"My 24-105 f4 L Died'

[William]

I was at the Fingal AP Meet yesterday and my 24-105 started malfunctioning, It now is a 24mm Prime sort of, Has anbody else except myself and Julie ann/Jules had this problem , I rang Canon and they have no record of it (The Problem) , Which is strange cause I had heard of this through this site , I'm sure of it , Jules got hers fixed for $600 :eek: I do have the repair place in Brisbane that Jules used or should I send it to Canon Sydney or some other place that you guys can recommend that fixes L Series lenses at a nice price , Or should I just dump it , Any help appreciated - Bill :)

[Tannin]

Ouch!

What's going on? You mean the zoom mechanism is physically stuck? $60?! That seems like a lot to spend on a lens that probably cost $1700 but you can now buy new for $1200ish

[William]

Nah Tony worse than that, Both Jules and mine suffered the exact same death symptoms :( I was taking a shot looking through the viefinder and as I took the shot I noticed a flicker in the viefinder, Nothing is stuck, but as soon as you zoom out , Even just off the 24mm I still have focus points but it shows up as an ERROR 01 on the newer cameras , And as a ERROR 99 on my 30D , The image Stabilizer goes crazy as well a lot of buzzing and whiring , I can still take a shot at 24mm all works fine :confused013 No go if you zoom out , Tried it on three cameras , Did the same on all

PS ; I heard something about a ribbon that comes off inside , when that comes undone when you zoom the lens does'nt talk to the Camera , The lens has to be completely stripped to repair

[MarkChap]

Yep William you are correct, there is a Ribbon cable that attaches to the aperture mechanism, it IS known to break, with now yourself and Jules I know of at least 3 others that have gone the same way.
Canon will only replace the ribbon cable AND aperture mechanism as a single part, ie they won't just replace the ribbon cable.

I have a feeling that there was a crowd in Sydney that will repair the lens by replacing the cable only, considerably cheaper than the Canon option, I will see what I can dig up

[Tannin]

Nasty! And yes, that does sound expensive. I googled it a bit and I'm seeing typical repair costs around $US150 - so where did the $600 come from?

[William]

Quote Mark :I have a feeling that there was a crowd in Sydney that will repair the lens by replacing the cable only, considerably cheaper than the Canon option, I will see what I can dig up : Ooo ! That would be good , I was wondering why so much cost , The place in Brisbane must replace the whole lot as well from what Jules was telling me yesterday , Try hard for me Mark Please :th3:

Well , What ever it is that canon wont admit I found more here : http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=36104926

[agb]

Does rather sound like the same problem. When Jules had her problem I did a bit of searching on it and there are quite a few comments on various forums including this one.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=737327&highlight=error+01
This post.
My 24-105 f/4 L IS is faulty. The first time I saw err 01 about a month ago. So the lens was about 4.5 years old.



The lens is playing up exactly the way other people experiencing:

works fine at 24mm any aperture
works fine wide open any focal length
gives err 01 at any position other than 24mm if aperture not wide open

It makes fancy noise from time to time (sounds like the diaphragm is closing and opening few time a second).




When I put camera in M and set f/22 and press DOF preview button I can see the following:

at 24mm lens diaphragm is closing and opening no issues
at any other focal length it's kinda sticks and doesn't open once I release DOV preview button. The only way to open it is to zoom out to 24mm and press/release DOV preview button again.

Today I went to the Canon Australia service centre. Canon tech had a quick look and he said it looks like it's a faulty diaphragm unit. And replacement would cost me up to $650 AUD ($592 USD at the current exchange rate). Well... It's about a half of new grey mport lens here. I didn't go for repair at this stage as I didn't expect this price. So I will have to decide if I can find a cheaper way to fix it.

[Scotty72]

Yep William you are correct, there is a Ribbon cable that attaches to the aperture mechanism, it IS known to break, with now yourself and Jules I know of at least 3 others that have gone the same way.
Canon will only replace the ribbon cable AND aperture mechanism as a single part, ie they won't just replace the ribbon cable.

I have a feeling that there was a crowd in Sydney that will repair the lens by replacing the cable only, considerably cheaper than the Canon option, I will see what I can dig up

I had this exact thing last year with the same lens - it is very common - but try getting Canon to acknowlegde or fix this known issue.

Canon wanted about 700-800 to fix it.

A camera repairer should be able to replace the ribbon and the aperture ring it is attached to for (I think it cost me $350-400).

