Breaking-in a Lens

[Abitconfused]

I am beginning to notice that lenses get better with use. They get sharper and focus better. I know I am not the only one to observe this. I think that when new many lenses are simply too tight and need some use and movement to slide into proper specks. Have any of you noticed this?

[Shadowman]

I think we tend to become more attuned to our focusing systems; just like we become more aware of our compositions.

[chauncey]

It's possible as the new parts better mesh together with use, much like we used to do with a new car.
But more likely as John said.

[JR1]

Can't think why

When you buy a new car you are careful, take time and as you get to know it, even over time complacent you become accustomed to it, same with everything else, you just learn what it does and adapt, so no

[DanK]

I've owned a lot of lenses over the decades, and I have never noticed this. I think John's explanation is probably the right one. If anything, focus should become less precise as the mechanical parts wear, but I haven't notice that in any of my lenses either.

[William W]

I've owned a lot of lenses over the decades, and I have never noticed this. I think John's explanation is probably the right one.

me too . . .

WW

[Dave Humphries]

I am beginning to notice that lenses get better with use. They get sharper and focus better. I know I am not the only one to observe this. I think that when new many lenses are simply too tight and need some use and movement to slide into proper specks. Have any of you noticed this?

I can theorise some logic to this concept; a brand new (perhaps cheaper) lens, with newly milled parts (with sharp edges, possibly even burs) plus initially (slightly) thicker lubricant might focus a tad slower and perhaps not quite reach optimum focus due to excess friction. However, I'd expect this to 'wear-in' after a few uses, so I'd be surprised if it lasted longer than a few days.

However, I cannot say I have experienced it myself.


I do agree that as it ages, the milled edges will wear to become rounder, then it becomes sloppier - and is likely to perform less well.

This I have experienced, in 'zoom creep', where a zoom lens held vertically extends or compresses (depending which way held) under the weight of the lens barrel and front elements - now this does get worse with age.

[Glenn NK]

I'm OK with a lens getting looser (Dave Humphries gave the reasons), as my 24-105 didn't suffer from zoom creep when it was new - it does now - although not all of these lenses do that.

But, I'm not quite ready to buy into a lens getting sharper (it might focus more accurately because of the what Dave mentioned), but glass, like many other materials, will over long time periods, exhibit some creep if it under stress. So if anything, lenses should get less sharp (resolution wise) with time, not better. But I really doubt we would notice this as the individual lenses are under very little stress, so the creep wouldn't seem to be a practical/significant issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creep_%28deformation%29

Glenn

[rpcrowe]

I also, have never noticed this aspect of lenses. I use my lenses for a long-long time (years and years) and have never noticed any difference in focusing with age or use...

[William W]

. . . my 24-105 didn't suffer from zoom creep when it was new - it does now - . . .

If you're collecting statistics - my 24 to 105 began creeping when it was about 13 months old.

WW

[Richard Lundberg]

It takes about a million years for glass to creep. I guess you're older than I thought.

[Glenn NK]

It takes about a million years for glass to creep. I guess you're older than I thought.

It's dependent on the stress level.

Concrete not under stress won't creep, but concrete that is prestressed (under high compressive stresses) begins to creep as soon as the prestress is applied. We allow for it in the design of prestressed concrete by increasing the level of the initial prestress. The steel tensioning strands also lose their prestress, but in this case it's called relaxation, and we allow for that too.

Glass has a compressive resistance of approximately 800 to 1000 MPa, whereas typical values for concrete are in the range of 25 MPa to 30 MPa or so (higher values are possible but not used often). So it's far less likely to deform, particularly in a non-stressed situation like a lens element.

And I'm even older than you think.

Glenn

[Black Pearl]

I've used countless lenses over the years and have never come across them getting better - and to be honest this is the first time I've ever read anyone saying theirs do.

It is almost certainly the way you use your gear and just take a little while longer than others to get used to it.

[William W]

I've used countless lenses over the years and have never come across them getting better - and to be honest this is the first time I've ever read anyone saying theirs do. . .

Yes, I'd like Ed to be more specific about where are / who are the others, who have observed this phenomenon.

WW

[Abitconfused]

Yes, I'd like Ed to be more specific about where are / who are the others, who have observed this phenomenon.

WW

[Abitconfused]

Well, I was reading quite a bit of comments on line and one from DPreview where several others also noticed an. Improvement in results from a lens after having put a few hundred shots through it and I said to myself, "Wow, that is exactly what I just noticed." I am somewhat shocked to find that this seems to be an anomaly. But I have to admit much of it may be my imagination. The lens is probably "teaching" me to use it in ways that bring out its best.

[Black Pearl]

There's your answer - dpreview.

While there is some great content from the site itself the forums are full of (lets just say) 'unusua' people with (and I'm being kind here) 'unusual' ideas who get very wound up over things and tend to blow them out of all proportion.