Widespread issue Lumix S lenses?

[jschoonj]

So I know of the 24-105 thread but I’m trying to get a feel of how wide spread the issue with Lumix lenses is.

I recently did a check of all my lenses and found this on my 50 1.8



It’s a year old and I sent it back for repair under warranty. I know this wasn’t there a few months back.

I check my 24-105 and while there was nothing like this, there was an unacceptable amount of dust for a half year old WR lens inside. I contacted the seller and they sent me a replacement. Sadly again dust inside. Even big pieces.



They sent me another replacement. Again the same issue with dust inside. I have now sent it under warranty to the local service provider for a clean.

Past posts here and another one on Reddit just yesterday have made me doubt Panasonic.



Is there any chance Panasonic will acknowledge these issues and help their users out with some peace of mind? If not I feel like I might have to pack this system up while I still can. What do you guys think?

I’ve shot Olympus and Pentax for years without any issue like this. I have yet to hear back from the service center about the lenses.

--
J.S.

 

[QM]

I can't say anything to the dot's, shown on the first picture, but dust isn't an issue at all. Yo will always have dust inside any lens. Lenses are not hermetically sealed, no matter if WR or not. All lenses need to suck air inside while zooming or focusing and therefore also dust. It happens on internal zooms and primes as well. On some lenses the dust is more visible than on others, but it is always there. On every lens.

However it's almost never an issue for it's function.

 

[jschoonj]

I can't say anything to the dot's, shown on the first picture, but dust isn't an issue at all. Yo will always have dust inside any lens. Lenses are not hermetically sealed, no matter if WR or not. All lenses need to suck air inside while zooming or focusing and therefore also dust. It happens on internal zooms and primes as well. On some lenses the dust is more visible than on others, but it is always there. On every lens.

However it's almost never an issue for it's function.

Agreed that some dust will get in there after use.

But big amounts after being straight from the factory? I don't think that's normal.
At least I haven't had that experience with any of my Olympus or Pentax lenses in the past.

 

[QM]

I can't say anything to the dot's, shown on the first picture, but dust isn't an issue at all. Yo will always have dust inside any lens. Lenses are not hermetically sealed, no matter if WR or not. All lenses need to suck air inside while zooming or focusing and therefore also dust. It happens on internal zooms and primes as well. On some lenses the dust is more visible than on others, but it is always there. On every lens.

However it's almost never an issue for it's function.

Agreed that some dust will get in there after use.

But big amounts after being straight from the factory? I don't think that's normal.
At least I haven't had that experience with any of my Olympus or Pentax lenses in the past.

 

[Avenger20]

I have now the same problem with my S Pro 24-70mm f2.8 behind the front element. It looks like it is between the glass inside the front element. So this looks not to be a moisture problem, but rather a separation issue between the glass elements. I have the same problem with my S 50mm and S 24-105mm f4 lenses. Never used the lenses in a tough or wet environment and never ever had this issue with any of my Canon EF lenses. Definitely some quality control issue with Panasonic.

 

[jschoonj]

I have now the same problem with my S Pro 24-70mm f2.8 behind the front element. It looks like it is between the glass inside the front element. So this looks not to be a moisture problem, but rather a separation issue between the glass elements. I have the same problem with my S 50mm and S 24-105mm f4 lenses. Never used the lenses in a tough or wet environment and never ever had this issue with any of my Canon EF lenses. Definitely some quality control issue with Panasonic.

I'm sorry to hear of your troubles.
Is that with the S PRO 50 1.4 or the 50 1.8?
Were you able to get anything fixed under warranty?

 

[Tyrbiter]

I have now the same problem with my S Pro 24-70mm f2.8 behind the front element. It looks like it is between the glass inside the front element. So this looks not to be a moisture problem, but rather a separation issue between the glass elements. I have the same problem with my S 50mm and S 24-105mm f4 lenses. Never used the lenses in a tough or wet environment and never ever had this issue with any of my Canon EF lenses. Definitely some quality control issue with Panasonic.

