Samyang Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 strange focus calibration issue

[Nightly]

Hello dear photographers.

Half year ago I realized focus issues on my Rokinon 8mm F3.5 CS II (Canon) lens. Upon searching this issue came up with manuals in calibration fix. I followed them and got the lens back to the sharpest setting.

Now strangely I face same problem but with serious state. The calibration I did was 5-6 month ago and when I used lens 3 months ago - it was alright. While checking the lens now I surprised to see that it got totally misaligned suddenly. Immediately started the calibration again but for my surprise the problem is beyond the calibration range.

While reaching the end of the far/infinity focus the barrel already reached to the base and it was still unfocused at 50cm distance. Checked the actual focus sharpness at infinity position - it showed focus to be sharp at 10-12cm distance. Can't turn the ring anymore as it reached the end. I have no idea how the lens may come up to this point with almost no use during months. On my return trip carried the lens in semi soft/hard carrying case in my checked suitcase. It was placed inside backpack and was secure to not be loose in the luggage.

I felt like maybe the barrel was pressed thus reached the end of rotation unusually - so I tried to check whether can it be pulled back a bit - no way - it was sturdy.

Shortly I can't turn the focus ring far than that point and the lens has max 10-12 cm focusing distance now. I use LiveView in Canon 70D to check the focus. Do you have an idea what could happen and how can it be fixed?

Wish you be safe.

 

[Tord S Eriksson]

Hello dear photographers.

Half year ago I realized focus issues on my Rokinon 8mm F3.5 CS II (Canon) lens. Upon searching this issue came up with manuals in calibration fix. I followed them and got the lens back to the sharpest setting.

Now strangely I face same problem but with serious state. The calibration I did was 5-6 month ago and when I used lens 3 months ago - it was alright. While checking the lens now I surprised to see that it got totally misaligned suddenly. Immediately started the calibration again but for my surprise the problem is beyond the calibration range.

While reaching the end of the far/infinity focus the barrel already reached to the base and it was still unfocused at 50cm distance. Checked the actual focus sharpness at infinity position - it showed focus to be sharp at 10-12cm distance. Can't turn the ring anymore as it reached the end. I have no idea how the lens may come up to this point with almost no use during months. On my return trip carried the lens in semi soft/hard carrying case in my checked suitcase. It was placed inside backpack and was secure to not be loose in the luggage.

I felt like maybe the barrel was pressed thus reached the end of rotation unusually - so I tried to check whether can it be pulled back a bit - no way - it was sturdy.

Shortly I can't turn the focus ring far than that point and the lens has max 10-12 cm focusing distance now. I use LiveView in Canon 70D to check the focus. Do you have an idea what could happen and how can it be fixed?

Wish you be safe.

Thanks for the well-wishes!

Not a lot of ideas, sadly.

Hopefully, it is not something impossible to fix!

Have you contacted Samyang?!

 

[Nightly]

Hello dear photographers.

Half year ago I realized focus issues on my Rokinon 8mm F3.5 CS II (Canon) lens. Upon searching this issue came up with manuals in calibration fix. I followed them and got the lens back to the sharpest setting.

Now strangely I face same problem but with serious state. The calibration I did was 5-6 month ago and when I used lens 3 months ago - it was alright. While checking the lens now I surprised to see that it got totally misaligned suddenly. Immediately started the calibration again but for my surprise the problem is beyond the calibration range.

While reaching the end of the far/infinity focus the barrel already reached to the base and it was still unfocused at 50cm distance. Checked the actual focus sharpness at infinity position - it showed focus to be sharp at 10-12cm distance. Can't turn the ring anymore as it reached the end. I have no idea how the lens may come up to this point with almost no use during months. On my return trip carried the lens in semi soft/hard carrying case in my checked suitcase. It was placed inside backpack and was secure to not be loose in the luggage.

I felt like maybe the barrel was pressed thus reached the end of rotation unusually - so I tried to check whether can it be pulled back a bit - no way - it was sturdy.

Shortly I can't turn the focus ring far than that point and the lens has max 10-12 cm focusing distance now. I use LiveView in Canon 70D to check the focus. Do you have an idea what could happen and how can it be fixed?

Wish you be safe.

Thanks for the well-wishes!

