topic Re: Stiff Zoom Collar 55-250 in EF & RF Lenses

Stiff Zoom Collar 55-250

Quiet — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 23:32:41 GMT

I bought a used 55-250 IS II lens from a private seller on eBay. I adore it. The IQ is staggering, particularly for close-ups.

The zoom collar is, though, stiff enough to sometimes rattle the lens mount hole against its locator pin. I don't think the force of this is enough to cause damage but it's slightly worrisome.

Is this a common thing with plastic-bodied zooms? I have no such issue with my 18-55; it's silky smooth. And I happen to love the lightweighting possible with plastic bodies and can happily accept a minor trade-off.

Re: Stiff Zoom Collar 55-250

crisson — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 00:42:57 GMT

I have the 55-250 and the zoom barrel works without a hitch, it turns very easily. Unfortunately, I am not technically/mechanically smart enough to offer any advice on the issue with your lens.

Re: Stiff Zoom Collar 55-250

shadowsports — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 00:46:44 GMT

I owned the 55-250 as well as the 18-135 when I had my T6s

Both had slight resistence, the zoom and focus rings had just the right amount of drag.

Hard for me to say whats normal (in this case). I remember the 55-250 was a liitle stiffer than the 18-135.

Took great pictures. If something is binding, its not worth fixing. If it fails, buy a new one.

Re: Stiff Zoom Collar 55-250

Waddizzle — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 05:11:12 GMT

@Quiet wrote:
I bought a used 55-250 IS II lens from a private seller on eBay. I adore it. The IQ is staggering, particularly for close-ups.

The zoom collar is, though, stiff enough to sometimes rattle the lens mount hole against its locator pin. I don't think the force of this is enough to cause damage but it's slightly worrisome.

Is this a common thing with plastic-bodied zooms? I have no such issue with my 18-55; it's silky smooth. And I happen to love the lightweighting possible with plastic bodies and can happily accept a minor trade-off.

I do not think your lens is functioning properly.

There have been a couple of different versions of the lens produced over the years. The latest has a model number that ends with STM, which uses "control by wire" to control the AF motors. This means that there is no mechanical connection between the focus ring and the focus mechanisms. I do not think you have this lens.

I think you have one of the older versions, and I strongly suspect that it is not fully functional. Get a refund, if you can.

Re: Stiff Zoom Collar 55-250

Quiet — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 12:19:20 GMT

Thanks for your replies.

This is a pre-STM lens, the IS II version. As such, the focus is still very snappy; I only use AF because of aging eyesight so the focus ring never comes into play..

It's good to hear that this stiffness is not endemic to the lens materials, as I suspected from the smoothness of my 18-55 zoom.

Re: Stiff Zoom Collar 55-250

ebiggs1 — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:18:02 GMT

It is hard to judge form a distance. You need to let someone that is familiar with cameras look at it and if they say it is tough, I too would return it. IMHO, some slight resistance in the zooming action is beneficial. But too much may indicate a real problem that will render this lens useless as repair is not the best route. Probably more than the lens is worth.