DFA 150-450 Zoom Ring Stuck

nomadkng · 10-04-2016, 08:42 AM

Had the strangest thing happen to the DFA 150-450 we just took to east coast.

The zoom mechanism will not go BELOW about 180mm.

It work fine from 180-450, but will not fully contract.

I'm nearly certain it's a zoom lock issue, as in somehow the zoom lock engaged with the zoom beyond its locking point.

Any ideas on fixes before I have to deal with the horror of sending it in for warranty repair?

**BigMackCam** · 10-04-2016, 08:55 AM

I don't have that lens, but have you tried pointing it up/down while operating the zoom mechanism?

**UncleVanya** · 10-04-2016, 09:47 AM

This has happened to several other people - send for repair.

**pearsaab** · 10-04-2016, 10:43 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by nomadkng

Had the strangest thing happen to the DFA 150-450 we just took to east coast.

The zoom mechanism will not go BELOW about 180mm.

It work fine from 180-450, but will not fully contract.

I'm nearly certain it's a zoom lock issue, as in somehow the zoom lock engaged with the zoom beyond its locking point.

Any ideas on fixes before I have to deal with the horror of sending it in for warranty repair?

Beware of them claiming IMPACT DAMAGE plus they will send it off to Japan

biz-engineer · 10-04-2016, 12:35 PM

Originally posted by nomadkng

Had the strangest thing happen to the DFA 150-450 we just took to east coast. The zoom mechanism will not go BELOW about 180mm. It work fine from 180-450, but will not fully contract. I'm nearly certain it's a zoom lock issue, as in somehow the zoom lock engaged with the zoom beyond its locking point. Any ideas on fixes before I have to deal with the horror of sending it in for warranty repair?

Et voila !!! One more time. DFA150-450 is weather sealed like a air pump. Everytime time you force the zoom in or out in excess of the force that dislodge the sealings, you can't get the zoom back in place when the inner sealing at out of their place. I wrote this in previous thread about DFA150-450, but never mind.

**UncleVanya** · 10-04-2016, 01:05 PM

Originally posted by biz-engineer

Et voila !!! One more time. DFA150-450 is weather sealed like a air pump. Everytime time you force the zoom in or out in excess of the force that dislodge the sealings, you can't get the zoom back in place when the inner sealing at out of their place. I wrote this in previous thread about DFA150-450, but never mind.

Uh... typos? Really hard to decipher this last bit. So what is the fix?

biz-engineer · 10-04-2016, 01:45 PM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

Really hard to decipher this last bit. So what is the fix?

There is no fix after sealing is moved. Prevention is to never force the zoom in or out with force, in order to let the sealing glide and prevent "pump" effect. When I zoom out , I do it slowly without forcing , and zooming in the same way.
I can do it 200 times, and I never have a single issue. If I want to damage my DFA150-450 I zoom out fast and it's sure way of getting the seals pulled back in the inner rear of the zoom.

**BigMackCam** · 10-04-2016, 01:50 PM

^^^ I've heard of a similar zoom issue on the DA*60-250 (although I've not had the problem myself). I wonder if it's the same thing? Very interesting...

**UncleVanya** · 10-04-2016, 02:07 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by biz-engineer

There is no fix after sealing is moved. Prevention is to never force the zoom in or out with force, in order to let the sealing glide and prevent "pump" effect. When I zoom out , I do it slowly without forcing , and zooming in the same way.
I can do it 200 times, and I never have a single issue. If I want to damage my DFA150-450 I zoom out fast and it's sure way of getting the seals pulled back in the inner rear of the zoom.

That is a design flaw if it can't protect itself against damage from use like that.

biz-engineer · 10-04-2016, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

That is a design flaw if it can't protect itself against damage from use like that.

Yes, sure, and if so, there should at least be warning / notice issued by Ricoh. That said, if you own a DFA150-450, no need to make it fail. When I sold my apsc Pentax gear, the guy who purchased told me that he was impressed to see all my gear in mint conditions, but some people return camera in "unthinkable state"... He added "For pro who use there gear intensively, I can understand, but for amateurs it's unbelievable that they sometimes return camera full of sand or half broken".

nomadkng · 10-05-2016, 07:36 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by biz-engineer

That said, if you own a DFA150-450, no need to make it fail..

