50mm lens problem or normal?

I just purchased a canon 50mm 1.8 lens. I have noticed a few weird quirks with it.

Fiirst off it the inner lens barrel seems a lil wobbly, its not too bad but i have noticed it.

Second, I havent had any problems all day, but as I am sitting here in my house and the sun is going down, I am starting to mess around with it in low light, but sometimes when it focuses all the way out, and is fully extended, it kinda gets stuck. The AF ring moves back and forth and wont retract the lens barrel. Know it only does this when its trying to focus on something that is in pretty low light, and it starts to hunt for focus, and fully extends outwards, then it gets stuck. If I keep trying to focus on the same thing with the focus "locked" it will just kind of shimmy back and forth like its stuck and the motor cant disengage it.

If I point it at a better light source and refocus it will "unlock" itself and return to normal.

Has anyone had these problems before? I know this is a "cheapie" lens, but is this normal?

oh BTW sorry if i got some of the terminology wrong, I am kinda new to this!

Your experience seems par for the course. The lens build quality is questionable. The low light focus ability is legendary (bad). If it focuses correctly this lens can take some great pictures (stopped down a bit especially)!.

It's completely normal. This lens is the Stephen Hawking of the Canon world.

Everything about this lens sucks except sharpness and price

perryge wrote in post #4795616
It's completely normal. This lens is the Stephen Hawking of the Canon world.

Hmmm, that's an interesting way to put it. By this you mean sharp as a tack, but physically fragile?

Mark_Cohran wrote in post #4795812
Hmmm, that's an interesting way to put it. By this you mean sharp as a tack, but physically fragile?

Pretty much :P. I know, I'm going to hell .

perryge wrote in post #4795828
Pretty much :P. I know, I'm going to hell .

I'm still laughing... I'll see you there.

Well, it's good to know hell will be a fun place .

thanks guys, i figured it was normal but just had to make sure.....lol Stephen Hawkins lens!

Well its not even made in Japan like most Canon stuff, its made in malaysia..

you get what you pay for.

lol stephen hawking lens..

modemanual wrote in post #4795927
Well its not even made in Japan like most Canon stuff, its made in malaysia..

you get what you pay for.

lol stephen hawking lens..

I got one.It's Made in Japan but it has the same problem with yours. I've sent it to SC several time 'coze they're unwilling to calibrate it until I offered to pay for the services.
Seems like a cheap lens they never want to entertain.

I guess they'd've follow the watch notation of country of origin. Well if it's label Swiss Made it can't be made in China.

But for other electronic stuff, they can just simply label made in Japan but in fact it's made in vietnam.

I suspect those entry level canon slr is not made in japan.

danielyamseng wrote in post #4796106
I got one.It's Made in Japan but it has the same problem with yours. I've sent it to SC several time 'coze they're unwilling to calibrate it until I offered to pay for the services.
Seems like a cheap lens they never want to entertain.

I guess they'd've follow the watch notation of country of origin. Well if it's label Swiss Made it can't be made in China.

But for other electronic stuff, they can just simply label made in Japan but in fact it's made in vietnam.

I suspect those entry level canon slr is not made in japan.

I'm starting to suspect that Canon is following Apple by saying where it is designed, not ness. made...

"hell can't be that bad, all my friends are going"
-Chuck Norris

Appalling build quality (mine rattles when you pick it up), fairly hit and miss in low light but wonderful IQ if you use it in the right place at the right time.

I was putting my Nifty in the camera case the other day and it made a weird noise like creaking plastic... It still works fine though!?

Junk build but awesome pics!