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XCD 80/1.9 lens: soft rattling noises?

onasj

Active member
I’ve noticed that my copy of the XCD 80/1.9 lens makes soft rattling noises when moved in different orientations. The lens seems to work fine. Could other owners please confirm if these soft rattling noises when I point the lens in different orientations is normal? Thank you.
 

glaiben

Member
Do you have to shake the lens to hear the rattle, or does it happen by itself (eg, the motor moving things around inside). Does it rattle only when attached to a body?
 

spb

Well-known member
Staff member
Sounds like the rattle that you get with some Fujinon lenses which is completely normal.
(On the Fujinons with stabilization it is the electro-magnets and is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. However the XCD 80mm does not have stabilization. If it then has electro-magnets inside I wonder what is their purpose.
 
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onasj

Active member
The "soft rattle" (a gentle thumping) occurs most clearly when I tip the lens up and down (front pointing to the sky or ground). It doesn't matter if the lens is attached to the body or not. It feels like a heavy assembly inside is shifting a bit., and you can almost feel the momentum of something heavy inside moving as the lens is tipped. The soft rattling/thumping occurs whether or not the lens is powered up by the body.

I decided to ask the forum even though the lens seems to work perfectly because I don't hear any noises when the 21, 30, 45P, 65, 90, 120, or 135 XCD lenses are similarly handled. Of course the 80/1.9 is a more complex and heavier lens than just about any other XCD prime, so I assume this is a normal aspect of the design, but thought I would check.

I should also note that other lenses from other manufacturers also show a very similar soft clunking noise when tilted—most notably, the Sony 135/1.8 GM among the lenses I've used recently. I vaguely recall that years ago when I was using large Nikon and Sigma lenses with optical image stabilization (vibration reduction), some of those lenses made similar noises, though of course neither the 80/1.9 XCD nor the Sony 135/1.8 GM have optical image stabilization.

Could any other 80/1.9 users out there compare notes?
 
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Boinger

Active member
Its the glass element I believe when it has no power its free. I think I noticed it when I had mine but someone else should probably confirm.
 

FloatingLens

Well-known member
If the 80/1.9 is internally focussed (lens does not extend), it is most probably an internal floating lens element. This is a way to achieve high focussing speed in complex lens designs.

The Fujinon XF 90mm F2 is another example for this kind of design. Any noise disappears when this lens is powered.
 

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
Just following up on this. I happened to check our demo 80mm/1.9, and it did indeed have a soft noise that it made and you could feel the optics shift as you lightly shook the lens back and forth. But it did feel like a proper movement, if one could say, that the electronic connection would put right, once made. I can't recall if I checked it on the camera, but I was curious enough to have Brad Kaye, who manages our tech services, open a case with Hasselblad and they recommended sending it in "for repair". It just recently came back, and that lens wiggle is now gone. So I wanted to post this, because while the movement before did not scream out that something was loose, apparently the theory about electronic coupling did not apply here.


Steve Hendrix/CI
 

onasj

Active member
Thanks, Steve. I appreciate the follow-up. So it’s now totally silent regardless of orientation or tilting the lens up and down?
 

Steve Hendrix

Well-known member
Thanks, Steve. I appreciate the follow-up. So it’s now totally silent regardless of orientation or tilting the lens up and down?

Yes, the noise is completely gone. Although we never really heard "rattling" so much as we could feel a definite shift of the internal optics, though it did not necesssarily feel unnatural. But of course there was a slight muffled sound produced from this shift (more than the rattle). It now does not have this shift (or the sound it produced). So if anyone experiences this, they may wish to have their dealer send in to Hasselblad for repair, or contact Hasselblad directly.


Steve Hendrix/CI
 
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OleBe

Member
Interesting feedback, have just recieved my brand new 80mm. It does the same, a gentle thumping when tilting quickly up and down. Does not matter if the unit is power on or not. It is working flawless however. I can also turn it rotationally in the locking mechanism and it has a very tiny amount of play rotational wise. Which I assume is not affecting image quality at all.

