Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
p.5 #1Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
Here is my lens…
https://youtube.com/shorts/jq5dYUVmUgI
https://youtube.com/shorts/jq5dYUVmUgI
Sep 05, 2026 at 02:47 PM
p.5 #2Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
My 100-400mm f4.5 creeps a little faster than that but nowhere as fast as the previous one.
Sep 05, 2026 at 02:50 PM
p.5 #3Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
bcaslis wrote:
My 100-400mm f4.5 creeps a little faster than that but nowhere as fast as the previous one.
My friend’s copies also creep a little faster than mine. But nothing like the previous video.
My 100-400mm f4.5 creeps a little faster than that but nowhere as fast as the previous one.
My friend’s copies also creep a little faster than mine. But nothing like the previous video.
Sep 05, 2026 at 04:07 PM
p.5 #4Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5PdH4HSDU9k
Well that's no bueno!
Sep 05, 2026 at 10:18 PM
p.5 #5Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
I think that the above posts confirm that Sony needs to let people know what is within the expected performance of the lens.
(For what it is worth, I think it sounds like a great lens and I have every intention of buying one before the year is out.)
(For what it is worth, I think it sounds like a great lens and I have every intention of buying one before the year is out.)
Sep 05, 2026 at 10:23 PM
p.5 #6Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
Thanks for posting the video. Yes your lens creep is a lot slower, my lens spins really quickly & on the video you can hear the thud as it comes to an abrupt halt at 100mm. I am surprised at Sony for not having stricter quality control on what is a very expensive zoom lens with so many people having various degrees of lens creep on a brand new lens. If there are this many problems on a new lens then it does not bode well for when it has had more use in months to come.This now my second Sony item that has gone in for warranty repair in the last couple of months & it is really annoying to have to keep sending gear off for repair & not be able to use it.
Sep 06, 2026 at 02:08 AM
p.5 #7Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
I tried 3 copies of this lens at 3 different official Sony Store in the past few weeks. When I set the switch to Smooth, zoomed in to 400mm, pointed the lens down, it did not creep immediately. Then I walked a few steps and it started creeping to 100mm. When I set the switch to Tight, I still could turn the zoom ring, but it did not creep when I pointed the lens down. All 3 copies performed similarly, so I assume this should be their "normal" performance. FYI.
Sep 06, 2026 at 02:57 AM
p.5 #8Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
Thanks for that. If Sony manufactured them all to the same spec then if everyone carried out the same test then they should all perform exactly the same. The fact that people are trying the same test & getting such different speed results indicates that there is a problem. This might have been an early batch fault & perhaps Sony have adjusted later batches but it is still concerning from a quality control point of view.
As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my time!
As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my time!
Sep 06, 2026 at 03:06 AM
p.5 #9Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
Andy Oliver wrote:
Thanks for posting the video. Yes your lens creep is a lot slower, my lens spins really quickly & on the video you can hear the thud as it comes to an abrupt halt at 100mm. I am surprised at Sony for not having stricter quality control on what is a very expensive zoom lens with so many people having various degrees of lens creep on a brand new lens. If there are this many problems on a new lens then it does not bode well for when it has had more use in months to come.This now my...Show more →
The thud was certainly disconcerting.
Sorry to hear your bad luck with Sony gear so far.
FWIW I’ve owned six Sony cameras starting back in 2018 with the A9 and every one of their long lenses (excepting the 400-800) and have never had a single issue needing repair. Can’t say the same with my Canon and Nikon gear over the years.
Thanks for posting the video. Yes your lens creep is a lot slower, my lens spins really quickly & on the video you can hear the thud as it comes to an abrupt halt at 100mm. I am surprised at Sony for not having stricter quality control on what is a very expensive zoom lens with so many people having various degrees of lens creep on a brand new lens. If there are this many problems on a new lens then it does not bode well for when it has had more use in months to come.This now my...Show more →
The thud was certainly disconcerting.
Sorry to hear your bad luck with Sony gear so far.
FWIW I’ve owned six Sony cameras starting back in 2018 with the A9 and every one of their long lenses (excepting the 400-800) and have never had a single issue needing repair. Can’t say the same with my Canon and Nikon gear over the years.
Sep 06, 2026 at 05:03 AM
p.5 #10Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
Andy Oliver wrote:
Thanks for that. If Sony manufactured them all to the same spec then if everyone carried out the same test then they should all perform exactly the same. The fact that people are trying the same test & getting such different speed results indicates that there is a problem. This might have been an early batch fault & perhaps Sony have adjusted later batches but it is still concerning from a quality control point of view.