Don't panic too much.

Scotty

[William]

For a start they wont acknowledge it !! I asked today (Canon Sydney that is) they have no knowledge of this fault on their records , I say bul#sh%t :angry0: Scotty can you remember where you got your's fixed for that price ? ps ; dont panic to much !!!! you say

[Scotty72]

For a start they wont acknowledge it !! I asked today (Canon Sydney that is) they have no knowledge of this fault on their records , I say bul#sh%t :angry0: Scotty can you remember where you got your's fixed for that price ? ps ; dont panic to much !!!! you say

I know. I had the same problem with Canon. They are [self edited for legal reasons :eek:]!

I have heard of it from several people and I know it to be a very common problem.

Anyway, it may have been less than $350. I am sure it was $300 and something dollars.

http://www.cameraservicecentre.powerup.com.au/

Scotty

[unistudent1962]

Same problem exists with the EF-S 17-85.
Had one repaired by Canon last year for approx $300.
The same problem is now back again, just over 12 months later.
Canon's response: Send it in and we'll charge you another $300 to fix it.
After a chat to the ACCC, they suggested that I send Canon a letter of demand, trying to compel them to repair what is a wide-spread problem with this lens, and apparently the 24-105 f4L as well!!

[ksolomon]

Bill, Im sorry your lens died yesterday, hope you can get it fixed at a reasonable price either that or convert it to a coffee mug :D

[William]

Same problem exists with the EF-S 17-85.
Had one repaired by Canon last year for approx $300.
The same problem is now back again, just over 12 months later.
Canon's response: Send it in and we'll charge you another $300 to fix it.
After a chat to the ACCC, they suggested that I send Canon a letter of demand, trying to compel them to repair what is a wide-spread problem with this lens, and apparently the 24-105 f4L as well!!

Thanks Mark for that info :th3: did you send the letter of demand ? after Scottys comment about there attitude to the problem , I was going to see if something could be done as well , So have we got a legal %#$@ , Ooops were not aloud to talk about that :D

[davearnold]

I am also a victim of the 24-105 IS failure.

Still deciding if/when to fix, or buy another lens instead.

I talked to Jules about hers, and the $600 repair cost, those dollars would go a long way to getting another lens, I could use in conjuntion with my 17-55.

But I MISS my 24-105, it is a great walk around lens.

Watching this thread with a lot of interest.

Cheers Dave

[William]

Good news Scotty and markchap Got onto http://www.cameraservicecentre.powerup.com.au/ Thanks mate , already have an Email estimate for $420 from these guys , I did ring and talk, what a friendly aussie guy , and he was one of the techs !! knew what i was talking about straight away :th3: ring these guys and ask for Richard , very friendly and helpfull , well the the repair cost is coming back into the ball park , as they say :rolleyes: how , low , can we go :D

[William]

:D hey Dave , Maybe we can get a group discount :lol:

[Scotty72]

Good news Scotty and markchap Got onto http://www.cameraservicecentre.powerup.com.au/ Thanks mate , already have an Email estimate for $420 from these guys , I did ring and talk, what a friendly aussie guy , and he was one of the techs !! knew what i was talking about straight away :th3: ring these guys and ask for Richard , very friendly and helpfull , well the the repair cost is coming back into the ball park , as they say :rolleyes: how , low , can we go :D

$420 sounds about right (and prob half of what canon will charge). My $300 and something was probalby in the high $300s (bad memory :() and I guess it's gone up a touch since then.

Scotty

[davearnold]

:D hey Dave , Maybe we can get a group discount :lol:

May be if we sent them in together we might, for that price could probably justify getting fixed sooner then later.

[William]

@ Dave , my son Joel is going to Sydney 2nd Week of August, They have a 7-10 day repair time , Joel said he would pick mine up while down there , I still have to find the money also, I'll check on a discount , will get back :)

[mikew09]

Crikey Bill, sorry to hear about the lens. I have heard a lot about this issue and now it seems more common than my expense acct can handle. Have been saving for a while would be hard pressed to foot a $600 repair if it failures in the short term. It really has put me off getting one. I have also been looking at the 10-20 sigma and the way my photography is going may get more use out it it. My Tamron SP AF 17-50 f2.8 is serving me well and though a bit short does ok for general lens usage.

I am thinking I may wait for canon to get their act together and resolve the fault in a 24-105 mk II and I might by one. Seems pretty poor for L series lens

I hope it works out for you Bill.

