Can a lens get worn out?

New here, so please be gentle. I have a EF 28-135 which has been my every day lens for around 3 years, being used firstly on a 50D and latterly on a 7D. It has always given me good results and been well cared for, no bumps or knocks, kept dry etc. But lately. I've noticed it slowing down, giving less crisp results and generally getting a bit tired. Hey, I'm no spring chicken myself and this is a lens I got 2nd hand 3years ago. So ... Do lenses wear out, get tired or generally "go off" with age? ... Or is it my technique that's slipping.

Oh ... And if it is time to retire the old thing, what would you replace it with?

Thanks for reading.

Lenses wear just like every other mechanical device. It is not unreasonable for a lens to get knocked out of alignment though normal activities.

With reasonable care, they can (and many do) last a lifetime. Aperture blades, aperture assemblies, ribbon cables, circuit boards, and exterior finishes and surfaces can deteriorate/break/fail over time, but I'd venture to guess that more than 90% of lenses can last a lifetime.

I personally have lenses going back to the 1920's that are still operational and in (overall) good usable condition.

In theory a lens can wear out. Its highly unlikely however that you wore out a lens. That doesnt mean its without a problem or failure, but not likely solely from wear or that its totally beyond redemption. The bigger question is this, if it is suffering from some mechanical malady, is it financially viable to have it repaired. Given the cost of a repair and the used selling price of this widely distributed lens it might be easier to just replace it.

MFA it. Focus changes.

Just like any mechanical device, the zoom rings, the focusing rings can move and get worn out. The lens can be well maintained, just like a classic car, but eventually parts will need to be replaced no matter how much care was given to them.
Perhaps this is not the case, and there is some loose or misaligned element, or perhaps it is a worn part needing to be fixed.

KirkS518 wrote in post #16627118
With reasonable care, they can (and many do) last a lifetime. Aperture blades, aperture assemblies, ribbon cables, circuit boards, and exterior finishes and surfaces can deteriorate/break/fail over time, but I'd venture to guess that more than 90% of lenses can last a lifetime.

I personally have lenses going back to the 1920's that are still operational and in (overall) good usable condition.

Remember that they don't always make things now like they once did. Pride in workmanship has largely been replaced by pride in profit.

It's a mechanical and electrical item essentially made of plastic. Motors wear out, frictions wears on things, lubricated bits run dry etc. It's only a matter of time.

Just think how much is actually in there moving against itself
http://www.doobybrain.​com …7/canon-lens-taken-apart/

TeamSpeed wrote in post #16629057
Remember that they don't always make things now like they once did. Pride in workmanship has largely been replaced by pride in profit.

Is it really profit? I think that it's more mass affordability with a little profit tossed in. The less expensive you can make a lens, the more people can afford to get it. But less expensive also means poorer workmanship. It's hard to do both high quality workmanship and low cost at the same time.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #16629057
Remember that they don't always make things now like they once did. Pride in workmanship has largely been replaced by pride in profit.

gjl711 wrote in post #16629220
Is it really profit? I think that it's more mass affordability with a little profit tossed in. The less expensive you can make a lens, the more people can afford to get it. But less expensive also means poorer workmanship. It's hard to do both high quality workmanship and low cost at the same time.

True for both.

But what is a lens? A bunch of glass, plastic, a circuit board, and some wires held together with screws and precision fitment.

The glass won't wear out with normal care.
The plastic won't just crumble (at least not in our lifetime)
A circuit board usually lasts decades+, as well as the capacitors and other components
The wires may wear by developing weak points with heavy usage (compressing, twisting, etc. when focusing/zooming, etc.)
Screws may come loose, but that's what locktite is for
Fitment is fitment

I think the biggest weak points in today's modern lenses are things like the Teflon (?) rollers, guides, etc., and those incredibly delicate ribbon cables.

KirkS518 wrote in post #16629500
True for both.

But what is a lens? A bunch of glass, plastic, a circuit board, and some wires held together with screws and precision fitment.

The glass won't wear out with normal care.
The plastic won't just crumble (at least not in our lifetime)
A circuit board usually lasts decades+, as well as the capacitors and other components
The wires may wear by developing weak points with heavy usage (compressing, twisting, etc. when focusing/zooming, etc.)
Screws may come loose, but that's what locktite is for
Fitment is fitment

I think the biggest weak points in today's modern lenses are things like the Teflon (?) rollers, guides, etc., and those incredibly delicate ribbon cables.

There is more than that. There are gearing, brass contacts that tarnish, motors, etc. Plastic gears go out, lugs wear, etc. Until you pull one apart, you won't fully appreciate it.

I've pulled many apart, (and successfully put them back together ) but I was just saying that there are things that won't normally wear out, and some things will/may. The list could be somewhat endless.

I think everybody forgets the main component that can break and render the lens unusable - the optical axis!

Sorry, could not resist...

Old lenses could last long, probably they need new grease after 30-60 years.
I use lenses from 1950..1960 regularly, with no problem. And a ~114 years old lens work well too - but this is a lens without moving mechanics (and no electronics).

Modern lenses with AF, IF, electronic aperture, zoom are more problematic.
Canon FD lenses with internal focus (IF) or zoom from ~1980 sometimes break after some use today, some of the plastic bearings are too old to work. Other zoom lenses have this sometimes too.
Most modern lenses have those bearings and cams, so I guess some will get problems after 30..50 years.
Electronics is not always lasting for centuries too. So it is not unlikely that lenses die from this reason.

Just take it, with camera, into someplace like this and have them check it out, could be something simple.

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