18-55 WR front wobble. Is this normal?

sarge · 09-04-2016, 09:57 AM

I have noticed the front part of my 18-55 WR lens has quite a bit of wobble.
At first I just thought it was a loose fitting lens hood but it is the barrel itself.
My other Pentax zooms do not have near the movement that this one does.
Is this something I should concern myself with?
I got this lens as a weatherproof, walk around option. I do not use it for professional work but I still would like the best results I can get.

Caver · 09-04-2016, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by sarge

I have noticed the front part of my 18-55 WR lens has quite a bit of wobble.
At first I just thought it was a loose fitting lens hood but it is the barrel itself.
My other Pentax zooms do not have near the movement that this one does.
Is this something I should concern myself with?
I got this lens as a weatherproof, walk around option. I do not use it for professional work but I still would like the best results I can get.

I have a 18-55 WR - almost unused - and I checked it right now for you - there's a slight wobble (the barrel itself) ... The lens works fine without any problems.

amoringello · 09-04-2016, 11:05 AM

It has some wobble if you push on it. But it shouldn't wobble much from normal use.
It is NOTHING like the leeway on my bigger/heavier DA* 16-50. All of mine have a lot of play. So much you can feel the weight shift simply from rotating the camera.

Something as light as the WR18-55 shouldn't really shift just fro moving the lens. If it is severe, it might need repair. But I can't say if that would really adversely affect performance, either photographically or for its WR.

kh1234567890 · 09-04-2016, 11:17 AM

No wobble on mine after six years of use.

Flickriver: kh1234567890's photos tagged with smcpda1855mmf3556alwr

**pacerr** · 09-04-2016, 12:01 PM

It occurs to me that some lenses are designed and built with a lot of 'wobble' built in. They're called tilt/shift lenses. They're expensive and can be quite sharp. A preference for robust construction notwithstanding, maybe the effect of a 'little wobble' isn't as significant as imagined and wouldn't be noticeable without a direct comparison of identical shots.

I once experimented with a 'wobbly' DA 16-45 and couldn't find anything to be concerned about.

tibbitts · 09-04-2016, 12:49 PM

On my 16-45 it was annoying and did affect image quality, at least for vertical images. In fairness I didn't notice at 6mp but did at 10mp, either because the lens had gotten looser or the higher mp was better at showing the issue. On my 16-85, the much lower amount of wobble allows me to get good sharpness across the frame for close-focus images, as long as I remember to push the front of the barrel in the correct direction.

To me the issue is that lens barrels simply shouldn't wobble. We spend all kinds of time here arguing over whether even the best UV filters will affect sharpness and flare, then we say it's okay that as long as the elements in the lens stay in the same order from front to back, it doesn't really matter whether they're aligned relative to each other or not. I had Takumar primes from the '60s and '70s, and then Canon zooms from the early partly-plastic era in the '80s, and they didn't wobble nearly as much as (most, not all) of my newer Pentax lenses. I can't say that Canikon is any better based on the few consumer-grade lenses I've played with at stores.

MikeD · 09-04-2016, 05:11 PM

Originally posted by sarge

I have noticed the front part of my 18-55 WR lens has quite a bit of wobble.
At first I just thought it was a loose fitting lens hood but it is the barrel itself.
My other Pentax zooms do not have near the movement that this one does.
Is this something I should concern myself with?
I got this lens as a weatherproof, walk around option. I do not use it for professional work but I still would like the best results I can get.

I have a little wobble in my 18-55 non wr but none in the newer WR version. It never caused any issues.

pakinjapan · 09-04-2016, 06:24 PM

Originally posted by sarge

I have noticed the front part of my 18-55 WR lens has quite a bit of wobble...
Is this something I should concern myself with? ...

Can you still get it to properly focus?

I don't have the 18-55 but I had 2 lenses that one day its front element showed sign of wobble.

DA 15, It wobbled a lot and unable to lock the focus. I open the front part of the lens and found out that it has 3 screws loosen inside. Put all of them back and things are working ok. No wobble and focus working find again until now.

FA20, unlike the limited lens, DA15, the FA20 has a little bit of wobble in the front elements since I got it. And one day it wobbled a lot and unable to lock focus. I took it to Pentax service center because I cannot find a way to open it up. They said the internal mechanism seem to be broken beyond fix! And that was it for my most used lens.

