Lens question

[thebeatles]

I recently purchased an 85mm 1.8 USM Canon lens for my soon to arrive T1i. When I took it out of the package and looked it over, I noticed that the focus ring turned both ways without stopping, even with the AF switch enabled. Since I am brand new to DSLRs and lenses I was concerned that something was wrong with the lens (as my other lens I just received, a sigma, was the exact oppisite.) So I called B&H QC and the fellow I spoke with told me: "there is no doubt in my mind that it is broken or dysfunctional, send it back." So I sent the lens back and when the new lens came, it had the exact same "issue." So I called B&H and talked to another "camera tech," who told me that this was "completely normal" and that this was a "feature of all USM lenses". I am not sure what to beleive now So was the first employee correct, or the second?

Thanks :thumbup:

 

[KmH]

The second. Nikon lenses do the same thing.

It's a feature that makes it virtually impossible to manually abuse the focusing mechanism.

I wonder, did you read the users manual that came with the lens?

 

[Josh66]

Yup, that's USM. Even without USM, the ring will spin endlessly in either direction - it just won't actually do anything with the lens on AF.

 

[thebeatles]

Thanks folks :blushing: I should have read the manual before I called B&H. The first fellow that said it was broken confirmed my false, ignorant fears I guess I just thought it was strange to receive two conflicting stories from that place. Thanks for putting me at ease and answering my questions. Next time I will read the manual :blushing:

 

[Josh66]

Just goes to further show that a lot of times salesmen don't know anything except how to make sales... I am a little surprised to hear that B&H is no different than anyone else in that respect though. I guess my expectations were higher for them.