Free play in Zoom ring of Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens
06. May, 2010 
17 Comments
New lens. I noticed some free play in the Zoom ring, particularly when set at 85mm. Held gently between finger & thumb tips, I ‘rotate’ the zoom ring without actually trying to rotate the lens. This results in what I feel is unacceptable looseness in the zoom ring. I have compared this lens to two others. One on a store shelf and the other owned by a camera store proprietor that has been used for around 8000 shots. Both those lenses do not display any free play like mine does. Could owners of the same lens experiment with their own and let me know if you experience the same free play please. Thanks 
Any viewers who own the same lens, please read the more info.
Thanks
This is called “lens creep” I am assuming your pointing the lens downwards. Cheap lenses are more prone to have this, its not nessiarly a bad thing its just annyoing if your aiming down.
Thanks for looking Poofltsacow.
It’s not zoom creep, though there is some of that too !
The problem I have is the loose zoom ring when rotating between finger and thumb tips….it has free play before it hits the ’stops’, before it starts to rotate the lens barrel.
Canon have viewed this video and decided immediately it shouldn’t be doing so.
I’m just awaiting a fourth lens from my dealer.
Fingers crossed
I’ve just ordered this with the 40D, so i’ll post back as soon as it get’s delivered. Dammn Post Office
mine has no play at 17mm but has he same ammount of play at 85mm as yours does. Doesnt worry me at all, some things are just meant to be!
x
Just bought the same lens 2 weeks ago. I have exactly the same issue. Did you end up getting this resolved?
does this actually effect the quality of your photo’s at all? if not, why oh why do you care???????
I HAVE THE SAME LENS ..
i have the same ting .. maby even more .. free play .. guess its normal
This is because you didn’t purchase from the L line of lenses.
Apologies for the late reply.
Yes I did get it resolved
Canon UK sanctioned (several times) the exchange with my supplier (who were both great about this btw). Each lens had the same looseness at 85mm.
I ended up having my original lens ‘repaired’. A couple of things were replaced and the zoom ring tightened up.
Not as solidly as the two lenses I compared mine with, but much better and overall I am satisfied with the outcome
No it doesn’t affect the images.
My concern was due to the zoom ring being much looser than any other lens I own. So I tried out a couple of lenses (17-85’s) elsewhere to find they didn’t display the looseness at all.
That prompted me to contact Canon and they agreed it was not quite as it should be.
Had I not been paranoid when comparing to my own other lenses, I wouldn’t have cared
Canon did agree that there seemed to be too much free play. But also said it was ‘within limits’.
But because they know there are copies of the same lens that do not display the free play, they were ‘happy’ to work with me on this
I fully appreciate I got what I paid for. But others have got the same without the free play.
But yeah…I get your point
I guess yours was OK then
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I can see your point. I had not even thought about this. I have the same camera and lens. I just checked mine out. Mine does not have the free play yours does. But to be honest. If you try hard enough to look for problems. You will eventually find them. My advice is that if it does not affect your pictures, try to put it out of your mind and concentrate on having fun taking pictures. I love this camera. best of luck!. Vince Ravon.
its not like you do sky photography and shoot up all the time.