Unfortunately it was the only unit delivered to my dealer, more units might take weeks, if not months to arrive. Am a bit reluctant to send in the unit immediately now. :(

Have two years of warranty on it as usual, so maybe I will just shoot with it and in case it gets worse it might need to go to Sweden...
 

onasj

Active member
I think based on the three 80/1.9 XCD lenses documented in this thread, with no counterexamples of a new 80/1.9 that does not make this soft thumping when tilted, that the factory new lenses all share this issue. The thumping does not seem to affect performance but is a mild handling distraction. Once Steve Hendrix verifies that his “renovated” 80/1.9 performs as well as a new lens, I may send mine in to silence the thumping but at least it doesn’t appear to impact image quality. I noticed that the thumping is accompanied by the focusing ring moving slightly towards the front or rear of the lens. I wonder if that ring just needs to be slightly wider to prevent it from sliding slightly forward or backwards as the lens is tilting up or down.
 

OleBe

Member
To follow up on this topic. My 80mm now goes to Hasselblad either for direct replacement or for a express repair. Understood that no 80mm is available for delivery currently and replacement or express repair will be done in the factory. Since that must be Nittoh in Japan, I have the feeling that this process will take a while... :(

Am slightly sad to let go this lens for a longer period of time considering the price.

The pictures it is able to take are outstanding that is for sure and since it is now my most used lens it makes things even worse.
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
To follow up on this topic. My 80mm now goes to Hasselblad either for direct replacement or for a express repair. Understood that no 80mm is available for delivery currently and replacement or express repair will be done in the factory. Since that must be Nittoh in Japan, I have the feeling that this process will take a while... :(

Am slightly sad to let go this lens for a longer period of time considering the price.

The pictures it is able to take are outstanding that is for sure and since it is now my most used lens it makes things even worse.
By "factory" they may mean the Hasselblad factory in Sweden, not Nittoh in Japan. That's been my experience with HB repairs in the US....if it can't be done at the repair facility in New Jersey, it goes back to the Hasselblad factory in Sweden. That may or may not change the timeline/situation, either way, hope you're back and up running sooner rather than later.
 

Vivseries1

New member
I have the XCD 35-75mm zoom and it makes the same soft thump when turned upside down. I should also mention that it is tack sharp and exhibits no problems. Isn't this just normal for an internal focus lens with a floating element until it is engaged by the camera, particularly since it is being reported on new lens coming right from the factory? I worry that this thread may cause many of us to send in perfectly good lenses for unnecessary repair. I don't know if there are any Hasselblad representatives who monitor this forum who could chime in here, but that would be great.
 

OleBe

Member
For internal focussing lenses that sounds quite common, indeed. However the 80mm is NOT internal focussing, it is a front focussing lens. It does the same thumb both connected and unmounted. Additionally mine had more play in the lens mount than any of my other XCD lenses. So they need to resolve both issues. ;)
 

Vivseries1

New member
Makes sense and good point - I didn't realize that the 80mm is not internal focusing. It would be great to have some information from Hasselblad on this.
 

OleBe

Member
Have received a new 80mm. The thump is gone. However the new one has exactly the same rotational play in the lens mount as the one before. Will consider this to be normal for the 80mm now... Although I like it better on my other lenses which sit really tight with no play.

Total turnover time was 4 weeks.
 

budfox

Member
I bought a second hand 80 1.9 about a month ago. So far I have not noticed any soft rattling noises - probably because I keep forgetting to shake it and listen. I am hoping this thread fades away so I don't keep get reminded to check.

It seems to work OK in all other respects.
 

onasj

Active member
Hasselblad serviced my (new) 80 XCD and now the soft rattling and thumping is gone. The service record says they replaced the CAM ROLLER: YC.SJ.WS001400.01. I could swear the lens has less CA now wide open but perhaps I’m imagining things.
 
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