Zoom creep or lens creep is one of the most annoying shooting-related phenomena, occurring when the zoom lens barrel extends due to its own weight. Fortunately, there’s a simple and basically free way to resolve it. This video from Dr. Jake Newman shows how to use a rubber band to prevent the zoom lens from creeping. A tiny item you probably have lying around somewhere will prevent the gravity from messing with your lens and help you nail the shots.
It’s fairly simple, and it depends on the lens where exactly you’re going to put the rubber band. It’s important to remember not to put it on the focusing ring because you’ll hear the whirring noise as your camera will struggle to focus. Put it between the zoom ring and the part of the lens close to the mount, and you’ll stop the zoom lens from moving when you don’t want it to.
This is such a simple solution that Newman wasn’t even sure whether to post it. Fortunately for him, there are always some of us who didn’t think of an easy solution like this before. I use rubber bands for all sorts of stuff, but it never occurred to me to stop the lens creep with it. Other than rubber bands, I guess you can use the elastic bands for hair too, in case you or your significant other have long hair. If you want to add some style to the whole setup, you can also buy a Lens Band designed specifically for this purpose.
