Sony 16-50 fixable/reliable?

[Bryan]

Came with my NEX 6 and  now very occasionally used on an a6500, but no longer working.  Get the dreaded "Cannot recognize lens. Attach it properly." message.

 

Scrubbed contacts to no avail.  Sony 55-210 works fine and ancient manual focus lenses all working with camera, so assuming the camera is OK. (Also cleaned and inspected camera contacts, they seem OK)

 

Are these SELP 16-50 lenses repairable, and at what cost?    Suspect not worth fixing.....   

 

A mate bought a used 16-50 and that didn't work, maybe a long term reliability issue.

 

 

[davidhu]

There are some discussion threads on this but most suggest cleaning the contacts. However one said turn the camera on and try gently wiggling the bit of the lens that usually extends to try and release it; it worked for him and subsequently another person. The same thread  said that Sony had quoted around £90 to repair but that was a couple of years ago.

[John Mitchell]

My 16-50 has been reliable so far. It is an oddly built lens, though, and seems a bit flimsy. Not sure how comfortable I'd be taking it on a long trip.

 

Don't know how repairable this lens is. Used ones go for about $200 CAN here (roughly £ 115).

Edited October 12, 2018 by John Mitchell

[Bryan]

Thanks both.

 

£90 is enough to pay to get this lens working again, could look into that. There is a local camera technician who has fixed (manual focus) lenses for me in the past, I might try him, if he is still in business.

 

My 16-50 has suffered some abuse, I typically take it when cycling and want minimum weight and bulk.  It has been dropped a few times.

 

 

[John Mitchell]

6 minutes ago, Bryan said:

Thanks both.

 

£90 is enough to pay to get this lens working again, could look into that. There is a local camera technician who has fixed (manual focus) lenses for me in the past, I might try him, if he is still in business.

 

My 16-50 has suffered some abuse, I typically take it when cycling and want minimum weight and bulk.  It has been dropped a few times.

 

 

 

My original 18-55 Sony SEL manual zoom lens is almost ten years old now and is still in excellent condition. It seems much better built than the 16-50. I've taken the 18-55 on extended trips with no problems. Think I'd pack both lenses on an expensive holiday. I like the compactness of the 16-50 but have never trusted or liked power zooms much...

 

£90 doesn't sound too bad to me if the repair person offers a bit of a warranty, say 60-90 days.

 

 

[Ed Rooney]

Or you might want to get this one that mpb UK is offering for a £ less. While I can't recommend that lens, I have nothing but good things to say about my dealing with mpb.

 

https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/search/?www-product-search=sony+16-50&www-department=all

[John Mitchell]

19 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

Or you might want to get this one that mpb UK is offering for a £ less. While I can't recommend that lens, I have nothing but good things to say about my dealing with mpb.

 

https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/search/?www-product-search=sony+16-50&www-department=all

 

And they've got lots of 'em as well. Prices are comparable to Canada.

 

Plus a good warranty by the looks of it -- six months, I think.

Edited October 12, 2018 by John Mitchell

[Bryan]

8 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Or you might want to get this one that mpb UK is offering for a £ less. While I can't recommend that lens, I have nothing but good things to say about my dealing with mpb.

 

https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/search/?www-product-search=sony+16-50&www-department=all

 

Thanks Edo, might be a way forward, but I'll look into having it repaired first.

 

Problem is I'm not sure that a replacement would ever earn its keep. It's not a lens that I use much, and, while it has generated a few sales in the past, in these straightened times, it might never pay for itself, particularly as I have a set of fixed focal length lenses that cover the same range and which I use preferentially.

 

OK parsimony is my second name 

[John Mitchell]

1 hour ago, Bryan said:

 

Thanks Edo, might be a way forward, but I'll look into having it repaired first.

 

Problem is I'm not sure that a replacement would ever earn its keep. It's not a lens that I use much, and, while it has generated a few sales in the past, in these straightened times, it might never pay for itself, particularly as I have a set of fixed focal length lenses that cover the same range and which I use preferentially.

 

OK parsimony is my second name 

 

Yes, if you have a decent copy, it might be worth having it fixed. The 16-50 that came with my a6000 was a complete dud. The left side of the frame turned to mush at infinity focus. The camera shop replaced the lens, and the second copy is just fine. I'm pleasantly surprised by this lens. Most of my recent pics were captured with it. The 16-50 does have its idiosyncrasies, which I guess is to be expected given the unusual design. I actually think it was a needed addition to Sony's cropped sensor lenses.  Good luck.

Edited October 13, 2018 by John Mitchell

[Ed Rooney]

I have the superior and pricey 10-18 and the bargain 28-70 for my a6000. I wish Sony made an affordable good street zoom for their NEX / a6000 series. Wonderful Wim turned me on to the 28-70. 