If your lens wobbles more than usual, and if you can find a service center, have them look at it. Don’t open it yourself unless you know what you are doing. A few screw might be loosen inside like my DA15.

sarge · 09-04-2016, 07:59 PM

This is a new lens. I have only had it a few months. It has been like this since I received it.
I tried to find a warranty link on Pentax USA website but was only able to find a link to a repair site. They charge $96.00.
This should be under warranty.

jddwoods · 09-05-2016, 05:28 AM

Originally posted by tibbitts

On my 16-45 it was annoying and did affect image quality, at least for vertical images. In fairness I didn't notice at 6mp but did at 10mp, either because the lens had gotten looser or the higher mp was better at showing the issue. On my 16-85, the much lower amount of wobble allows me to get good sharpness across the frame for close-focus images, as long as I remember to push the front of the barrel in the correct direction.

To me the issue is that lens barrels simply shouldn't wobble. We spend all kinds of time here arguing over whether even the best UV filters will affect sharpness and flare, then we say it's okay that as long as the elements in the lens stay in the same order from front to back, it doesn't really matter whether they're aligned relative to each other or not. I had Takumar primes from the '60s and '70s, and then Canon zooms from the early partly-plastic era in the '80s, and they didn't wobble nearly as much as (most, not all) of my newer Pentax lenses. I can't say that Canikon is any better based on the few consumer-grade lenses I've played with at stores.

There is a lot of variation in perceived inner barrel wobble across my Pentax lenses ranging from my noticeably wobbly DA 70 Limited to no wobble at all in lenses like my DA 15 and DA 35 Macro Limiteds and surprisingly my HD 55-300 which has no wobble even with the lens barrel fully extended. I handled some Canon and Nikon cameras and lenses at some camera shops recently and noticed they also had varying degrees of wobble in the inner barrels. They may have been even worse considering I evaluated my Pentax gear in the quiet of my home and the Canon & Nikon gear in a bustling noisy store. Outdoors the even the wobble in my worst case lens seems less noticeable than in my quiet home interior.

09-04-2016, 09:57 AM	#1
sarge Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 460	18-55 WR front wobble. Is this normal? I have noticed the front part of my 18-55 WR lens has quite a bit of wobble. At first I just thought it was a loose fitting lens hood but it is the barrel itself. My other Pentax zooms do not have near the movement that this one does. Is this something I should concern myself with? I got this lens as a weatherproof, walk around option. I do not use it for professional work but I still would like the best results I can get.

09-04-2016, 12:49 PM	#6
tibbitts Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Oklahoma USA Posts: 2,193	On my 16-45 it was annoying and did affect image quality, at least for vertical images. In fairness I didn't notice at 6mp but did at 10mp, either because the lens had gotten looser or the higher mp was better at showing the issue. On my 16-85, the much lower amount of wobble allows me to get good sharpness across the frame for close-focus images, as long as I remember to push the front of the barrel in the correct direction. To me the issue is that lens barrels simply shouldn't wobble. We spend all kinds of time here arguing over whether even the best UV filters will affect sharpness and flare, then we say it's okay that as long as the elements in the lens stay in the same order from front to back, it doesn't really matter whether they're aligned relative to each other or not. I had Takumar primes from the '60s and '70s, and then Canon zooms from the early partly-plastic era in the '80s, and they didn't wobble nearly as much as (most, not all) of my newer Pentax lenses. I can't say that Canikon is any better based on the few consumer-grade lenses I've played with at stores. Last edited by tibbitts; 09-04-2016 at 09:10 PM. Reason: clarify that it DID affect image quality on the 16-45

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09-04-2016, 10:17 AM	#2
Caver Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Hungary (ex-pat from Transylvania, Romania) Photos: Gallery Posts: 541	Originally posted by sarge I have noticed the front part of my 18-55 WR lens has quite a bit of wobble. At first I just thought it was a loose fitting lens hood but it is the barrel itself. My other Pentax zooms do not have near the movement that this one does. Is this something I should concern myself with? I got this lens as a weatherproof, walk around option. I do not use it for professional work but I still would like the best results I can get. I have a 18-55 WR - almost unused - and I checked it right now for you - there's a slight wobble (the barrel itself) ... The lens works fine without any problems.