That's all well and good in theory. So let's try this scenario:

You are a on a 4-5 mile hike with the lens in zoom lock for easier transport because you have a lot ground to cover and wildlife isn't exactly on a schedule.

Suddenly a target appears in the tree 50 feet away from you, you unlock, zoom, focus as fast as you can because birds don't exactly sit still...

You get that picture just as a deer pops it's head out of the undergrowth 10 feet from you. Rack the zoom back to 150 and get that shot too.

True scenario, happened this last weekend on the White Oak trail in Newport News/Yorktown area. Maybe that's what did it, but isn't that why you have a zoom in the first place?

Sounds like the 150-450 is ill suited for this scenario? It's certainly not user negligence as it seems has been inferred.

Originally posted by UncleVanya

That is a design flaw if it can't protect itself against damage from use like that.

I'm apt to agree with this conclusion.

Since when is the burden on the photographer to accommodate a lens quirk that runs counter to the very purpose and use of the lens?

Originally posted by biz-engineer

"For pro who use there gear intensively, I can understand, but for amateurs it's unbelievable that they sometimes return camera full of sand or half broken".

And so where does one draw THAT line? Am I pro because I make a decent amount every year selling my work for the past 6 years? Or am I an amateur because it's not enough to allow me to quit my day job? I take very good care of my equipment to the best of my abilities, but I'm using my gear in the field and sometime s(&(&t happens. If I'm an amateur does it mean I'm at fault for this issue? If I'm a pro, does it mean Pentax has a design issue?

P.S.

So for what it's worth, B&H is going to take the lens back and repair it for me, which I think is just awesome, especially since Pentax told me sorry, you're on your own because you bought it "used".

So kudos to B&H for taking care of the situation.

Stand by for an update in 4-6 weeks...lol

biz-engineer · 10-05-2016, 08:38 AM

Originally posted by nomadkng

And so where does one draw THAT line? Am I pro because I make a decent amount every year selling my work for the past 6 years? Or am I an amateur because it's not enough to allow me to quit my day job? I take very good care of my equipment to the best of my abilities, but I'm using my gear in the field and sometime s(&(&t happens. If I'm an amateur does it mean I'm at fault for this issue? If I'm a pro, does it mean Pentax has a design issue?

Given how many times this issues happened with the DFA150-450, I agree that it is a design flaw and I don't want to blame anyone for bad usage. My point is to highlight what may cause the issue and what may prevent to have to sent it for service. While it is possible to zoon in / out with reasonable speed with the DFA150-450, there is a significant amount of friction so that zooming in / out quickly it counter nature for this zoom. My 2 cents. Of course, if that issue would happen to me, I not be content, I fully understand that.

**BigMackCam** · 10-05-2016, 10:19 AM

Originally posted by nomadkng

So for what it's worth, B&H is going to take the lens back and repair it for me, which I think is just awesome, especially since Pentax told me sorry, you're on your own because you bought it "used".

So kudos to B&H for taking care of the situation.

That's impressive. It's also the right thing to do, in my view, but certainly beyond B&H's obligations. As you say, kudos to them.

nomadkng · 02-02-2017, 09:25 AM

Originally posted by nomadkng

So for what it's worth, B&H is going to take the lens back and repair it for me, which I think is just awesome, especially since Pentax told me sorry, you're on your own because you bought it "used".

So kudos to B&H for taking care of the situation.

Stand by for an update in 4-6 weeks...lol

Update time:

B&H informed me that the lens was unrepairable. They promptly refunded my purchase price, (yay for them).

Unfortunately, it now really tarnishes the 150-450 reputation in my mind (ie I'm not sure I'll purchase another one).

I have instead opted for a Sigma 300 f2.8 and a 1.4x TC, so we will see how this works. I'm not sure how the whole adding/removing a TC to emulate a zoom will play out. It will be an interesting experiment.

OJGoreng · 02-09-2017, 06:59 PM

Originally posted by nomadkng

Update time:

B&H informed me that the lens was unrepairable. They promptly refunded my purchase price, (yay for them)..

Refunding you is good service indeed, but TBH it sounds like they didn't even try... it only took three weeks (drop-off to pick-up; the process required international shipping) to fix the same problem in mine, but even when I dropped it on a concrete floor a year later, repair (including replacement of the front lens group) was still possible (expensive, but possible) and was so well-performed that the lens performs like new.

