gainesn wrote:
I shot the ellipse yesterday and noticed when I returned home the lens was loose in the mount. I've checked, and it is fully rotated and "locked". This is not normal is it? What is the fix? (I didn't notice any light leaks in the pics and didn't notice any loss of sharpness, but I was shooting at 11mm on a crop frame Nikon.) Thanks for the help.
Some slight rotational looseness isn't unusual and typically isn't a problem.
Just be sure it's not "flexing" side-to-side (i.e., the lens is "tilting" slightly). That most likely that would be due to loose screws in the lens' bayonet mount. It also could be loose screws in the camera's bayonet mount" (all your lenses would flex slightly on the camera, if this were the case). This could be a problem both for sharpness and because it might gradually loosen farther and eventually let the lens drop or strip out some of the screw threads. If this is happening, I'd recommend removing each of the screws one at a time, putting a tiny dab of blue Locktite on the threads, then reinstall the screw snugly. Besides the Locktite, you'll also need a precision screwdriver for this. Be careful not to over-tighten.