Aperture ring not working on XF55-200mm

[amiliv]

It seems my XF55-200mm got broken by sitting in a drawer for too long.  After few months of not using it, I put it on the camera, just to discover I can't set aperture by rotating aperture ring anymore.  Camera remembers aperture of the lens I had on it previously (say I had some other lens set to f/8 before putting on 55-200mm), and turning aperture ring on 55-200mm aperture switches between that one and 1/3 stop higher (e.g. only toggles between f/8 and f/9).  I can still use full range of apertures by moving switch on the lens to "auto" (controlled by camera) and using dial on camera body to adjust it.  But not by rotating aperture ring on the lens.

 

Did anybody else experienced anything similar?  I assume the only way to fix is to send it to repairs (it's out of warranty, so I'm still on the fence if it is worth it considering there's workaround).  Hoping somebody had similar problem and found a way to fix it at home.

[yukosteel]

Which camera do you use? In which mode? Aperture ring of 55-200 has no positions like on fixed lens, so if it works for 1/3 stop it means lens is ok, probably something is tweaked in camera. I'd try e.g. camera re-set to double-check that.

[darknj]

Check the connectors for dust or sand particules ? Did you fully clicked in the lens on the mount ?

 

Sounds silly but sometimes double checking fundamentals could resole part of the issues.

[amiliv]

Yup.  I checked all that.  Contacts look clean on both camera and lens.  I did try resetting camera settings.  The problem appears only with this one lens.  All my other lenses, both variable max aperture (no ring positions, such as 18-55mm f/2.8-4 or new 100-400mm) and fixed max aperture (with aperture ring positions, such as 23mm f/1.4) work just fine.  It's just this single lens giving me trouble.

 

Oddly enough, my brand new 100-400mm just started giving me different kind of trouble after using it for only few days, camera would display "lens control error" if I have OIS enabled.  I wonder if it is just odd coincidence (what are the chances of *two* lenses going bad in span of a week), or something with camera (X-T1 in my case).

 

I'm leaning towards former (troublesome lenses, not troublesome body) since it seems to be two distinct problems and all my other other lenses work perfectly fine.  Aperture ring with 55-200mm (with OIS working OK), and OIS with 100-400mm (with aperture ring working OK).  Not to mention that this same 55-200mm was in repairs for image sharpness problems last November...  I'm kinda becoming bit worried about my (non-trivial) investment in Fuji glass...

[darknj]

Hmm.... There could be something with the 50-200 lens, something deeper than just a sharpness issue, could a slightly loose cable, I would send it back again for inspection.

 

As for the 100-400 lens, we have some users reporting lens quality issues that could have passed QC.

[yukosteel]

I support darknj idea to send 55-200mm back to service, it sounds like electronic issue. But first try to find other Fuji body to confirm that issue there reproduces.

 

I've checked details on aperture control design from this nice article of Lensrentals

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2016/02/the-long-awaited-scary-and-amazing-fuji-lens-teardown/

 

You can see that there are 2 optical sensors that scan positions of rectangles inside of aperture ring.

If it works for single sub-step switch - something may be wrong with sensors, maybe some dirt particle fall on one.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/media/2016/02/aperture-control.jpg

[amiliv]

Well, looks like both lenses will travel cross country to repairs center tomorrow.  The two sensor design for aperture ring is classic and proven design (e.g. old mechanical mouses detected direction of movement in the same way).  If it only wasn't susceptible to dust...  However, I'm surely not going to venture into opening the lens myself and trying to clean stuff inside.  I'd estimate it at one in a million chance lens would survive me opening it ;-)

 

Thanks all!

[Okas12]

On 4/19/2016 at 12:00 AM, amiliv said:

Yup.  I checked all that.  Contacts look clean on both camera and lens.  I did try resetting camera settings.  The problem appears only with this one lens.  All my other lenses, both variable max aperture (no ring positions, such as 18-55mm f/2.8-4 or new 100-400mm) and fixed max aperture (with aperture ring positions, such as 23mm f/1.4) work just fine.  It's just this single lens giving me trouble.

 

Oddly enough, my brand new 100-400mm just started giving me different kind of trouble after using it for only few days, camera would display "lens control error" if I have OIS enabled.  I wonder if it is just odd coincidence (what are the chances of *two* lenses going bad in span of a week), or something with camera (X-T1 in my case).

 

I'm leaning towards former (troublesome lenses, not troublesome body) since it seems to be two distinct problems and all my other other lenses work perfectly fine.  Aperture ring with 55-200mm (with OIS working OK), and OIS with 100-400mm (with aperture ring working OK).  Not to mention that this same 55-200mm was in repairs for image sharpness problems last November...  I'm kinda becoming bit worried about my (non-trivial) investment in Fuji glass...

Hi there, i have this issue also please halp me what the problem with your lens can you tell to me i wanna try to fix but i did’n understaind how the aparture ring worked becouse i see the elektronic contact really wierd, i see flex cable with 2 plastic pin i don’t know how that worked