09-04-2016, 11:05 AM	#3
amoringello Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,562	It has some wobble if you push on it. But it shouldn't wobble much from normal use. It is NOTHING like the leeway on my bigger/heavier DA* 16-50. All of mine have a lot of play. So much you can feel the weight shift simply from rotating the camera. Something as light as the WR18-55 shouldn't really shift just fro moving the lens. If it is severe, it might need repair. But I can't say if that would really adversely affect performance, either photographically or for its WR.

09-04-2016, 11:17 AM	#4
kh1234567890 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Manchester, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,653	No wobble on mine after six years of use. Flickriver: kh1234567890's photos tagged with smcpda1855mmf3556alwr

09-04-2016, 12:01 PM	#5
pacerr Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Paris, TN Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,349	It occurs to me that some lenses are designed and built with a lot of 'wobble' built in. They're called tilt/shift lenses. They're expensive and can be quite sharp. A preference for robust construction notwithstanding, maybe the effect of a 'little wobble' isn't as significant as imagined and wouldn't be noticeable without a direct comparison of identical shots. I once experimented with a 'wobbly' DA 16-45 and couldn't find anything to be concerned about.

09-04-2016, 05:11 PM	#7
MikeD Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: traverse city MI Posts: 346	Originally posted by sarge I have noticed the front part of my 18-55 WR lens has quite a bit of wobble. At first I just thought it was a loose fitting lens hood but it is the barrel itself. My other Pentax zooms do not have near the movement that this one does. Is this something I should concern myself with? I got this lens as a weatherproof, walk around option. I do not use it for professional work but I still would like the best results I can get. I have a little wobble in my 18-55 non wr but none in the newer WR version. It never caused any issues.

09-04-2016, 06:24 PM	#8
pakinjapan Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,041	Originally posted by sarge I have noticed the front part of my 18-55 WR lens has quite a bit of wobble... Is this something I should concern myself with? ... Can you still get it to properly focus? I don't have the 18-55 but I had 2 lenses that one day its front element showed sign of wobble. DA 15, It wobbled a lot and unable to lock the focus. I open the front part of the lens and found out that it has 3 screws loosen inside. Put all of them back and things are working ok. No wobble and focus working find again until now. FA20, unlike the limited lens, DA15, the FA20 has a little bit of wobble in the front elements since I got it. And one day it wobbled a lot and unable to lock focus. I took it to Pentax service center because I cannot find a way to open it up. They said the internal mechanism seem to be broken beyond fix! And that was it for my most used lens. If your lens wobbles more than usual, and if you can find a service center, have them look at it. Don’t open it yourself unless you know what you are doing. A few screw might be loosen inside like my DA15.

09-04-2016, 07:59 PM	#9
sarge Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Illinois Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 460 Original Poster	This is a new lens. I have only had it a few months. It has been like this since I received it. I tried to find a warranty link on Pentax USA website but was only able to find a link to a repair site. They charge $96.00. This should be under warranty.

09-05-2016, 05:28 AM	#10
jddwoods Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 1,035	Originally posted by tibbitts On my 16-45 it was annoying and did affect image quality, at least for vertical images. In fairness I didn't notice at 6mp but did at 10mp, either because the lens had gotten looser or the higher mp was better at showing the issue. On my 16-85, the much lower amount of wobble allows me to get good sharpness across the frame for close-focus images, as long as I remember to push the front of the barrel in the correct direction. To me the issue is that lens barrels simply shouldn't wobble. We spend all kinds of time here arguing over whether even the best UV filters will affect sharpness and flare, then we say it's okay that as long as the elements in the lens stay in the same order from front to back, it doesn't really matter whether they're aligned relative to each other or not. I had Takumar primes from the '60s and '70s, and then Canon zooms from the early partly-plastic era in the '80s, and they didn't wobble nearly as much as (most, not all) of my newer Pentax lenses. I can't say that Canikon is any better based on the few consumer-grade lenses I've played with at stores. There is a lot of variation in perceived inner barrel wobble across my Pentax lenses ranging from my noticeably wobbly DA 70 Limited to no wobble at all in lenses like my DA 15 and DA 35 Macro Limiteds and surprisingly my HD 55-300 which has no wobble even with the lens barrel fully extended. I handled some Canon and Nikon cameras and lenses at some camera shops recently and noticed they also had varying degrees of wobble in the inner barrels. They may have been even worse considering I evaluated my Pentax gear in the quiet of my home and the Canon & Nikon gear in a bustling noisy store. Outdoors the even the wobble in my worst case lens seems less noticeable than in my quiet home interior.