As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my...Show more →
If someone can beat that speed they will have a few broken elements inside
My lens was release day and if anything it is on the tighter end of the spectrum…although not one of the non-creeping copies.
I wonder what the mechanism actually is that is controlling the friction? There are reports of it loosening slightly over time. Including non-creeping copies slowly starting to creep a little bit.
Thanks for that. If Sony manufactured them all to the same spec then if everyone carried out the same test then they should all perform exactly the same. The fact that people are trying the same test & getting such different speed results indicates that there is a problem. This might have been an early batch fault & perhaps Sony have adjusted later batches but it is still concerning from a quality control point of view.
As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my...Show more →
If someone can beat that speed they will have a few broken elements inside
My lens was release day and if anything it is on the tighter end of the spectrum…although not one of the non-creeping copies.
I wonder what the mechanism actually is that is controlling the friction? There are reports of it loosening slightly over time. Including non-creeping copies slowly starting to creep a little bit.
Sep 06, 2026 at 05:07 AM
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p.5 #11Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
I am considering to replace my "old" 100-400 GM with the new one. However not before this creep or no creep issue is settled.
However, I have another question. How is the feel of the manual focus ring on the new lens?
In my old lens the manual focus ring is totally useless. As soon as I barely move my hand, I am out of focus. So much so that I had to disable manual focusing.
Cheers, Joachim
However, I have another question. How is the feel of the manual focus ring on the new lens?
In my old lens the manual focus ring is totally useless. As soon as I barely move my hand, I am out of focus. So much so that I had to disable manual focusing.
Cheers, Joachim
Sep 07, 2026 at 01:46 PM
p.5 #12Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
arbitrage wrote:
As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my time!If someone can beat that speed they will have a few broken elements inside
My lens was release day and if anything it is on the tighter end of the spectrum…although not one of the non-creeping copies.
I wonder what the mechanism actually is that is controlling the friction? There are reports of it loosening slightly over time. Including non-creeping copies slowly starting to creep a little bit.
Two observations suggest that this is not the designed performance of this lens and that it is something Sony needs to address.
1. Many (most? almost all?) brand new copies don’t readily “creep” at first, at least not unless you do something to encourage the “creepiness,” like walk around with it pointing down. That suggests that normal out-of-the-box behavior is no creeping without something beyond simply lens orientation to produce it.
2. Many (most/ almost all?) reports are suggesting that a new lens does not creep will begin to after a few weeks of use. In other words, whatever the manufacturing performance standard is, performance diverges from that not long after purchase.
Andy Oliver wrote
Thanks for that. If Sony manufactured them all to the same spec then if everyone carried out the same test then they should all perform exactly the same. The fact that people are trying the same test & getting such different speed results indicates that there is a problem. This might have been an early batch fault & perhaps Sony have adjusted later batches but it is still concerning from a quality control point of view.As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my time!
My lens was release day and if anything it is on the tighter end of the spectrum…although not one of the non-creeping copies.
I wonder what the mechanism actually is that is controlling the friction? There are reports of it loosening slightly over time. Including non-creeping copies slowly starting to creep a little bit.
Two observations suggest that this is not the designed performance of this lens and that it is something Sony needs to address.
1. Many (most? almost all?) brand new copies don’t readily “creep” at first, at least not unless you do something to encourage the “creepiness,” like walk around with it pointing down. That suggests that normal out-of-the-box behavior is no creeping without something beyond simply lens orientation to produce it.
2. Many (most/ almost all?) reports are suggesting that a new lens does not creep will begin to after a few weeks of use. In other words, whatever the manufacturing performance standard is, performance diverges from that not long after purchase.
Sep 07, 2026 at 02:54 PM
p.5 #13Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
gdanmitchell wrote:
As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my time!If someone can beat that speed they will have a few broken elements inside
My lens was release day and if anything it is on the tighter end of the spectrum…although not one of the non-creeping copies.
I wonder what the mechanism actually is that is controlling the friction? There are reports of it loosening slightly over time. Including non-creeping copies slowly starting to creep a little bit.Two observations suggest that this is not the designed performance of this lens and that it is something Sony needs to address.
1. Many (most? almost all?) brand new copies don’t readily “creep” at first, at least not unless you do something to encourage the “creepiness,” like walk around with it pointing down. That suggests that normal out-of-the-box behavior is no creeping without something beyond simply lens orientation to produce it.
