SteadyShot vibration in SEL18200LE on A6500

[IanMacey]

With SteadyShot ON,when the shutter button is half pressed, I sometimes get a high pitched metallic whine from the SEL18200LE and the picture in the monitor/viewfinder vibrates and jumps around (more noticable at longer focal lengths).

I can get this to happen when in manual focus, so the autofocus doesn't seem to be the cause. Once the lens starts doing this you can stop it by turning SteadyShot OFF, but it will recur as soon as you turn it back ON. The only way to really stop the vibration is to reset/park the lens mechanism by powering the camera off and back on.

I returned one SEL18200LE with this problem but it's replacement behaves the same, suggesting the issue is with all SEL18200LE (Ver. 02) on A6500 (Ver. 1.00).

Has anyone else seen this problem / know anything?

[juergenw_MZ]

i see the same behavior with my A6500 and the SEL 18200LE 

[IanMacey]

I've reported the issue to Sony's email customer support. Unfortunately I've been stuck for over a week with a first-line support guy who alternated between insisting I return the lens for repair or that I should simply reset the camera to its factory defaults. He finally passed my case on to 'the relevant department', but that was four days ago and I've heard nothing since.

The SEL18200LE has been around for four years, so if the issue was only with the lens there would be a5000/a6000/a6300 users complaining about it. It seems likely the problem is specifically with the lens on a a6500 body (is a clash with IBIS the cause?). That the only other person to see the issue also has a a6500 certainly fits the theory.

Am at the point now where I can hear the lens OSS starting to strain before the vibration starts up. I immediately restart the camera to force a lense mechanism reset/park. I can usually then shoot without problem. But it's less that ideal and means missing shots.

I guess as more a6500s are sold we might see more reports coming in.

[JoachimSchmid]

I have similar issues with Sony Alpha 6300 and SONY SEL18200SE.The lense makes strange noise when focusing and the image is jumping in the display. If I deactive Steady-Shot, then everything is fine.

Would be interested how to fix this

[Ian.Macey]

That's interesting, I thought it was only an issue with the 6500, but you have it on a 6300.

The only additional information I have found is that similar behaviour can occur with IBIS and non Sony lenses, when you don't tell your camera the correct focal length of the lens. So I thought maybe the issue was the SEL18200LE sometimes failing to report the correct focal length to the camera on start up.

If you are seeing the same SteadyShot vibration issue with the SEL18200LE lens on a 6300 (which does not have IBIS) then the problem may just be with the lense and nothing to do with the 6500/IBIS after all.

My attempts to get support from Sony on this issue have been very disappointing. So far I have been unable to talk to anyone with sufficient technical knowledge to even understand the issue being reported.

[IanMacey]

Do you still have the problem?

After 6 weeks of trying to get support on this issue I was given a definitive answer: There is no known issue or recall in place on the lens, send it in for repair, if nothing is found you will be charged for the 'repair'. Even though I have sent them a video of the problem happening and they agree it is faulty behaviour.

As I can go a week without seeing the issue, then one morning have it happen every time I turn it on, I have little confidence they will find the problem testing it for a few days. 

Can you tell me your lens serial number (7 digit on bottom)?

My two failing lenses are 2012538 and 2012670 - very close numbers, wonder if it's a batch issue?

[bipedbones]

Hello,

I have the same problem on mine a6500 (fw 1.04) and SEL18-200LE (fw 02). My lens is 2022671 so its not as close as yours but its a newer version and the problem is aparently not solved.

Did you resolve this somehow?

[Ian.Macey]

So my first copy of the SEL18200LE with this problem was replaced by the store. The second copy I eventually sent in to Sony for repair. They accepted that it was faulty but didn't have parts for a repair (I have heard from other reports that the repair is to replace the lens block). So they sent me a brand new third copy of the lens (2022770).

Unfortunately this third copy of the lens also has the problem. Meanwhile I have now seen a couple of reports by people who say they owned this lens on older camera bodies without any problems, only to see this issue start when they upgraded to a6000/a6300/a6500.

It seems possible that there is a lens design issue which only manifests itself on the 'new' a6?00 bodies. Alternatively the lens vibration could be caused by an issue with my a6500 body and all three copies of the lenses are actually fine! But I don't have a second camera body to check that.

Am living with the problem. If the IQ of the new SEL18135 turns out to be better than the SEL18200LE, then moving to that lens for a 'walkaround' is a possibility. Especially as at 135mm the 18135 is faster at 5.6 than the 18200 at 6.3. But I would miss the 200mm for some shots...

[bipedbones]

That sounds sad. It is shame that Sony just let people to buy this combination of body-lens. I am going to send my lens (as well as the body) to the main Czech service center next week so will see. It seems I would need to have bit of luck to get pair with no issues.

I also have to mention that my previous set (a6000 & SEL18-200LE) had similar problem. In this case the problem was in lens but I claimed it post warranty so I get only discount for new sony device. Repair was not possible only the repalcement of the whole lens. I dont have the old body yet so I can not check how the current lens would behave on it. Anyway thanks for sharing your experience.

As a climber I really appreciate the longer end so the sel18135 is not a solution for me 

Anyway thanks for sharing your experience. 

[Ian.Macey]

Would be very interested to hear what happens with the repair...