[Xenedis]

Nasty! And yes, that does sound expensive. I googled it a bit and I'm seeing typical repair costs around $US150 - so where did the $600 come from?

This is Australia.

To quote former Prime Minister Keating, Australia is the arse-end of the earth.

We get gouged here for everything.

A few years ago I had some batteries leak in my Canon Speedlite 580EX flash.

The flash itself cost around $650. Canon wanted $450 to repair it.

[William]

What gets me is all my old kit lens , Still work fine , It's a pity , The 24-105 delivers an impressive image , Just a bloody ribbon problem , probably a dry solder joint !! :rolleyes:

[agb]

For a start they wont acknowledge it !! I asked today (Canon Sydney that is) they have no knowledge of this fault on their records , I say bul#sh%t :angry0: Scotty can you remember where you got your's fixed for that price ? ps ; dont panic to much !!!! you say
I find this quite remarkable, that they can just hide behind the comment that they have no knowledge of this fault. One wonders sometimes about the corporate ethos, Not unlike the one that got Rupert Murdock and his news of the world in trouble, the japanese with their heads in the sand attitude about the nuclear reactors, Mitsubishi with their did not know we had problems a few years back.
Someone ought to put together something about this lens and the issue and send it to the ACCC. If I owned one, and I don't then perhaps I would in an attempt to get some preemptive action.

[Boofhead]

That price is looking a lot better Bill, I will keep my fingers crossed for you (and for my 24-105 that it doesn't go down this path) :eek:

[William]

Thought this might interest a few on this site with a 24-105 f4 L , A PDU unit and ribbon I guess $420

[William]

Here's the offending part from a 16-35 f2.8 L , PDU and ribbon , not the sort of ribbon i was thinking about

[larrywen]

If the problem is with a failed PDU (Power Diaphragm Unit) and also the problem is common with 24-105 Lens, does it mean that this lens uses different PDU or similar problem can happens to other canon lens equally?

I just find the cost for a new PDU for 24/105 L4 is £36.99

[William]

If the problem is with a failed PDU (Power Diaphragm Unit) and also the problem is common with 24-105 Lens, does it mean that this lens uses different PDU or similar problem can happens to other canon lens equally?

I just find the cost for a new PDU for 24/105 L4 is £36.99

That would be English Pounds I guess Larry, Larry I dont know what you do for a living , but any chance you could fit It , if you had one ?

[41jas]

When I dropped my lens in to be fixed. They estimated $400 but looking further into it found the IS had gone as well which then bought the cost up to $594.00. Bill I hope you can get out of it cheaper but the IS on yours sounds to be gone as well. That humming sound didn't come into mine until a few days later. Fingers crossed you can get it fixed cheaper. He guy said the aperture mechanism and the IS went on mine. He asked if I had dropped it....NOOOOO!

[William]

Thanks Jules for that , "NOT" :lol: If that was the case , I'd rather do without the IS :rolleyes: If they could disable it, I like the lens for the image quality, I can hand hold easily at 1/15th sec , ;) :)

[41jas]

Well if you told them what it was doing, surely they would know. You might be right.:crossed:

[Art Vandelay]

You guys have me nervously looking over at my 24-105 now. :o

What will be will be. :)

[Xenedis]

For a start they wont acknowledge it !! I asked today (Canon Sydney that is) they have no knowledge of this fault on their records

It's surprising to me that Canon ostensibly will not acknowledge a fault which, seemingly, is quite common, when only a few years ago it very publicly acknowledge a fault with the mirror glue in the EOS 5D and provided free replacements (edit: of the mirror, not the entire camera), even for cameras out of warranty (which mine was, at the time).

In my experience (having owned six Canon cameras and 16 Canon lenses), Canon doesn't tend to experience product defects very often.

Unfortunately, this is not the first problem with the 24-105/4L IS.

There was a well-publicised lens flare issue back in 2006 or so. From memory, Canon replaced faulty units.

In 2005 I had a 24-105/4L IS (I bought it on the first day it was released), but I never experienced flare with it, and the person to whom I sold it in 2008 never came back to me with any reports of flare.

Let's hope that Canon doesn't keep proclaiming the emperor to be fully dressed, as it's clear that the error your lens developed is not an isolated or terribly restricted case.

[Scotty72]

Johnno, I got the same treatment. My emails directing them to discussions online about it were never even acknowledge as received and phone calls never returned.

