Lens creep on a 15-85

dave_bass5 wrote in post #15032523
I agree. If its a design fault then most people will suffer from it, yet might not notice it most of the time.
I never use a neck strap, i use a very shot strap wrapped around my hand so i notice it quite a bit if i leave the lens zoomed out. I do find i tend to zoom all the way out (so the lens is at its smallest length) after most shots. Maybe ive loosened mine up by doing this.

Zoom creep does seem to get worse over time in part depending on use. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be something Canon is willing or able to fix at their repair facilities.

interesting how the new 18-135mm STM comes with a lock switch, I assume at 18mm... golly wouldn't that be a nice feature on the 15-85 IS!

I'm using that lock on my 70-300L more often because hey , no sense letting gravity chisel away at lens creep if you don't give it a chance to grow...

^ That would just be one more thing for me to forget.
The creep doesn't bother me enough, that i'd want a lock.

1Tanker wrote in post #15034124
^ That would just be one more thing for me to forget.
The creep doesn't bother me enough, that i'd want a lock.

Even when fully extended the 15-85 isn't long enough to bother me while carrying it. For me the most important use of the O-rings I suggested was to help maintain the focal length I want when shooting upwards or downwards. Its especially useful on a tripod. Plus my solution is almost invisible. I don't want one of those ugly Lens Bands on an $700 lens.

mwsilver wrote in post #15034188
... For me the most important use of the O-rings I suggested was to help maintain the focal length I want when shooting upwards or downwards. ..

yup - good reminder

Immaculens wrote in post #15034106
interesting how the new 18-135mm STM comes with a lock switch, I assume at 18mm... golly wouldn't that be a nice feature on the 15-85 IS!

I'm using that lock on my 70-300L more often because hey , no sense letting gravity chisel away at lens creep if you don't give it a chance to grow...

I agree. Used my 70-300L yesterday at the zoo with the family, only lens I took, and used the lock pretty much all the time as it was there, and easy to use.

At times I've considered going back to the 24-105L from my 15-85 on my 7D just so that I could throw the camera over my shoulder for a day out and about without the thing creeping down after 5 minutes...then I remember how nice it is to have 15-24mm...

gocolts wrote in post #15036714
...then I remember how nice it is to have 15-24mm...

ooooh yeah... hmm - 9mm wider, or 20mm longer.... Wider Please!

Yep, a zoom lock would make this great lens even greater.

An update:

I've been playing around with my O-ring fix and noticed that it isn't working quite as well as I initially thought. When I was experimenting, I also bought a #89 2-3/16x2x3/32 O-ring (Danco Company) at the same Ace hardware store. I found that if I use the smaller O-ring in combination with the O-ring listed above, I get a very positive lock of the zoom when pointing it directly up or down. The larger O-ring can either be rolled partway or the whole way toward the end of the lens away from the camera. When rolled toward the camera, it is disengaged, if you will.

All in all, it's still a much better fix than the Lens Band. I haven't tried O-ring Mwsilver is using so that might be a better solution. I wanted to try to find something that didn't need adjustment and this two O-ring solution works very nicely for me.

I would shoot some photos to demonstrate it but both our computers are in the shop. The laptop is beyond repair so I ordered a new one and it won't show up for a week or so. The desktop might be terminal too, it's a bit too early to know. Anyway, I'll shoot some photos with my G12 when I get a computer back and get Photoshop reinstalled.

Phoenixkh wrote in post #15055076
An update:

I've been playing around with my O-ring fix and noticed that it isn't working quite as well as I initially thought. When I was experimenting, I also bought a #89 2-3/16x2x3/32 O-ring (Danco Company) at the same Ace hardware store. I found that if I use the smaller O-ring in combination with the O-ring listed above, I get a very positive lock of the zoom when pointing it directly up or down. The larger O-ring can either be rolled partway or the whole way toward the end of the lens away from the camera. When rolled toward the camera, it is disengaged, if you will.

All in all, it's still a much better fix than the Lens Band. I haven't tried O-ring Mwsilves is using so that might be a better solution. I wanted to try to find something that didn't need adjustment and this two O-ring solution works very nicely for me.

I would shoot some photos to demonstrate it but both our computers are in the shop. The laptop is beyond repair so I ordered a new one and it won't show up for a week or so. The desktop might be terminal too, it's a bit too early to know. Anyway, I'll shoot some photos with my G12 when I get a computer back and get Photoshop reinstalled.

I'm a little confused about how you're implementing your solution. When I use the o ring it stays in the slot between the focus ring and the zoom ring. It holds the focal length at any angle due to a slight amount of friction applied to the edge of the zoom ring. I can't understand how 2 o rings would work without impacting either the focus or zoom rings at some point. The whole idea of my solution is to be transparent, easy to install and requiring minimal maintenance or adjustments in use . It only needs to be adjusted for a couple of seconds every week or so and the zoom and focus rings work with it in place.

Phoenixkh wrote in post #15055076
An update:

I've been playing around with my O-ring fix and noticed that it isn't working quite as well as I initially thought. When I was experimenting, I also bought a #89 2-3/16x2x3/32 O-ring (Danco Company) at the same Ace hardware store. I found that if I use the smaller O-ring in combination with the O-ring listed above, I get a very positive lock of the zoom when pointing it directly up or down. The larger O-ring can either be rolled partway or the whole way toward the end of the lens away from the camera. When rolled toward the camera, it is disengaged, if you will.

All in all, it's still a much better fix than the Lens Band. I haven't tried O-ring Mwsilves is using so that might be a better solution. I wanted to try to find something that didn't need adjustment and this two O-ring solution works very nicely for me.

I would shoot some photos to demonstrate it but both our computers are in the shop. The laptop is beyond repair so I ordered a new one and it won't show up for a week or so. The desktop might be terminal too, it's a bit too early to know. Anyway, I'll shoot some photos with my G12 when I get a computer back and get Photoshop reinstalled.

I'm a little confused about how you're implementing your solution. When I use the o ring it stays in the slot between the focus ring and the zoom ring. It holds the focal length at any angle due to a slight amount of friction applied to the edge of the zoom ring. I can't understand how 2 o rings would work without impacting either the focus or zoom rings at some point. The whole idea of my solution is to be transparent, easy to install and requiring minimal maintenance or adjustments in use . It only needs to be adjusted for a couple of seconds every week or so and the zoom and focus rings work with it in place. See my photos above.

I will try to explain it more adequately and follow up with some photos in the next couple weeks, when I get a non-borrowed computer up and running.

I have the smaller O-ring in the exactly the same slot as you do, but mine isn't as thick as yours. I roll the larger O-ring into position just forward of the smaller one from the "neutral position, ie., in the middle of the manual focusing ring where it puts pressure on the smaller one, locking the zoom. The thicker O-ring can be easily rolled in and out with one hand, either partially in front of the smaller one where it works sort of like the lens band or all the way in front of the smaller O-ring. Either way, the zoom is locked very securely.

I hope you can visualize this setup, though when I add some photos in a week or so, it will, no doubtably, be more clear. My computer guy loaned me this laptop and I don't have any software installed that will enable me to download photos at present.

Mwsilver,
Many thanks to you for the o-ring solution. The zoom creep became annoying on my 15-85, but putting the o-ring on it did the job.
I used NBR 2mm x 55mm o-ring, so far it's perfect...

Those are close to what i found:
http://www.ebay.com …y_MRO&hash=item​5d367c63a6

please remind me where on the lens and in what way these are placed on the lens to minimise creep?

thanks