[sany]

All

Pls suggest, is zoom creep a real issue? can we not live with it?is it manageable?

S

[bimjo]

Yes, in that it does exist.
Up to you.
You learn to live with it if you want to use that lens.

[crewl1]

It can be a problem if you need to take a photo where the camera is not level such as a shot of the moon or that over head shot of a forest mushroom.
Otherwise for transport and shooting pictures where camera remains fairly level it is manageable.
I should also add that if you are using the lens hand held you can hold the zoom ring to keep it in position but using a tripod can be frustrating.
What lens are you specially referring to?

[JinDesu]

It depends on the lens. I had a 28-105 which zoom creeped between 28 and 35mm. I also had a 100-300mm that would zoom creep all the way. I didn't mind the 28-105 so I didn't fix it. I minded the 100-300 so I fixed that.

[sany]

It can be a problem if you need to take a photo where the camera is not level such as a shot of the moon or that over head shot of a forest mushroom.
Otherwise for transport and shooting pictures where camera remains fairly level it is manageable.
I should also add that if you are using the lens hand held you can hold the zoom ring to keep it in position but using a tripod can be frustrating.
What lens are you specially referring to?

I am referring to 18-250. Any suggestions please.

[steve1307]

How do you fix it properly?

I know the 18-250 Pentax/Tamron was often pretty bad for zoom creep. I had one which had some degree of it, nowhere near as bad as some 18-270's i've seen though.

With the DA18-250 you could put on a "Livestrong" (Lance Armstrong) style bracelet half on the zoom ring, half on the adjacent barrel and that friction was just enough to stop it.


edit : found thread from last year
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/86562-zoom-creep.html

[Odinz]

I have some old lenses that have a huge amount of zoom creep. If it's a lens you like than you either learn to live with it or get it fixed. I find that it's not that big of an issue when hand holding a lens and if I have the lens tilted on a tripod I throw a wide rubber band around the barrel. The biggest thing I have to remember is when walking around with a creeping zoom around my neck, be careful not to smack the end of the lens barrel on something.

[RioRico]

All my old manual-focus push-pull zooms (except a KAR-mount Tamron 60-300) creep, often quickly. My DA18-250 and Lil-Bigma 170-500 both creep. I am not bothered. I use the rubber-band trick when tripodding, or I use the non-creepy FA100-300 or that MF Tamron. No problem.

[crewl1]

On the 18-250 Tamron and Pentax there is a zoom lock switch that you should remember to use when walking around with the lens on a strap. It is easy to flick off when you bring the lens up to shoot.

[hcc]

A PF member showed nicely the trick to stop zoom creep (on the 18-250mm) in a PF thread. Use a rubber wristband (you an buy these for $2 at charities). They are the perfect size

Place the rubber wristband around the lens, on the camera side. The friction of the rubberband along the zoom ring is enough to strop completely the creep. Very effective. (Only donwside, you cannot use the zoom lock but you really do not need it.)

Hope that the suggestion will help.

[HockeyDad]

As the proud new owner of a Tamron 18-250mm I can definitely attest to the fact that zoom creep is real. In fact, on mine calling it "creep" is an understatement. However, give some thought to how you'll use the lens. For me, it's my grab-n-go, walking around, single lens solution. It fills that need splendidly! IQ beats the pants off my 18-55 kit lens which hasn't left the house since I got this lens (your mileage may vary) While it's not as good as my 55-300, it does just fine for when I'm out and about and frees me from switching lenses. As for the creep, well, for me, this is a 100% handheld lens because of how I use it and therefore creep is a complete non-issue. Just have to toggle the lock before/after shooting but it's right there on top and easy. For me, if I'm carrying a tripod, then I'm also carrying my bag with other lenses so this lens isn't ever likely to see a tripod while I own it, but as others have stated, there's always the wristband trick.

Long story short, don't pass on the 18-250 over zoom creep unless you really think it'll be a problem with how you intend to use it.

[Lowell Goudge]

zoom creep has been around since the late 1970's and I have one lens specifically from that era, which is really bad for it, the Vivitar Series 1 70-210 F3.5 (version 1)

It can be an issue on any lens, which changes length while zooming, because of the mass of the group that is moving, and is more of an issue on older one touch zooms lime my vivitar, than it is on my tamron 28-75F2.8 which also exhibits the problem.


The real difference is, my 28-75 does not exhibit creep when mounted on a tripod, and pointed down, therefore It can be used quite easily for macro and copy stand applications. The only time it exhibits creep is when walking with the camera on my shoulder. the repetitive shocks from walking are enough to have the lens extend out to maximum focal length. this lens also comes with a lock but this can only engage at minimum focal length. As such it is not a brake, like some lenses have but a true lock.

My 70-210 is an all together different beast. the creep is so bad that you simply cannot maintain focus and focal length when on a tripod in anything other than horizontal, which makes this lens useless for macro, although it can do 1:2.2 reproduction in close focus mode.

So in summary, it is lens to lens variable, more problematic with one touch zooms, has been around for ever, and will remain an issue on many zooms, as a function of design. Oddly enough, focus creep, which is an analogous situation on any prime lens, does not seem to be an issue, even with old tele promes where the weight of the group is very high, this must be due to the very long throw on the focusing helix, (typically 330+ degrees) and the damping used

[RioRico]

I just wanna testify! My Vivitar S1V1 70-210/3.5 creeps like crazy. I mentioned that almost all my older zooms, and all the one-touch push-pull guys, are creepers. It's easier to list those that don't, which all have a separate focal-length ring: DA10-17, Tamron 10-24, DA18-55, Tamron 28-70, FA28-80 (powerzoom), A35-80, Schneider Betavaron 50-125, Sears-Tokina 55-135/3.5, FA100-300 (silver). I've sold my shorter one-touch zooms so I can't say if any crept.

But, as we say about boys' behaviours, "It comes with the plumbing". One-touch zooms are for convenience, not accuracy. Anyone wanting a tripod-able-at-any-angle zoom needs a two-ring.

[sany]

Thanks all for sharing - but i was not so lucky by the time i was a bit clear, the mostly awaited DA 18-250 was gone!
Basically that is the only lens, I guess, is satisfying my requirements.
I wanted DA 55-300 but then I also needed something on the wide side (as I can't take group shots in a room with that) which I don't have. All wide angle lenses are expensive, also I needed if not a very long reach atleast a longer zoom which again the DA 55-300 can satisfy but the only issue like I said was the lack of wider angle and at the same time I don't want to change lenses atleast between the focal length of 17mm to 70mm.
Tamron's 17-50 or 28-70 although in my hit list, they both can't reach the other extremes. Are there any other suggestions (apart from Sigma 17-70 mm but will have to get a longer zoom separately which i don't want to do), I can stretch my budget to a max of $300 - $350.
Background: I now have two primes, but thought of getting an all purpose zoom to avoid changing lenses - I recently had a tough time changing lenses during my brother's wedding. Secondly, are there any zooms with 49mm filter size like those of my primes I currently own (DA 35mm and M85mm), which are nice small and compact.

[ddharriman]

Hi

The Tamron 28-78 2.8 creeps too (and not little I must say), so…

Best,