This company has demonstrated just how deaf and blind it can be when it wants to be so...

Then again, the reason I chose a Canon DSLR over Nikoff is that is precisely what they told me to do a few years back when a P&S camera, a few days out of warranty suffered what was also found out to be a widespread known fault.

Scotty

[Xenedis]

This company has demonstrated just how deaf and blind it can be when it wants to be so...

Then again, the reason I chose a Canon DSLR over Nikoff is that is precisely what they told me to do a few years back when a P&S camera, a few days out of warranty suffered what was also found out to be a widespread known fault.


That sort of service must be disappointing.

I've dealt with Canon twice and never had a problem. Its head office is close to me, so it was convenient enough to drop the item into the service desk.

No issues with service; the visits were just costly.

[para]

I had the 24-105 sold it a while back six months later had the buyer on the phone same problem.

[Scotty72]

That sort of service must be disappointing.

I've dealt with Canon twice and never had a problem. Its head office is close to me, so it was convenient enough to drop the item into the service desk.

No issues with service; the visits were just costly.

I too made the short trip to Waterloo Rd, North Ryde. That made no difference. :(

[larrywen]

This is an article about how to fix a lens. It doesn't look very difficult but maybe need to practice on some cheap lens first. :)

http://canonrepair.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/www-doekle-nl_canon_17_85_is_repair1.pdf

[William]

Thanks Larry, I'd say , Wise words of wisdom, ( Practice on a cheap lens first) , Thanks for the reply , I was hoping you were going to tell me you used to be a lens technician or something :D

[davearnold]

I am actually thinking I might be game to have a go at fixing mine myself, looking for a similar broken lens to practise on, just to make sure I have the tools to do it, which I think would/could be the biggest challenge, followed closely by keeping everthing clean, dust free etc while it is apart, maybe lots of snap lock bages :)

Oh and actuially getting the replacement part could be a issue, Larry where did you get that price for the part from?

Cheers Dave

[William]

Now I'm waiting to see what happens , Good on you Dave, being a Motor Mechanic by Trade , Looks a little fiddly for me , Looks like a lot of little parts to dissassemble to me :eek: I'm guessing you dont need a Torque Wrench or a Rattle gun :rolleyes: :th3:

[davearnold]

Lol... to Mechanic .....I was basing this on my previous experiance of rebuilding cars .... which I have not done for a long time. ... but it did look logical in the way it came apart, would be a matter of clearly labelling and numbering every bit as you pulled it a apart, so lots of small snap lock bags.

I agree it looks fiddly, why I want a practise lens first .... usually "fiddly" means special tools and as with working on cars it will come down to having the correct tools, to make the job as painless as possible !

[Big Ren]

Hi William

Same happened to my 24-105....the ribbon band to the power diaphragm cracked. Apparently it cracked after being stretched through zooming so many times. That's why it will still work wide open.

I took mine to Anderson's at Capalaba, they sent it to Sydney, a week later I am $359 poorer.

Cheers
Paul

[William]

Hi William

Same happened to my 24-105....the ribbon band to the power diaphragm cracked. Apparently it cracked after being stretched through zooming so many times. That's why it will still work wide open.

I took mine to Anderson's at Capalaba, they sent it to Sydney, a week later I am $359 poorer.

Cheers
Paul

Thanks Paul, How long ago was that ? The price is right

[unistudent1962]

Thanks Mark for that info :th3: did you send the letter of demand ? after Scottys comment about there attitude to the problem , I was going to see if something could be done as well , So have we got a legal %#$@ , Ooops were not aloud to talk about that :D

I was in the process of drafting a letter of demand today, when out of the blue I received the following response to the original email I sent to Canon on the 29/5/11.

Good Afternoon,

I am sorry to learn of the issues you are experiencing with your Canon product. I have confirmed through our records that your lens was previously submitted in February 2010 under service request XXXXXX, and the work carried out/completed in March 2010. All repairs undertaken by Canon Australia are backed by a 6 month rework warranty, which unfortunately has elapsed some time ago. That said, we do recognise the need for an element of customer service regardless of the facts, and it is with this in mind that I would request an opportunity to assess your lens. Once an inspection has been carried out, I will be in a better position to facilitate a resolution for you.

At least it is a response, if not an actual acknowledgement that there is a known problem.
I'm not sure how many businesses would get away with taking over 6 weeks to reply to an email though!!