2. Many (most/ almost all?) reports are suggesting that a new lens does not creep will begin to after a few weeks of use. In other words, whatever the manufacturing performance...Show more →
Sorry Dan, but neither of those observations are at all true. How after reading this thread did you come to either of those conclusions??
Most, almost all, brand new copies creep if the lens is pointed up or down. You don’t need to swing it or jostle it or do anthing special. As soon as it is past a certain angle UP or DOWN it will start to creep. I’ve held four in person and all did it. Almost every reply in this thread from owners says the same.
Having a lens that doesn’t creep out of the box is extremely rare.
There is only one report of a non creeping lens starting to creep a little over time. But there are only two or three reports over the past many months of non-creeping lenses out of the box.
arbitrage wrote
Andy Oliver wrote
Thanks for that. If Sony manufactured them all to the same spec then if everyone carried out the same test then they should all perform exactly the same. The fact that people are trying the same test & getting such different speed results indicates that there is a problem. This might have been an early batch fault & perhaps Sony have adjusted later batches but it is still concerning from a quality control point of view.As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my time!
My lens was release day and if anything it is on the tighter end of the spectrum…although not one of the non-creeping copies.
I wonder what the mechanism actually is that is controlling the friction? There are reports of it loosening slightly over time. Including non-creeping copies slowly starting to creep a little bit.
1. Many (most? almost all?) brand new copies don’t readily “creep” at first, at least not unless you do something to encourage the “creepiness,” like walk around with it pointing down. That suggests that normal out-of-the-box behavior is no creeping without something beyond simply lens orientation to produce it.
2. Many (most/ almost all?) reports are suggesting that a new lens does not creep will begin to after a few weeks of use. In other words, whatever the manufacturing performance...Show more →
Sorry Dan, but neither of those observations are at all true. How after reading this thread did you come to either of those conclusions??
Most, almost all, brand new copies creep if the lens is pointed up or down. You don’t need to swing it or jostle it or do anthing special. As soon as it is past a certain angle UP or DOWN it will start to creep. I’ve held four in person and all did it. Almost every reply in this thread from owners says the same.
Having a lens that doesn’t creep out of the box is extremely rare.
There is only one report of a non creeping lens starting to creep a little over time. But there are only two or three reports over the past many months of non-creeping lenses out of the box.
Sep 07, 2026 at 07:03 PM
p.5 #14Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
Out of the box mine creeped rapidly just by pointing up or down.
Sep 07, 2026 at 08:38 PM
p.5 #15Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
Mine zoom ring was loose with the switch set to "Smooth" and tight when set to "Tight", right from day one, and it hasn't changed. I always leave it on Tight.
Sep 07, 2026 at 10:24 PM
p.5 #16Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
Yup mine creeps about the same speed as yours Geoff. Really not an issue for me in use on the sidelines. 
Sep 08, 2026 at 05:16 AM
p.5 #17Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
arbitrage wrote:
As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my time!If someone can beat that speed they will have a few broken elements inside
My lens was release day and if anything it is on the tighter end of the spectrum…although not one of the non-creeping copies.
I wonder what the mechanism actually is that is controlling the friction? There are reports of it loosening slightly over time. Including non-creeping copies slowly starting to creep a little bit.Two observations suggest that this is not the designed performance of this lens and that it is something Sony needs to address.
1. Many (most? almost all?) brand new copies don’t readily “creep” at first, at least not unless you do something to encourage the “creepiness,” like walk around with it pointing down. That suggests that normal out-of-the-box behavior is no creeping without something beyond simply lens orientation to produce it.
2. Many (most/ almost all?) reports are suggesting that a new lens does not creep will begin to after a few weeks of use. In other words, whatever the manufacturing performance standard is, performance diverges from that not long after purchase.Sorry Dan, but neither of those observations are at all true. How after reading this thread did you come to either of those conclusions??
Most, almost all, brand new copies creep if the lens is pointed up or down. You don’t need to swing it or jostle it or do anthing special. As soon as it is past a certain angle UP or DOWN it will start to creep. I’ve held four in person and all did it. Almost every reply in this thread from owners says the same.
Having a lens that doesn’t creep out of the box is extremely rare.
There...Show more →
“Most/all” may be an unwarranted assumption, since people are more likely to report problems than non-problems.
I could be mistaken, but I thought that I had read — perhaps even from you? — that a number of those whose lenses did not creep at first did start to creep after use. I’ll have to go back through the thread and see if I’m misremembering that. (I’m traveling at the moment, so it may not be right away.)
