gdanmitchell wrote: CPWarner wrote:
Creepgate. This whole conversation is ridiculous. So much misinformation and people looking for an issue. I think Albert Dros's images of Puffins in another post on this forum pretty much says all that needs to be said. This lens produces great results. I am not seeing that lens creep stopped him from getting outstanding images. For those that require Sony to specifically tell them that this is the intended behavior, go ahead and wait if that is what you require. Your loss.
And on other news, my Leofoto lens foot for my 100-400 f/4.5 arrived yesterday. Excellent build quality and fits perfectly as expected. Nice feature on it as well.
Two things can be true at the same time.
First it is possible that some copies of the lens have a production issue that either:
a. allows the zoom to creep where it was not designed to do so, or…
b. does not allow the zoom to creep where it should.
We see reports of both behaviors with the lens, and that (the inconsistency) seems like something for Sony to address.
Second, the lens otherwise looks like a great performer from all the evidence we are seeing.
The question of which of the two behaviors reportedly seen with this excellent lens is correct is not “ridiculous.” Would I buy one given the open question at this point? Yes. Do I think that Sony should clarify this? Yes.
Well according to Sony Professional Services (SPS) your "a" is within spec. So all that needs to be determined now is if "b" is within spec.
My guess is "b" is also going to be considered in spec. But we would need someone with a non-creeping lens to contact Sony Support or Sony Professional Services to know for sure.
I really hope I can find a non-creeping lens in the wild to see how it feels to zoom it on both the Smooth and Tight setting. If it is overall more resistance on both settings compared to my lens then if I had such a lens I would be trying to get Sony to service it and loosen it so that it does turn easier on Loose.
FWIW, I compared my 100-400 4.5-5.6 GM to the 100-400 4.5 GM this morning and the Tight setting on the new lens feels smoother to zoom than the Loose setting on the old lens. It is close but still nicer feel to the new lens on Tight than the old one on Loose. The old lens creeps on Loose and still creeps at the ~1/3 towards the Tight. It also creeps a little at the 1/2 setting but won't creep the entire zoom range. Once past the 1/2 way on the right it prevents creep. Full on Tight on the old lens is very stiff. Still can zoom it but doesn't feel like you should be doing so on a regular basis.
Jul 08, 2026 at 10:30 AM
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