Mine is getting quite rough to rotate, especially in cold weather.
Can Sony repair that without messing with the optical assembly?
I have a good copy and have some concerns it will be ruined optically.
You probably already did this, but removal and cleaning, and a bit of lube might do the trick. Do you rotate it a lot? It's possible the paint has worn off to the metal.
No. Most likely there is junk including dirt, grease, metal shavings, and others in there.
I'm not seeing how to disassemble. Is there a service manual?
Mine had what I'd call some ruff/sticking spots when rotating. Sent it in for service. They said they fixed it but as soon as I put it back on the monopod it was the same. Definitely not fixed and no where as smooth as the 400 2.8 collar.
The problem is when rotating vertical/horizontal on a tripod with a gimbal. I could request tripod collar replacement entirely, but I'm concerned part of it is integrated into the barrel and optics would be impacted.
Guess I'll keep using it for now. I'm curious about what they charged you. A lot depends on what the a7rVI brings. The whole lens was less than $2K so it might be better just to buy another one.
I have had three 200-600, all bought new. There was some variation in smoothness (or roughness!).
There are no bearings or guides, just a simple mechanism.
Fortunately the collar mechanism is not near any internal optics. I'd blow it with an air compressor under the ring and apply some lube. Did you actually see metal shavings or are you just making that up?