[Big Ren]

Just last week Bill, so the price will be the same. I live on the sunny Coast so was happy enough to drive down drop it off and pick it up. The bloke I spoke to there was mark....very helpful.

Cheers
Paul

[William]

Thanks Paul, Just wondering wether they mentioned anything about the IS motor as well , Seems Jules had two faults in hers , Put it this way , Was yours making a intermittent buzzing sound as well ? - Bill

PS : Just gave Andersons a ring , And got an Estimate of $350, They can fix it there , But they send it away to get Calibrated , Thanks for the info Paul, The price is looking a lot better

[Big Ren]

Thanks Paul, Just wondering wether they mentioned anything about the IS motor as well , Seems Jules had two faults in hers , Put it this way , Was yours making a intermittent buzzing sound as well ? - Bill

No noise from the IS Bill, but as soon as the Error 1 message came up on my 7D, I did a little googling and found a common theme between this lens and cracked ribbon bands. I now have a six month warranty on the repair work and the lens has been faultless since, touch wood. I still think it is an awesome lens though :)

Cheers
Paul

[agb]

How old are these lenses when they breakdown? Would buying the 3 year extended warranty be wothwhile at $180 when you buy one of these lenses?

[William]

Graham, From what I can tell from comments and reading , Around the 4 to 4 1/2 yr mark , Mine is just 4 :confused013

[agb]

So the extended warranty would be a waste of money, keep it to pay for the repairs.
Bit sad that such a good lens is so prone to the problem.

[William]

So the extended warranty would be a waste of money, keep it to pay for the repairs.
Bit sad that such a good lens is so prone to the problem.

My thought exactly , i would have thought an "L" Lens would go longer than that :( All the rest of my kit lens are OK :rolleyes:

[Scotty72]

I think extended warranty's are always a waste of money. They cover no more than your statutory rights already do.

This is prob why they offer them. They sucker the consumer into paying for the rights they already have.

[Big Ren]

PS : Just gave Andersons a ring , And got an Estimate of $350, They can fix it there , But they send it away to get Calibrated , Thanks for the info Paul, The price is looking a lot better

Good stuff Bill. Yep, they were really good to deal with and you can track the job's progress through a simple phone call.

Bit more background to my lens. I've just graduated up from the 350D and kit lenses to the 7D and this lens. I had only just bought it off the Bay for mid 900s and thought I had a real bargain until after only a dozen actuations I got the dreaded Error 1. I thought it was the 7D for a moment (bought around the same time through DigitalRev). The lens came from an online store (through the Bay) in Victoria and had been used for indoor cattle auction photography only (apparently). But I don't know how old the lens is though.

I guess I am still in front at the end of the day.......well for the moment anyway.

Hope you get it all sorted Bill. Is that the lens you get all your great sunrise shots with?

Cheers
Paul

[William]

:D Well i was just starting to get a few with the 24-105, But My main Lens for Sunrises is the Sigma 10-20 , But I do have a mission that I was embarking on , A Project that the 24-105 was needed for , Looks like it is on hold now , Till I dig up some money :)

[Big Ren]

It's only money.....I am learning fast to embrace this concept they call debt:D

[larrywen]

I am actually thinking I might be game to have a go at fixing mine myself, looking for a similar broken lens to practise on, just to make sure I have the tools to do it, which I think would/could be the biggest challenge, followed closely by keeping everthing clean, dust free etc while it is apart, maybe lots of snap lock bages :)

Oh and actuially getting the replacement part could be a issue, Larry where did you get that price for the part from?

Cheers Dave

Hi David, I found the price from this site:

http://www.cameraspareparts.co.uk/power-diaphragm-unit4canon-lens-ef-24-10540l-is-usm-1131-p.asp

Cheers :)

[William]

I am actually thinking I might be game to have a go at fixing mine myself, looking for a similar broken lens to practise on, just to make sure I have the tools to do it, which I think would/could be the biggest challenge, followed closely by keeping everthing clean, dust free etc while it is apart, maybe lots of snap lock bages :)

Oh and actuially getting the replacement part could be a issue, Larry where did you get that price for the part from?

