XF 16-80 not holding focus at long end of the zoom range

[SydneyNick]

Hello All

Am posting here as I`m wanting to understand if either this is a known problem, OR, I`m going down the wrong troubleshooting hole ....

As succinctly as I can:

Lens is @3.5years old, originally on an X-T3, past 6-months on an X-T5. I generally shoot via the viewfinder, only use the rear screen on rare occasions

Have been very happy with performance, however, noticed a few months back that the lens seemed to be struggling to find focus at the longer end of the zoom range, say 65-80mm or maybe 70 onwards. It manifested itself in what I thought was a high contrast situation, and it turned up again in a recent trip overseas, again, in high(er) contrast.

I found I could overcome the issue if I changed focus from single shot, to continuous, thought it odd, and carried on.....

Till my most recent shoot, where I was in lower light, and @50% of my shots have come off the card out of focus.

SO....

What I "think" is happening is the barrel guides (?) are "worn" at the longer end, as when I have reflected on it, the out of focus shots are at the long end, AND, I was shooting down at 30-50deg angle, hence me thinking the lens barrel is creeping forward after I confirm focus...... My horizontal shots are all generally OK.

Is this an issue others here have seen? Or am I waaaay off course?

All feedback welcome

Cheers

Nick

[BobJ]

Yes, the barrel of my 16-80 is very loose and will 'trombone' if I carry the camera with the lens pointing down. Not only that, but at the 80mm end it wobbles about by over 1mm. Strangely that doesn't  seem to affect the image quality. It is ironic that the 70-300 is fitted with a zoom lock but doesn't need it and, despite the much longer inner barrel, doesn't wobble either. It's  a bad fault with  the 16-80. On my next trip to London I intend to take the lens to the Fuji House of Photography and complain loudly about it.