Can a loose focus ring on a Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II be tightened?
Asked 12/31/2018
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My Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II has a focus ring that feels unusually loose, making it easy to change focus accidentally. I bought it new a few months ago, so I’m wondering whether this is normal for the lens or a service issue. Can the focus ring be tightened, or is there a practical workaround to add some resistance?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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Unfortunately, "tightening" the focus mechanism isn't as simple as tightening some set screw.
Your lens may need to be cleaned, lubed, and adjusted (CLA). If it were an ancient manual-focus lens that you didn't mind breaking, you could try to clean it yourself. I'd probably even try disassembling an old FD-mount L lens. However, it's best to refrain from messing with the internals of any lens with electronics, unless it's already broken.
Since your lens is fairly new, CLA is unlikely to be helpful. You can go to a camera store to see if other copies of the lens behave the same way.
As a workaround, you can try partially covering the focus ring with a wide rubber wrist band to add a little bit of resistance. How successful this is likely to be depends on the underlying cause of the focus changes. For instance, one of my lenses had too much free play in the helical groove. I fixed it by making a shim to prevent unwanted movement. Adding resistance to the focus ring would have done nothing to prevent focus shifts.
Originally by user75526. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75526
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Usually, no—this isn’t something you can fix by simply “tightening” a screw. Focus-ring resistance is part of the lens’s internal mechanical design, so changing it generally means service work rather than a quick adjustment.
Because your lens is fairly new, the best first step is to compare it with another copy at a camera store or through Canon service. That will tell you whether your lens is behaving normally or has an issue.
A CLA (clean, lubricate, adjust) can sometimes help older lenses, but for a newer electronic lens it’s not something to attempt yourself, and DIY disassembly is not recommended.
If the lens is working normally but you just want more resistance, a simple workaround is to stretch a wide rubber or plastic wristband around the lens so it overlaps both the focus ring and a stationary part of the barrel. That adds friction and can reduce accidental focus changes. You can vary how much of the band sits on each surface to fine-tune the resistance.
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