Sony 70-300 G OSS Issue

Yes the lens always makes the OSS sound.  Even when OSS is turned off, the OSS element needs to be perfectly centered which is done by spinning up the system but not allowing the element to float.  think of the OSS switch as a switch that unlocks a spinning gyro when turned on.

E.J. Peiker wrote:Yes the lens always makes the OSS sound.  Even when OSS is turned off, the OSS element needs to be perfectly centered which is done by spinning up the system but not allowing the element to float.  think of the OSS switch as a switch that unlocks a spinning gyro when turned on.

Thanks E.J. Now I know that this is not a factor. I'm leaning very much toward sending in that lens, but I don't want to do that until I know that it is really necessary before I spend money on shipping and insurance.

What choice do you have if you think it's broken...

E.J. Peiker wrote:What choice do you have if you think it's broken...

The keyword here is "think". I do think something is not right with that lens, but before I take action I want to know something is not right with that lens.

I was out in Nevada's back country the last two days and used the 70-300 G OSS on the a6300 almost exclusively, taking every shot twice; once with and once without Steady Shot. I learned that f/8 is the largest aperture at which consistently sharp images can be expected and shutter speeds under 1/500 should be avoided, which requires a minimum ISO of 400 in most cases.

Using Steady Shot has no effect on sharpness but reduces DOF significantly. I already suspected that from the pictures I got when I used this lens on the a7, but couldn't be sure because I had not tested that combo systematically.

This lens also attracts dust more than any other lens I remember using. I already had a few specs inside when I received it brand new, and has added quite a few more to that collection since. Dust even finds its way through the lens onto the sensor. At least I do find it on the sensor even though this is the only lens I use on that camera and I can't figure out where else it would sneak in.

Those two issues seem to be sample issues, rather than caused by design; at least I hope so. The lens will be sent to Sony for repair, but for now I am comfortable to use it for an assignment next weekend.