10-04-2016, 08:42 AM	#1
nomadkng Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,448	DFA 150-450 Zoom Ring Stuck Had the strangest thing happen to the DFA 150-450 we just took to east coast. The zoom mechanism will not go BELOW about 180mm. It work fine from 180-450, but will not fully contract. I'm nearly certain it's a zoom lock issue, as in somehow the zoom lock engaged with the zoom beyond its locking point. Any ideas on fixes before I have to deal with the horror of sending it in for warranty repair?

10-05-2016, 07:36 AM - 1 Like	#11
nomadkng Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,448 Original Poster	Originally posted by biz-engineer That said, if you own a DFA150-450, no need to make it fail.. That's all well and good in theory. So let's try this scenario: You are a on a 4-5 mile hike with the lens in zoom lock for easier transport because you have a lot ground to cover and wildlife isn't exactly on a schedule. Suddenly a target appears in the tree 50 feet away from you, you unlock, zoom, focus as fast as you can because birds don't exactly sit still... You get that picture just as a deer pops it's head out of the undergrowth 10 feet from you. Rack the zoom back to 150 and get that shot too. True scenario, happened this last weekend on the White Oak trail in Newport News/Yorktown area. Maybe that's what did it, but isn't that why you have a zoom in the first place? Sounds like the 150-450 is ill suited for this scenario? It's certainly not user negligence as it seems has been inferred. Originally posted by UncleVanya That is a design flaw if it can't protect itself against damage from use like that. I'm apt to agree with this conclusion. Since when is the burden on the photographer to accommodate a lens quirk that runs counter to the very purpose and use of the lens? Originally posted by biz-engineer "For pro who use there gear intensively, I can understand, but for amateurs it's unbelievable that they sometimes return camera full of sand or half broken". And so where does one draw THAT line? Am I pro because I make a decent amount every year selling my work for the past 6 years? Or am I an amateur because it's not enough to allow me to quit my day job? I take very good care of my equipment to the best of my abilities, but I'm using my gear in the field and sometime s(&(&t happens. If I'm an amateur does it mean I'm at fault for this issue? If I'm a pro, does it mean Pentax has a design issue? P.S. So for what it's worth, B&H is going to take the lens back and repair it for me, which I think is just awesome, especially since Pentax told me sorry, you're on your own because you bought it "used". So kudos to B&H for taking care of the situation. Stand by for an update in 4-6 weeks...lol Last edited by nomadkng; 10-05-2016 at 07:48 AM.

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10-04-2016, 08:55 AM	#2
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,671	I don't have that lens, but have you tried pointing it up/down while operating the zoom mechanism?

10-04-2016, 09:47 AM	#3
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	This has happened to several other people - send for repair.

10-04-2016, 10:43 AM - 1 Like	#4
pearsaab Otis Memorial Pentaxian Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2011 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,900	Originally posted by nomadkng Had the strangest thing happen to the DFA 150-450 we just took to east coast. The zoom mechanism will not go BELOW about 180mm. It work fine from 180-450, but will not fully contract. I'm nearly certain it's a zoom lock issue, as in somehow the zoom lock engaged with the zoom beyond its locking point. Any ideas on fixes before I have to deal with the horror of sending it in for warranty repair? Beware of them claiming IMPACT DAMAGE plus they will send it off to Japan

10-04-2016, 12:35 PM	#5
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	Originally posted by nomadkng Had the strangest thing happen to the DFA 150-450 we just took to east coast. The zoom mechanism will not go BELOW about 180mm. It work fine from 180-450, but will not fully contract. I'm nearly certain it's a zoom lock issue, as in somehow the zoom lock engaged with the zoom beyond its locking point. Any ideas on fixes before I have to deal with the horror of sending it in for warranty repair? Et voila !!! One more time. DFA150-450 is weather sealed like a air pump. Everytime time you force the zoom in or out in excess of the force that dislodge the sealings, you can't get the zoom back in place when the inner sealing at out of their place. I wrote this in previous thread about DFA150-450, but never mind.

10-04-2016, 01:05 PM	#6
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by biz-engineer Et voila !!! One more time. DFA150-450 is weather sealed like a air pump. Everytime time you force the zoom in or out in excess of the force that dislodge the sealings, you can't get the zoom back in place when the inner sealing at out of their place. I wrote this in previous thread about DFA150-450, but never mind. Uh... typos? Really hard to decipher this last bit. So what is the fix?