In any case, your post above confirms that main point that I was making — there is an inconsistency in the performance “creepiness” among new copies of the lens. In this thread alone the reports range from no creep, though a bit of creep, to a whole bunch of creep.
I know your position is that this is a perfectly normal thing — that some will and some will not exhibit the behavior and different lenses exhibit it to different degrees.
However, out of the box, all new properly manufactured lenses either should creep (the same amount) or all of them should not creep. The inconsistency is a concern.
Again, Sony could easily clear this up. The fact that they don’t, even though they must be aware of the reports at this point, makes it reasonable to consider the possibility that there is an issue and that they are still deciding how to deal with it.
Edited on Sep 18, 2026 at 08:02 AM · View previous versions
gdanmitchell wrote
arbitrage wrote
Andy Oliver wrote
Thanks for that. If Sony manufactured them all to the same spec then if everyone carried out the same test then they should all perform exactly the same. The fact that people are trying the same test & getting such different speed results indicates that there is a problem. This might have been an early batch fault & perhaps Sony have adjusted later batches but it is still concerning from a quality control point of view.As it stands, I appear to have the "Usain Bolt" of lens creep unless someone else can perform the same test & beat my time!
My lens was release day and if anything it is on the tighter end of the spectrum…although not one of the non-creeping copies.
I wonder what the mechanism actually is that is controlling the friction? There are reports of it loosening slightly over time. Including non-creeping copies slowly starting to creep a little bit.
1. Many (most? almost all?) brand new copies don’t readily “creep” at first, at least not unless you do something to encourage the “creepiness,” like walk around with it pointing down. That suggests that normal out-of-the-box behavior is no creeping without something beyond simply lens orientation to produce it.
2. Many (most/ almost all?) reports are suggesting that a new lens does not creep will begin to after a few weeks of use. In other words, whatever the manufacturing performance standard is, performance diverges from that not long after purchase.
Most, almost all, brand new copies creep if the lens is pointed up or down. You don’t need to swing it or jostle it or do anthing special. As soon as it is past a certain angle UP or DOWN it will start to creep. I’ve held four in person and all did it. Almost every reply in this thread from owners says the same.
Having a lens that doesn’t creep out of the box is extremely rare.
There...Show more →
“Most/all” may be an unwarranted assumption, since people are more likely to report problems than non-problems.
I could be mistaken, but I thought that I had read — perhaps even from you? — that a number of those whose lenses did not creep at first did start to creep after use. I’ll have to go back through the thread and see if I’m misremembering that. (I’m traveling at the moment, so it may not be right away.)
In any case, your post above confirms that main point that I was making — there is an inconsistency in the performance “creepiness” among new copies of the lens. In this thread alone the reports range from no creep, though a bit of creep, to a whole bunch of creep.
I know your position is that this is a perfectly normal thing — that some will and some will not exhibit the behavior and different lenses exhibit it to different degrees.
However, out of the box, all new properly manufactured lenses either should creep (the same amount) or all of them should not creep. The inconsistency is a concern.
Again, Sony could easily clear this up. The fact that they don’t, even though they must be aware of the reports at this point, makes it reasonable to consider the possibility that there is an issue and that they are still deciding how to deal with it.
Edited on Sep 18, 2026 at 08:02 AM · View previous versions
Sep 08, 2026 at 08:41 AM
p.5 #18Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
I have sent mine back to Sony for repair. I am just waiting for their attempts to fob me off but I have a copy of the fault on video as proof & comments from other Sony users on this forum demonstrate that it is not an isolated incident & that there is no consistency in how their product performs.
I don't know how long the waiting list is for repair by Sony UK but I will update the forum when Sony reply.
I don't know how long the waiting list is for repair by Sony UK but I will update the forum when Sony reply.
Sep 09, 2026 at 03:49 AM
p.5 #19Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
I used my 100-400 f/4.5 extensively last weekend and can say that there were zero issues with creep. If I have it in smooth it performs as it always has since taking it out of the box, which is that it creeps in a controlled way when pointed up or down. I used it on tight and there is no creep.
Sep 11, 2026 at 06:20 PM
p.5 #20Sony 100-400 F4.5 Internal Zoom Creep ?
The Sony main dealer who returned my lens to Sony has said that Sony quote 25 working days for a repair. I gave the Sony main dealer a copy of my video clearly showing the fault so that they could show it to Sony.
I will update this forum when Sony have made their response.
I will update this forum when Sony have made their response.
Sep 16, 2026 at 12:20 PM