There is some information here on one provider of such cements:

Lens Bonding | Panacol-Elosol GmbH

Optically clear resins from Panacol are used for lens bonding applications in optical equipment such as cameras, microscopes or endoscopes.

www.panacol.com

It may be possible to determine if such cement has been used by Panasonic in their lenses and if so find more information about what could cause the spotting/bubbling that has been observed.

 

[David Kieltyka]

Dunno whether there's a specific dust issue with Lumix lenses or not, but I do know if you go looking for dust in/on camera gear you're gonna find some. Lenses are not hermetically sealed. Stuff gets in. The question is: does it make any difference in your photos?

I have a bunch of 1930s Leitz and Zeiss rangefinder lenses, and the last thing I plan on doing is examining any of 'em for internal dust. 'Cuz I know there's at least a little, maybe a lot. But I like how they perform so I'm not gonna worry about it.

Also, forums tend to feature people reporting issues. But how many "Gee, another month gone by and all my gear still works great!" threads are there? Anomalies get attention, the boring norm not so much.

-Dave-

 

[vincentocat]

I have now the same problem with my S Pro 24-70mm f2.8 behind the front element. It looks like it is between the glass inside the front element. So this looks not to be a moisture problem, but rather a separation issue between the glass elements. I have the same problem with my S 50mm and S 24-105mm f4 lenses. Never used the lenses in a tough or wet environment and never ever had this issue with any of my Canon EF lenses. Definitely some quality control issue with Panasonic.

Indeed, this is not dust or moisture. They try to make us believe this is our fault but it's not. I take really good care of my lenses and I never use them in the rain. I never encountred this issue and yet I had a bunch of lenses, Sony FE, M43, Canon EF, Samsung NX, never had an issue like this !
I had the same issue with a 24-105mm. A friend got the same issue with it's 50mm S Pro as well.

This is the same problem than for the 50mm Sony Zeiss back in 2017, but Sony made a recall for this lens.

I like my Panasonic cameras and lenses, but I'm not a fan boy, something is defintely wrong with their QC. I had a hard time to get a good sample of their Pro Zoom lenses two years ago (big decentering, not just an issue with corner but also in the center of the image).

 

[vincentocat]

So I know of the 24-105 thread but I’m trying to get a feel of how wide spread the issue with Lumix lenses is.

I recently did a check of all my lenses and found this on my 50 1.8



It’s a year old and I sent it back for repair under warranty. I know this wasn’t there a few months back.

I check my 24-105 and while there was nothing like this, there was an unacceptable amount of dust for a half year old WR lens inside. I contacted the seller and they sent me a replacement. Sadly again dust inside. Even big pieces.



They sent me another replacement. Again the same issue with dust inside. I have now sent it under warranty to the local service provider for a clean.

Past posts here and another one on Reddit just yesterday have made me doubt Panasonic.



Is there any chance Panasonic will acknowledge these issues and help their users out with some peace of mind? If not I feel like I might have to pack this system up while I still can. What do you guys think?

I’ve shot Olympus and Pentax for years without any issue like this. I have yet to hear back from the service center about the lenses.

This is not dust at all, I had the same issue with a 24-105mm.

However this is very concerning, I thought this QC issue was solved before the release of the f1.8 S primes ...

 

[jschoonj]

Dunno whether there's a specific dust issue with Lumix lenses or not, but I do know if you go looking for dust in/on camera gear you're gonna find some. Lenses are not hermetically sealed. Stuff gets in. The question is: does it make any difference in your photos?

I have a bunch of 1930s Leitz and Zeiss rangefinder lenses, and the last thing I plan on doing is examining any of 'em for internal dust. 'Cuz I know there's at least a little, maybe a lot. But I like how they perform so I'm not gonna worry about it.

Also, forums tend to feature people reporting issues. But how many "Gee, another month gone by and all my gear still works great!" threads are there? Anomalies get attention, the boring norm not so much.

-Dave-

Yes, dust gets into lenses. But they shouldn’t be loaded with it from the start. Especially not in a WR 1300 euro one.

Also, this is not isolated to one copy. I have received three brand new 24-105’s, all had at least one large spec of debris in there that you could just see looking through the lens. When doing the flashlight test they were like looking even worse with lots of dust everywhere.