10-04-2016, 01:45 PM	#7
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	Originally posted by UncleVanya Really hard to decipher this last bit. So what is the fix? There is no fix after sealing is moved. Prevention is to never force the zoom in or out with force, in order to let the sealing glide and prevent "pump" effect. When I zoom out , I do it slowly without forcing , and zooming in the same way. I can do it 200 times, and I never have a single issue. If I want to damage my DFA150-450 I zoom out fast and it's sure way of getting the seals pulled back in the inner rear of the zoom.

10-04-2016, 01:50 PM	#8
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,671	^^^ I've heard of a similar zoom issue on the DA*60-250 (although I've not had the problem myself). I wonder if it's the same thing? Very interesting...

10-04-2016, 02:07 PM - 1 Like	#9
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by biz-engineer There is no fix after sealing is moved. Prevention is to never force the zoom in or out with force, in order to let the sealing glide and prevent "pump" effect. When I zoom out , I do it slowly without forcing , and zooming in the same way. I can do it 200 times, and I never have a single issue. If I want to damage my DFA150-450 I zoom out fast and it's sure way of getting the seals pulled back in the inner rear of the zoom. That is a design flaw if it can't protect itself against damage from use like that.

10-04-2016, 02:16 PM	#10
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	Originally posted by UncleVanya That is a design flaw if it can't protect itself against damage from use like that. Yes, sure, and if so, there should at least be warning / notice issued by Ricoh. That said, if you own a DFA150-450, no need to make it fail. When I sold my apsc Pentax gear, the guy who purchased told me that he was impressed to see all my gear in mint conditions, but some people return camera in "unthinkable state"... He added "For pro who use there gear intensively, I can understand, but for amateurs it's unbelievable that they sometimes return camera full of sand or half broken".

10-05-2016, 08:38 AM	#12
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	Originally posted by nomadkng And so where does one draw THAT line? Am I pro because I make a decent amount every year selling my work for the past 6 years? Or am I an amateur because it's not enough to allow me to quit my day job? I take very good care of my equipment to the best of my abilities, but I'm using my gear in the field and sometime s(&(&t happens. If I'm an amateur does it mean I'm at fault for this issue? If I'm a pro, does it mean Pentax has a design issue? Given how many times this issues happened with the DFA150-450, I agree that it is a design flaw and I don't want to blame anyone for bad usage. My point is to highlight what may cause the issue and what may prevent to have to sent it for service. While it is possible to zoon in / out with reasonable speed with the DFA150-450, there is a significant amount of friction so that zooming in / out quickly it counter nature for this zoom. My 2 cents. Of course, if that issue would happen to me, I not be content, I fully understand that.

10-05-2016, 10:19 AM	#13
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,671	Originally posted by nomadkng So for what it's worth, B&H is going to take the lens back and repair it for me, which I think is just awesome, especially since Pentax told me sorry, you're on your own because you bought it "used". So kudos to B&H for taking care of the situation. That's impressive. It's also the right thing to do, in my view, but certainly beyond B&H's obligations. As you say, kudos to them.

02-02-2017, 09:25 AM	#14
nomadkng Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,448 Original Poster	Originally posted by nomadkng So for what it's worth, B&H is going to take the lens back and repair it for me, which I think is just awesome, especially since Pentax told me sorry, you're on your own because you bought it "used". So kudos to B&H for taking care of the situation. Stand by for an update in 4-6 weeks...lol Update time: B&H informed me that the lens was unrepairable. They promptly refunded my purchase price, (yay for them). Unfortunately, it now really tarnishes the 150-450 reputation in my mind (ie I'm not sure I'll purchase another one). I have instead opted for a Sigma 300 f2.8 and a 1.4x TC, so we will see how this works. I'm not sure how the whole adding/removing a TC to emulate a zoom will play out. It will be an interesting experiment.

02-09-2017, 06:59 PM	#15
OJGoreng Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Amsterdam Photos: Gallery Posts: 197	Originally posted by nomadkng Update time: B&H informed me that the lens was unrepairable. They promptly refunded my purchase price, (yay for them).. Refunding you is good service indeed, but TBH it sounds like they didn't even try... it only took three weeks (drop-off to pick-up; the process required international shipping) to fix the same problem in mine, but even when I dropped it on a concrete floor a year later, repair (including replacement of the front lens group) was still possible (expensive, but possible) and was so well-performed that the lens performs like new.