released nor R6.

Re: SERVO focus on EF lenses with R5

Waddizzle — Fri, 09 May 2025 09:50:29 GMT

Do you have evidence of this happening? If not, then you should stop worrying about issues that don’t exist.

Re: SERVO focus on EF lenses with R5: Is it harmful to the gears?

ebiggs1 — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:25:20 GMT

".. then you should stop worrying about issues that don’t exist."

I agree don't invent a problem that doesn't exists. The movement in the lens is pretty small.

Re: SERVO focus on EF lenses with R5: Is it harmful to the gears?

ovdmse — Fri, 09 May 2025 15:11:49 GMT

These are just rumors in local photo chat rooms.
Thank you, you have made my life calmer)

Re: SERVO focus on EF lenses with R5: Is it harmful to the gears?

p4pictures — Sat, 10 May 2025 08:25:41 GMT

It is possible the local photo chat rooms are referring to the function known as Preview AF (Continuous AF in older R-series) which does continuously drive the lens to be in focus while the camera is powered up. This might account for this additional time that the focus motor is running, and it certainly reduces the number of photos you can take with a single battery in my experience. As I recall EOS R50 is one of the few cameras that has preview AF enabled by default.

Aside from Preview AF, then the lenses are being asked to focus the same amount as when used on a DSLR so there should be no difference in the wear on the AF motor.