This is not my first lens either. All of the Olympus lenses I had were spotless. Hell, my Pentax 43mm 1.9 Limited which is not sealed and close to 30 years old does not have the amount of dust any of the 24-105’s straight out of the factory did.

Something seems off to me.

 

[jschoonj]

So I know of the 24-105 thread but I’m trying to get a feel of how wide spread the issue with Lumix lenses is.

I recently did a check of all my lenses and found this on my 50 1.8



It’s a year old and I sent it back for repair under warranty. I know this wasn’t there a few months back.

I check my 24-105 and while there was nothing like this, there was an unacceptable amount of dust for a half year old WR lens inside. I contacted the seller and they sent me a replacement. Sadly again dust inside. Even big pieces.



They sent me another replacement. Again the same issue with dust inside. I have now sent it under warranty to the local service provider for a clean.

Past posts here and another one on Reddit just yesterday have made me doubt Panasonic.



Is there any chance Panasonic will acknowledge these issues and help their users out with some peace of mind? If not I feel like I might have to pack this system up while I still can. What do you guys think?

I’ve shot Olympus and Pentax for years without any issue like this. I have yet to hear back from the service center about the lenses.

This is not dust at all, I had the same issue with a 24-105mm.
However this is very concerning, I thought this QC issue was solved before the release of the f1.8 S primes ...

Yeah, that was my understanding. I’m waiting to hear back from the service center about the lens still. Day before yesterday I got confirmation they are working on it.

Were you able to get the 24-105 fixed?

--
J.S.

 

[Avenger20]

Hope they at least sorted this problem in the new batch of lenses. Panasonic lenses are a mess to disassable and repair anyway, so I'm not even going to try to do that. Guess the best ting is to cut my losses and sell it as is (since the problem doesn't yet affect picture quality much) and buy a new one instead. It only will go downhill from that, seen that on an older S 24-105mm lens were all the glued glass elements began to manifest this issue after time.

 

[vincentocat]

So I know of the 24-105 thread but I’m trying to get a feel of how wide spread the issue with Lumix lenses is.

I recently did a check of all my lenses and found this on my 50 1.8



It’s a year old and I sent it back for repair under warranty. I know this wasn’t there a few months back.

I check my 24-105 and while there was nothing like this, there was an unacceptable amount of dust for a half year old WR lens inside. I contacted the seller and they sent me a replacement. Sadly again dust inside. Even big pieces.



They sent me another replacement. Again the same issue with dust inside. I have now sent it under warranty to the local service provider for a clean.

Past posts here and another one on Reddit just yesterday have made me doubt Panasonic.



Is there any chance Panasonic will acknowledge these issues and help their users out with some peace of mind? If not I feel like I might have to pack this system up while I still can. What do you guys think?

I’ve shot Olympus and Pentax for years without any issue like this. I have yet to hear back from the service center about the lenses.

This is not dust at all, I had the same issue with a 24-105mm.
However this is very concerning, I thought this QC issue was solved before the release of the f1.8 S primes ...

Yeah, that was my understanding. I’m waiting to hear back from the service center about the lens still. Day before yesterday I got confirmation they are working on it.

Were you able to get the 24-105 fixed?

No I sold it (the buyer was aware of the issue of course).

 

[vincentocat]

Hope they at least sorted this problem in the new batch of lenses. Panasonic lenses are a mess to disassable and repair anyway, so I'm not even going to try to do that. Guess the best ting is to cut my losses and sell it as is (since the problem doesn't yet affect picture quality much) and buy a new one instead. It only will go downhill from that, seen that on an older S 24-105mm lens were all the glued glass elements began to manifest this issue after time.

I hope too but I thought the problem was fixed with the release of the f1.8 primes, and it's not the case.

 

[georgehudetz]

My one-year-old LUMIX 50mm F1.8 is quite clean on the inside, as is my 16-35 & 70-300. Yes, the 24-105 has noticeably more dust. I bought it used 3.5 years ago and it's my most commonly used lens. Have never seen any impact on IQ, and I'm a pixel peeper using an S1R.

 

[Kharan]

So I know of the 24-105 thread but I’m trying to get a feel of how wide spread the issue with Lumix lenses is.

