SL2 and 24-90 zoom noise

[Jared]

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10 hours ago, hoppyman said:

I tried to duplicate the described  scenarios and settings from @Jared and @Jeff S

SL2 sensor ~ 600mm from focus target. Target and camera tripod mounted and levelled.

@Jared

I used a higher ISO as I noticed that your images of the display showed a very slow shutter speed. I wanted to reduce any possible error from movement.
I found that the preview in magnified focus does shift a little operating the zoom ring back to 24 and return.
The actual correction needed using spot AF in MF seemed tiny and instant. This being close to minimum focus distance for the 90 I imagine that is a worst case situation for DoF. I don’t pretend to understand the physics or what is normal nor what variables there were in my set set up.. As a practical matter in use I focus after setting the zoom magnification.

Yes, my scenario is not intended to highlight an actual “problem”. Rather, it illustrates the fact that the camera is, for whatever reason, running the AF motors when you zoom with this lens. I suspect the AF motors are responsible for the clicking noise.

One other thing I haven't checked is the behavior of the 90-280 and the 16-35. One has OIS (like the 24-90) and the other doesn’t.  If the same clicking happens in the 90-280 but not in the 16-35, I might start to suspect that OIS is involved. Even though this all happens with OIS disabled. 

[Jeff S]

4 minutes ago, Jared said:

One other thing I haven't checked is the behavior of the 90-280 and the 16-35. One has OIS (like the 24-90) and the other doesn’t.  If the same clicking happens in the 90-280 but not in the 16-35, I might start to suspect that OIS is involved. Even though this all happens with OIS disabled. 

As I noted above, no noise with 90-280.

FWIW, the 24-90 is the only one of the 3 zooms lacking internal zoom/focus (telescopes out). 

Jeff

Edited April 26, 2020 by Jeff S

[Jared]

15 minutes ago, Jeff S said:

As I noted above, no noise with 90-280.

FWIW, the 24-90 is the only one of the 3 zooms lacking internal zoom/focus (telescopes out). 

Jeff

Ah.  I missed your having mentioned that.

[AphotoBerlin]

I got rid of my strange clicking noises while zooming: When I deactivated exposure bracketing and switched to one shot, they disappeared. 

hope that helps! 

[AphotoBerlin]

well, it worked at a first glance, but now it is back. Sorry for any false hope. 

[Vu Bui]

I also have this noise, and noticed that in the SL firmware 3.6 notes (from 2019) they state:

• For the Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90 f/2.8-4 ASPH lens FW 1.2 reduces the noise from aperture drive while zooming. 

This leads me to believe that it’s the aperture drive making the noise, since Leica are confirming a noise exists while zooming. Strangely they also state the same for the 90-280, which no one here has reported a noise with, including me. My 90-280 is silent. 
 

Before I’d found this post I also assumed it was the aperture mechanism, because while zooming I’d see the exposure change slightly while the noise happened, even if the lens was set to f/4 and didn’t need to change due to zooming. It must have something to do with the non-constant aperture adjusting to the correct zoom position. 
 

Updating to the latest firmware did not get rid of the noise for me, though, so either it was even louder before and now it’s quieter and I just can’t notice the difference, or the update didn’t actually help. 

[Jeff S]

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To repeat my experience, the zoom noise on my 24-90 (only happens with camera on) disappears if I manually turn the focus ring and then try zooming again.  Anyone else?

Jeff

[presbyopia]

I have had a similar experience with my Vario 24-90 and upgrade to SL2.  Customer care does not feel it poses any long term risk to the lens but did state it could be sent to factory 'to seek resolution'.  Wondering if anyone has gone that route and what came of it. 

 

[hoppyman]

That’s useful to hear Customer Care’s comment thanks. I don’t know about the whole world, but here in Aus everything about servicing is still paused due to the pandemic.

I have shot several thousand more frames with the SL2 and 24-90 since I first started this thread, nothing has exploded so far (and the same condition continues). My lens is several years old. With restrictions easing here I expect to be shooting a lot more with this combination soon. Fingers crossed.

