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up vote 4 down vote favorite

I recently bought 50mm f1.8 lens online, and quality is very poor as described in most of the reviews. But when i shake it gently I can feel some of the parts moving inside. And when ever I slide the AF/MF switch I get same feeling. Is it normal for a new lens ?

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Can you give some details on "quality is very poor as described"? I find the it can spend a long time hunting for focus at times, but the pictures can be very sharp. I used it almost exclusively for a year for taking pictures of my new baby indoors at night. – khedron Oct 5 '12 at 15:38
@khedron I meant wrt to build quality, and yeah after using for 2 days I got used to MF. – 2-Stroker Oct 5 '12 at 18:01
Most of the time I was able to use AF anyway, except when taking pictures of black cats in dim light, etc. Very good to have the option, though. – khedron Oct 6 '12 at 18:41

2 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

I've got a copy of this lens: I can confirm that by (gently) shaking it you can feel something moving (which is the moving part of the focusing mechanism). Apart from a click, no noises are heard when switching the AF/MF lever.

My lens has been perfectly functioning until now (I hope that this gentle shaking didn't affect it ;-) ).

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Even I thought its the focusing mechanism as when I kep it in fully focused position it didnt rattle too much. Hope it stays longer with me. Thanks for confirming, I was kinda worried that it was broken in transit. – 2-Stroker Oct 4 '12 at 13:46
Good news, then. Enjoy your lens: I carry it with me (maybe as a second lens, together with a wider one) all the time, given its low weight and the nice features that it offers. – Francesco Oct 4 '12 at 14:21
up vote 3 down vote

It's impossible to answer this question fully without examining the lens in person. All lenses have some degree of play in the system, and the 50 f/1.8 is well known to be a very cheaply built lens. I can't say whether the degree of movement you're detecting is out of line without knowing what your basis for comparison is.

Do the images meet your expectations, and do they seem in line with the reviews? If so then I wouldn't worry about it.

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Agreed. If it's really worrisome I'd find a seasoned photographer and ask them about it as they'll have a basis for comparison. – tenmiles Oct 4 '12 at 12:40
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I owned one back in my Canon days - It was loud when you shake it, most lenses are. Build quality felt cheap, almost embarrassingly so - but it's only a $100 lens, what do you expect? The image quality was really solid though, and that's what counts. – camflan Oct 4 '12 at 13:04
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Yes, agreed that its not possible to tell the condition without looking at it, but just wanted to know if a little bit of rattling was ok or not. – 2-Stroker Oct 4 '12 at 13:48

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