Several reports indicate that early and pre-production models have zoom creep WHILE a newer version does NOT on both smooth and tight mode. It seems Sony fixed this issue for latter version as several people reported this on Facebook.
I guess it was a lens issue and I was right all along.
Not true. My friend just received his from the latest batch. Creeps.
Another forum member on a different forum had one on release day that doesn't creep on Smooth.
It is a tolerance issue. If you are someone who likes to zoom while shooting (say like a BIF acquiring zoomed out and zooming in as it approaches) then you will actually want to get one that creeps on Smooth.
It is still easy to zoom this lens on the Tight setting if it is a lens that creeps. But it is better on Smooth if you are actively zooming a lot during shooting. I haven't tried a lens that doesn't creep on Smooth but I can only assume it will be tighter on both settings so the Tight may become mostly useless and the Smooth won't really be smooth enough. I don't know for sure until I try one.
I'd also wonder if those that have a lens that doesn't creep out of the box will have creep after a few months of use?? The only worry I would have if a creeping lens on smooth would eventually creep on tight. That would be a flaw IMO. But only time will tell on that one.
I'd also point out that if people who haven't used the new lens are thinking along the lines of the "old" 100-400's tightening ring it is not similar to how this one behaves.
The old 100-400 on tight is almost impossible to zoom. The new 100-400 on Tight is a better lens to zoom than the old 100-400 on Smoothest. The only nice thing on the old one is it is not two fixed settings but a range of tightness along the ring. But I always said that the old one is not smooth enough on the smooth setting. This new lens is smooth enough...although in a perfect world the Smooth setting on the new lens would be even smoother like the 200-600. Of course it would creep even faster if that were the case.
Then he got the early version. Clearly, if the internal zoom lens creep, then it means the lens design is faulty from the beginning.
IMHO, the ones that creep are likely more ideal in terms of in the field function than the ones that don't. But again I haven't held one that doesn't so can't say for sure. I'm making an assumption that in order to not creep it will be less smooth on the smooth setting. Something I don't want at all.
Now, if Sony had a version that was as smooth or smoother on the Smooth setting than the lens I own but didn't creep at all I'd say that was a win.
If a lens that creeps in the smooth setting is a fault for you then I wouldn't buy this lens unless you can verify a copy at a store or through the used market that doesn't creep.
Jul 07, 2026 at 12:49 PM
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