Not a lot of ideas, sadly.

Hopefully, it is not something impossible to fix!

Have you contacted Samyang?!

Not yet. But I guess they will be my only choice.

Thank you.

 

[Nightly]

Hello dear photographers.

Half year ago I realized focus issues on my Rokinon 8mm F3.5 CS II (Canon) lens. Upon searching this issue came up with manuals in calibration fix. I followed them and got the lens back to the sharpest setting.

Now strangely I face same problem but with serious state. The calibration I did was 5-6 month ago and when I used lens 3 months ago - it was alright. While checking the lens now I surprised to see that it got totally misaligned suddenly. Immediately started the calibration again but for my surprise the problem is beyond the calibration range.

While reaching the end of the far/infinity focus the barrel already reached to the base and it was still unfocused at 50cm distance. Checked the actual focus sharpness at infinity position - it showed focus to be sharp at 10-12cm distance. Can't turn the ring anymore as it reached the end. I have no idea how the lens may come up to this point with almost no use during months. On my return trip carried the lens in semi soft/hard carrying case in my checked suitcase. It was placed inside backpack and was secure to not be loose in the luggage.

I felt like maybe the barrel was pressed thus reached the end of rotation unusually - so I tried to check whether can it be pulled back a bit - no way - it was sturdy.

Shortly I can't turn the focus ring far than that point and the lens has max 10-12 cm focusing distance now. I use LiveView in Canon 70D to check the focus. Do you have an idea what could happen and how can it be fixed?

Wish you be safe.

Thanks for the well-wishes!

Not a lot of ideas, sadly.

Hopefully, it is not something impossible to fix!

Have you contacted Samyang?!

I had contacted Samyang and they responded very quickly. Unfortunately they didn't give any answer or fix about the issue - what they did was to direct me to their official distributors to get serviced. The closest service to me is in another country, thus no possibility to do that now. So in overall - nothing informative was in their response.

Regards.

 

[DAVID MANZE]

Now strangely I face same problem but with serious state. The calibration I did was 5-6 month ago and when I used lens 3 months ago - it was alright. While checking the lens now I surprised to see that it got totally misaligned suddenly. Immediately started the calibration again but for my surprise the problem is beyond the calibration range.

While reaching the end of the far/infinity focus the barrel already reached to the base and it was still unfocused at 50cm distance. Checked the actual focus sharpness at infinity position - it showed focus to be sharp at 10-12cm distance. Can't turn the ring anymore as it reached the end. I have no idea how the lens may come up to this point with almost no use during months. On my return trip carried the lens in semi soft/hard carrying case in my checked suitcase. It was placed inside backpack and was secure to not be loose in the luggage.

I felt like maybe the barrel was pressed thus reached the end of rotation unusually - so I tried to check whether can it be pulled back a bit - no way - it was sturdy.

Shortly I can't turn the focus ring far than that point and the lens has max 10-12 cm focusing distance now. I use LiveView in Canon 70D to check the focus. Do you have an idea what could happen and how can it be fixed?

Wish you be safe.

I had contacted Samyang and they responded very quickly. Unfortunately they didn't give any answer or fix about the issue - what they did was to direct me to their official distributors to get serviced. The closest service to me is in another country, thus no possibility to do that now. So in overall - nothing informative was in their response.

Regards.

My thoughts:

I had the Samyang 8mm and like many of the older Samyang lenses calibration seems to be something of a hit and miss affair ...... my one was OK ....... but ...... my Samyang 14mm F2.8 had horrible focus calibration errors and so I calibrated it ....... using the video below ....

This video is for the Samyang 14mm F2.8 DSLR version so it may not be exactly the same but I think the calibration procedure is similar.... sorry it's in Spanish but ......

At a guess I would say the locking screw (shown in the video) has become loose ......... (this locking screw governs the hard stops positions .... near and far ..... with one single adjustment)........which has allowed the actual internal focus ring to slip .... this could have allowed the helicoil to have run to the end of it's thread and jumped to the next thread" ........ giving the very large focusing problems you are seeing.

Returning the front assembly to re-engage into the correct helicoil thread may not however, be so easy .......

....... a few thoughts from a distant onlooker ..... good luck !!

Dave's clichés