I recently did a check of all my lenses and found this on my 50 1.8



It’s a year old and I sent it back for repair under warranty. I know this wasn’t there a few months back.

I check my 24-105 and while there was nothing like this, there was an unacceptable amount of dust for a half year old WR lens inside. I contacted the seller and they sent me a replacement. Sadly again dust inside. Even big pieces.

They sent me another replacement. Again the same issue with dust inside. I have now sent it under warranty to the local service provider for a clean.

Past posts here and another one on Reddit just yesterday have made me doubt Panasonic.

Is there any chance Panasonic will acknowledge these issues and help their users out with some peace of mind? If not I feel like I might have to pack this system up while I still can. What do you guys think?

I’ve shot Olympus and Pentax for years without any issue like this. I have yet to hear back from the service center about the lenses.

I couldn’t care less about the dust, but the glued element separation is really troublesome, and as you say it’s more widespread than I’d like it to be. There are plenty of cases out there. In what sort of climate do you use your camera gear? It could be related to high heat, humidity or both, or maybe not at all.

--
"Chase the light around the world
I want to look at life
In the available light" - Rush, 'Available Light'

 

[georgehudetz]

So I know of the 24-105 thread but I’m trying to get a feel of how wide spread the issue with Lumix lenses is.

I recently did a check of all my lenses and found this on my 50 1.8



It’s a year old and I sent it back for repair under warranty. I know this wasn’t there a few months back.

I check my 24-105 and while there was nothing like this, there was an unacceptable amount of dust for a half year old WR lens inside. I contacted the seller and they sent me a replacement. Sadly again dust inside. Even big pieces.

They sent me another replacement. Again the same issue with dust inside. I have now sent it under warranty to the local service provider for a clean.

Past posts here and another one on Reddit just yesterday have made me doubt Panasonic.

Is there any chance Panasonic will acknowledge these issues and help their users out with some peace of mind? If not I feel like I might have to pack this system up while I still can. What do you guys think?

I’ve shot Olympus and Pentax for years without any issue like this. I have yet to hear back from the service center about the lenses.

I couldn’t care less about the dust, but the glued element separation is really troublesome, and as you say it’s more widespread than I’d like it to be.

How widespread is it? How many documented cases have you seen?

Mine is at least 3.5 years old - and certainly older, since I bought it used - and I don't have this problem.

So, what percentage of 24-105s have a separation problem?



--

George Hudetz Photography

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georgehudetzphotography.smugmug.com

Capture One LUMIX FF feature request thread: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4658107#forum-post-66298057

 

[Jamajuel]

So I know of the 24-105 thread but I’m trying to get a feel of how wide spread the issue with Lumix lenses is.

I recently did a check of all my lenses and found this on my 50 1.8



It’s a year old and I sent it back for repair under warranty. I know this wasn’t there a few months back.

I check my 24-105 and while there was nothing like this, there was an unacceptable amount of dust for a half year old WR lens inside. I contacted the seller and they sent me a replacement. Sadly again dust inside. Even big pieces.

They sent me another replacement. Again the same issue with dust inside. I have now sent it under warranty to the local service provider for a clean.

Past posts here and another one on Reddit just yesterday have made me doubt Panasonic.

Is there any chance Panasonic will acknowledge these issues and help their users out with some peace of mind? If not I feel like I might have to pack this system up while I still can. What do you guys think?

I’ve shot Olympus and Pentax for years without any issue like this. I have yet to hear back from the service center about the lenses.

I couldn’t care less about the dust, but the glued element separation is really troublesome, and as you say it’s more widespread than I’d like it to be.

How widespread is it? How many documented cases have you seen?

Mine is at least 3.5 years old - and certainly older, since I bought it used - and I don't have this problem.

So, what percentage of 24-105s have a separation problem?

--
http://georgehudetzphotography.smugmug.com/
Capture One LUMIX FF feature request thread: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4658107#forum-post-66298057

Do you see it in the photo when you’re stopped down?

 

[Hustle76]

There’s no issue with mine - I also have the following lenses, again no issues:

20-60
50 1.4
16-35