Focus Ring Sluggish in Macro
 

I recently slipped on wet oily pavement and went airborne while carrying my EX-1 mounted on my Miller DS-20 tripod (which I was stupidly carrying on my shoulder--something I will never do again). All I could do was watch the camera and tripod slam to the pavement. I expected the EX to fly into fifty pieces but looking at it you'd never know it had been seriously damaged.

After a $2700 repair I got it back from Sony (Teaneck) and noticed that in macro mode the new lens focus ring is very sluggish and has an area of resistance or drag in one part of the turning radius. I've sent it back and was told by a technician that this might be normal for a brand new lens. I never noticed any difference in the smoothness of the focus ring of my original EX-1, whether in macro or out.

They're putting another lens on but could someone else here confirm that the focus ring operates identically both in macro and out of macro?

Thanks from a sadder and a wiser man (X-rays showed I narrowly escaped breaking bones myself).

Is there no one here who can help me answer my question?

Does the focus ring turn the same in macro mode as out of macro mode?

That is, is the focus ring "stiffer" (harder to turn) in macro mode?

Please help before I talk with Sony on Monday.

I would be very surprised if there was any difference between macro on and macro off as the switch only changes the way the electronics work. There could be differences between focus ring forward (auto) and focus ring back (manual), but I would not expect amy tight spots.

Thanks, Alister, I was being unclear. I mean focus ring-forward in MF and macro "on" (this is the only time I go out of the Full MF setting). I never noticed the slightest difference in the focus ring between these two settings in my original lens. The new lens is significantly harder to turn when it is in the focus ring-forward position. I just wanted to know if this was normal. I can't imagine that the "drag" I experience in one part of the turning radius should be there.

I've never had any difference in the resistance or drag while turning the focus ring in either position.....and I'm on my third lens!

Thanks, Dave, that's what I thought.

Your third lens? Yoiks!

I had a new lens about 3 months ago and the focus ring was noticeably stiffer and slightly noisy. I queried this with Sony who said that new lenses may be stiff, and in fairness to them it has eased.

They replaced the original lens when the camera went back with crud inside the optics. That lens was replaced when it quit focusing out to infinity. Number three is working fine....so far.