 

But I have been relying on my new Sony RX100/6 of late -- it must be the travel camera now. 

 

Edo in Spain

[Allan Bell]

5 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

I have the superior and pricey 10-18 and the bargain 28-70 for my a6000. I wish Sony made an affordable good street zoom for their NEX / a6000 series. Wonderful Wim turned me on to the 28-70. 

 

But I have been relying on my new Sony RX100/6 of late -- it must be the travel camera now. 

 

Edo in Spain

 

Good to hear you have arrived in Spain safely Edo.

 

Are you now an immigrant or emigrant or BOTH?

 

Allan

 

 

[Ed Rooney]

Hey, I'm a guy from Brooklyn, Allan. 

[spacecadet]

2 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

Hey, I'm a guy from Brooklyn, Allan. 

Where are you now, Ed?

[Ed Rooney]

I'm in beautiful Seville, Mark. Will be doing an update soon. Wish I could buy you a pint of the German brew.  

 

 

[Cecile Marion]

22 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

I'm in beautiful Seville, Mark. Will be doing an update soon. Wish I could buy you a pint of the German brew.  

 

 

I walked past your old place in Little Italy yesterday, Edo. It was the first sunny NYC day in awhile, so lots of folks were out enjoying the weather.

[Ed Rooney]

Really , Cecile? Did you happen to notice if the building is still closed with a vacate order on the entrance? I'm sure the restaurant is still closed.

 

Bryan, please forgive me for kidnapping your post. I will soon be starting a report from Seville, and I invite you to come in and talk about Sony problems there. 

 

[Cecile Marion]

Yes, Bryan. Apologies for the hijack.

Edo, there was a sign on the restaurant door that said it was being renovated and would reopen in early 2019. I didn’t notice any other signs, though I didn’t look for an apartment entryway. The apartments above appeared to be empty. 

[Ed Rooney]

Thanks, Cecile

[spacecadet]

22 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

I'm in beautiful Seville, Mark. Will be doing an update soon. Wish I could buy you a pint of the German brew.  

 

 

We never found that! Mind you we go to Germany every year so we haven't lost out.

I'm sure you've plenty of info but we found Triana good fun and somewhat cheaper than the usual tourist side. Over the Triana bridge and turn left. or right, probably, as well. Calle Betis or Pureza. Taberna Miami on C. San Jacinto has a stuffed crocodile.

There was a couple having their wedding photograph taken in the street.

Edited October 14, 2018 by spacecadet

[Bryan]

On 10/13/2018 at 21:10, Ed Rooney said:

 

Bryan, please forgive me for kidnapping your post. I will soon be starting a report from Seville, and I invite you to come in and talk about Sony problems there. 

 

 

It can only be sunnier and warmer than here Edo, tad chilly today,  I'll come across ASAP  

[Bryan]

On 10/12/2018 at 18:57, John Mitchell said:

 

My original 18-55 Sony SEL manual zoom lens is almost ten years old now and is still in excellent condition. It seems much better built than the 16-50. I've taken the 18-55 on extended trips with no problems. Think I'd pack both lenses on an expensive holiday. I like the compactness of the 16-50 but have never trusted or liked power zooms much...

 

£90 doesn't sound too bad to me if the repair person offers a bit of a warranty, say 60-90 days.

 

 

 

Went to see my trusted local repair man today. He doesn't rate the 16-50 at all, having just failed to repair another customer's lens, "it's all plastic!".

 

He much prefers the older 18-55 which he reckons is a good deal more reliable. However he has agreed to take a look at my 16-50 and will not charge if a repair is not possible. He has a 18-55, which he has just agreed to sell to another customer for £70. I will probably follow that route if my lens can't be fixed.

[John Mitchell]

2 hours ago, Bryan said:

 

Went to see my trusted local repair man today. He doesn't rate the 16-50 at all, having just failed to repair another customer's lens, "it's all plastic!".

 

He much prefers the older 18-55 which he reckons is a good deal more reliable. However he has agreed to take a look at my 16-50 and will not charge if a repair is not possible. He has a 18-55, which he has just agreed to sell to another customer for £70. I will probably follow that route if my lens can't be fixed.

 

The bulkier and more conventional 18-55 is definitely better constructed. Mine was made in Thailand. As I remember, David K. claimed that the Thai copies tend to be superior to Japanese and Chinese versions. Going to hang on to mine in the name of parsimony.

Edited October 16, 2018 by John Mitchell

[Bryan]

To bring this to a close, my trusty local repair man fixed the 16-50 and charged a reasonable £20. Apparently the lens contains many plastic parts and they can be disconnected by, I guess, an impact or rough usage. He was able to snap the bits back together - but he does have a collection of un-fixable samples in his workshop.