Lens mis-alignment potential on DA*

How much effort would it take to knock the elements out of alignment on a DA* 60-250?

Came home last night to find my lens out of position, on it's side, lens hood off; It's usually stored on it's cap in the supplied case in a cupboard but since we have visitors it's been on my desk in my study, my 11 year old nephew (nothing is off limits to him) was found playing with it - and like Sainsbury's who won't accept anything perishable by return I want to be aware of the condition of the lens at all times.

So, if the lens was tipped over on the desk (which I don't know if it was or not) would that be enough to knock one or two elements out of line?

I will also see if Asahi or Harrow have the means to check the lens without dismantling it...

Peter

Have you actually confirmed a problem?

I doubt that trying it would make any issue worse, but would at least confirm there is or isn't one.

No I haven't confirmed a problem but since I've had the dreaded SDM failure on this lens at an airshow I don't want to notice a shift when I come to check photos....having a £1100 lens suffering decentering is something I don't want to entertain

Not being funny, but have you asked your nephew if he knocked it over or banged it in any way?

If you make it very clear that he's not in any trouble, and explain how important it is to know if there's a possibility of damage, you may get an honest answer

No, I havent and I don't trust him to give me an honest answer - he's been given such a long lead to the extent that he doesn't know what's wrong or right. He does have the tendency to slap people if he doesn't get his own way.......

I don't think you are going to know anything until you have tried the lens and looked at the results.

You may want to show some of them here to people can comment if they see a problem.

Good idea Barrie, but there is one fundamental flow...

I'm all the gear, but no idea

what you see might be due to my inept handling of the camera.....

I'll find a suitable brick wall.

I dropped my 60-250 onto a (carpeted) floor once. Rolled off the table in a boat. Made absolutely no difference.

My advice would be to hang a newspaper on a wall, put the camera on a tripod and take shots at a number of apertures and zoom settings from fully open to fully closed. Make sure you turn SR off.

Then have a look at 100% crops in the centre, the 4 sides and the corners.

Obviously you need to make sure the camera is square on to the wall!

Hi Peter

I have designed a lens test chart that may be some help testing you lens.

It allows back and front focus checks (camera set at 45 degrees to chart) as is usual, but designed to be less mathematical and more visual than most.

Used square on the camera, it will allow you to check edge and corner softness, plus obviously edge to edge differences.

If you think this may help please PM me with your email address and I will send a PDF file.

Hope this helps.

Jim

Jim's test chart is a bit different and looks like it has the potential to be really useful.

How about posting an image of it somewhere so we can see it?