Rokinon - zoom gone wobbly

[guardian]

I recently acquired a Rokinon 200mm f4.5 zoom lens with a wobbly front.

The lens was made in Japan, though it might be similar to those of Korean origin. I don't know and, in fact, I know very little about this lens.

My Rokinon lens has nice glass, shows very little use, no abuse, and is close to pristine . . . . . save for the inexplicable wobbliness. When the mount end of the lens is held fixed, the entire front section of the lens, everything in front of the very short mount section, is too free to move about. The front section wobbles freely with perhaps three or four degrees of movement off axis. I've no explanation for it, there being no evidence whatsoever of damage, trauma, etc..

My hope is others might have a copy of this lens and be able to assure me mine should not be like this . . . or perhaps they all are like this. I have considered trying to take the lens apart in effort to learn why it wobbles. I fear, though, I might never be able to reassemble it.

[scsambrook]

Hi Guardian ! Shame about your wobbly Rokinon . . . and no, it ought not to be like that. No lens should have a wobble. If it's free from any signs of damage, then it's probably because something was either never tightened properly when it was made, or has worked loose over time, as sometimes does inexplicably happen. I'm no mechanic, and have learned that screwdrivers in my hands can effectively be weapons of mass destruction, but if you have a set of the small 'watchmaker's' ones you might try tightening the visible, external, screw heads. It might help . . .

Tearing it apart would be a brave thing to do. But if you bought it cheaply it could be an interesting exercise. Even if you didn't find the cause and/or couldn't reassemble it, you would at least have something new as a subject for macro photos

I doubt it will be a particularly spectacular lens even if put into proper order. From memory Rokinon (or was it Rokunon) was a 'budget price' line.

Anyway, good luck with it - !

[guardian]

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[guardian]

[visualopsins]

Please post photos of the lens front & rear & side (or links to photos). Those with experience opening lenses might have some ideas how the skilled may proceed.

Sounds like your best option is to have the lens repaired by a professional -- that or keep learning!