DA* 60-250 zoom stuck

As title - currently on holiday in California and my 60-250 zoom is stuck between about 80 and 135mm.

No amount of reasonable force will allow it to fully extend. When it reaches 135mm it makes a pronounced click noise.

I've not dropped it, knocked it or mishandled it. Just plain stopped working.

I'm guessing it needs a repair, but anything I can try to do to resolve it while I'm away? There are dolphins swimming by outside and seals just up the shore. Would love to be able to get some pictures of them!

It depends how flush you are feeling. If you could afford it, buying a 55-300mm might not be too expensive, would enable you to keep shooting and would be very sellable if you need to when you return.

I think it's unlikely a repair could be done in time.

Hi

I don't know if it is of any interest to you but there is a video on you tube of a guy with exactly the same problem. He solves it by shaking the lens.

link

Good luck

Carl

I think you're right, John. Sadly the nearest camera place likely to have a lens is about 200 miles away - after we've left the scenic coast. Ah well - I'll just have to make do with 50mm

Thanks for the link, Carl. Just tried it but it doesn't seem to help. It does make me feel that this is a fault and not the result of damage I've caused. Perhaps a bumpy car journey will sort it out?

Oddly I was happily taking photos with it, stopped for 5 minutes with it in my hands, then it was locked up when I came back to it.

OK so I was unable to source another lens while out there so had to make do with the 16-50. Before sending it off I thought I would have another go at getting it back to life.

By pulling on the lens barrel gently I was able to get the lens to extend to its full length. Since then it has happily extended and retracted using the zoom ring with absolutely no resistance at all. It's as if the mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the ring into the linear motion of the zoom barrel became disconnected. By pulling it I reengaged it.

Anyway, I'll leave it for now but will probably have it repaired over the coming months.

Hopefully my experience might serve use to someone else that experiences this in future...