Edited June 11, 2020 by hoppyman
Extra info

[Vu Bui]

On 6/6/2020 at 4:27 PM, Jeff S said:

To repeat my experience, the zoom noise on my 24-90 (only happens with camera on) disappears if I manually turn the focus ring and then try zooming again.  Anyone else?

Jeff

I tried this and have not managed to repeat what you've experienced. I've tried it on an SL and CL body, and the sound is always present when zooming the lens as long as the camera is on. Autofocus/MF settings, pre-focus settings, nothing changes that. I've tried at all apertures and when focused both close and far. It always makes the noise. The noise is a sort of clicking, but when I listen close it's clearly mechanical, and it really does seem to be part of the aperture drive. If I zoom very slowly I got somewhat softer noises, but more of them along the length of full zoom, if I do it faster I get louder but less of the noises.

Luckily the store I bought the lens from just reminded me that they offer a 3-month warranty on used gear (I bought this from them just a week ago) and is going to send it to Leica to see what's going on and potentially fix it, so I'll know soon what Leica thinks of this behavior and noise and whether or not they can or will repair it. The lens was manufactured in 2016 and the previous owner had it for more than 2 years, so the manufacturer's warranty is over, but I was lucky to find out that the store will still take care of it.

[Vu Bui]

18 hours ago, presbyopia said:

I have had a similar experience with my Vario 24-90 and upgrade to SL2.  Customer care does not feel it poses any long term risk to the lens but did state it could be sent to factory 'to seek resolution'.  Wondering if anyone has gone that route and what came of it. 

 

I'm sending mine to Leica next week, I'll report back here once I get an answer.

[lx1713]

Just caught this thread. I have both SL and SL2 as well as a pair of 24-90.

On the SL both of mine 24-90 exhibits the soft clicking sound.

Tested with the SL2. Same but very slightly louder. It's probably the same but appears louder. I've been shooting heavily with both cameras but with just one of the 24-90. No issues.

The second 24-90 is a new piece. Unused until this test.

As I usually don't shoot in a very quiet environment, I didn't notice the clicks.

[Gus El-Moussa]

I get a clicking sound when zooming only on the 24-90. I have been able to temporarily remediate it by pressing the lens removal button on the body, rotating the lens as if removing then clicking back into place. I may need to repeat a few times then the lens is silent again. But...it comes back after a few on and off times later. I have had correspondence with Leica Germany, UK, and UAE and the advice is take it in for service. It is unfortunate as the lens is quite new and for a Leica product this is not and should not be glitchy.

I do have a video of it but is at 16.8MB and cannot attach it.

[jaapv]

Upload to YouTube and link

[Gus El-Moussa]

Type Leica zoom noise in you tube...

[Gus El-Moussa]

 

[Gus El-Moussa]

A temporary fix

[Gus El-Moussa]

5 hours ago, Gus El-Moussa said:

A temporary fix

Leica has advised sending it in for repair.

[Gus El-Moussa]

Vu Bui

Have you received your lens back? and what has Leica done? Anyone else done this?

My interaction with them says to send it in but....the service may reduce the noise but not remedy it completely. 

Any thoughts people? Im a little perturbed bt the fact that this is a premium product at a premium price but the response is to send it in for a possible fix rather than replace with one that makes no noise from the start : ( 

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[Vu Bui]

9 hours ago, Gus El-Moussa said:

Vu Bui

Have you received your lens back? and what has Leica done? Anyone else done this?

My interaction with them says to send it in but....the service may reduce the noise but not remedy it completely. 

Any thoughts people? Im a little perturbed bt the fact that this is a premium product at a premium price but the response is to send it in for a possible fix rather than replace with one that makes no noise from the start : ( 

Hi Gus. I don’t know what happened with the pens because after I sent it to the AD I decided to send to Leica I just sold it back to them so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. It really didn’t give me confidence in the entire lens design that so many people have reported the issue, and since I bought that lens for photos (where the noise wouldn’t matter if it’s just a noise) AND for run and gun video shooting (where the noise would definitely be picked up by a camera mounted shotgun mic) I decided it wasn’t worth gambling with it.