Cheers Dave

Have a look at this Dave , Think I'll leave it to the experts :eek: Remember I said "Fiddley" Well thats an understatement :lol:

I like the sound Track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9y-Bt-gv90

Cheers Bill - :D

[Boofhead]

Should be no problem Bill, only took 3 min 10 secs to pull apart. If you have the new part ready you should finish the repairs in under 10 mins! :lol:

[William]

:lol: I've got the screw drivers and pliers:D, But I think I would need to lay the parts out in a more orderly way than that guy :eek:

[mongo]

Mongo is sorry to hear your news Bill. Mongo does not own one of these but would if had canon gear – it is an impressive lens. Whatever happens – do NOT throw it away !!!
Couple of points:-
1. Cannot believe canon has no knowledge of this fault – too many have occurred (and no doubt Canon has fixed at least some, if not most of them under warranty or otherwise).
2. This seems reasonably strongly to Mongo to be a design fault. In an upper end lens which is designed for serious commercial use, its life expectancy should be considerably longer than has been the case with many of these lenses from what Mongo is hearing. A reasonable case to argue that the lens is not fit for the purpose. There appears to be quite a bit of evidence about the same fault in reasonably newish lenses – and that is just the members we know about . Imagine how many more there are we do not know about with the same problem
3. Whilst Canon deny knowledge of these faults, you might find that by lodging a consumer claim in the appropriate Tribunal and then issuing a summons on Canon to produce certain documents (relating to the repair of these lenses) , they might get nervous and maybe reach an agreement with you in conciliation beforehand rather than have any dirty laundry which may exist, exposed.

Just some thoughts – but what would Mongo know ? After all, you can’t eat it – Mongo has tried.

Hope the outcome is good for you in any event.

PS MOngo has from time to time opened many a lens or camera to repair or modify it for a friend and for himself. So, if all else is lost, you have nothing to lose by trying this.- Seriously

[Scotty72]

I think you should take Mongo to Canon to 'negotiate' for you - make sure he is hungry when you go.

[William]

I think your right Scotty, I was going to say a well versed comment , I think Mongo should write the letter for William , Sounds like Mongo knows what he is talking about :th3:

[gabby]

I just decided that a 24-105 Canon lens is one I can do without! Are there similar problems with telephoto zooms?

[davearnold]

I just decided that a 24-105 Canon lens is one I can do without! Are there similar problems with telephoto zooms?

I think the opposite, the 24-105L is the Lens I can not do with out, using my 17-55 F2.8 instead, and actually starting to really dislike this lens, mostly the AF is so much slower then the 24-105, which will prompt me to fix the 24-105 sooner then later.

[calloyd]

Hi William,

Not sure if you've fixed your lens yet, but I had a diaphram problem with my 17-85mm 18 mths ago and had it fixed by www.cameratech.com.au (www.cameratech.com) in Brisbane city, cost was $297. I know it's a different, much cheaper lens and maybe a different problem but if I remember correctly the diaphram was replaced.

I also had my camera repaired there recently after I got short thrift from Canon and was very happy with their service. The guy on the phone at Canon had a definite attitude problem.

Good luck with the repairs .

[davearnold]

Just tried to log onto http://www.cameratech.com/ .... oh never mind, just need to add .au to the end.

correct web address is http://www.cameratech.com.au/contact.html in Charlotte street, Brisbane .

[calloyd]

Sorry about that, after I'd walked away I remembered I'd forgotten the .au

Another senior moment :o:o:o

[mikew09]

Just tried to log onto http://www.cameratech.com/ .... oh never mind, just need to add .au to the end.

correct web address is http://www.cameratech.com.au/contact.html in Charlotte street, Brisbane .

So are these guys now the Canon rep for warranty work in Brisbane. I was under the impression (according to the camera store) there was no local warranty repairer for Canon and the shop would have to send my gear away for 6 weeks for warranty repair. This included the free yearly sensor clean?
That would be good, I might just take it in for the free service and sensor clean.

[davearnold]

Just rang Cameratech (07) 3229 5406

"over the phone quote" $330, turn around time one day .

Although, asked was it a common fault and he said "no, NOT common, but does happen" !!!!!

Considering it .

[unistudent1962]

Have you told Canon how p^**ed off you are?
As I said in an earlier post, after letting Canon know what I thought of them, and informing them that on advice from the ACCC my next step was to send a Letter or Demand. Canon asked me to send my 17-85 in to them and they would "see what they could do" as they believed a certain level of customer satisfaction is necessary.

I sent it on Friday, and got a quote back from them on Monday for $190.
The quote was to replace exactly the same parts that were replaced in March 2010 at a cost of over $300.
I told them this wasn't good enough, and that I wasn't going to spend any more money on repairs to this lens.
I am currently waiting for a response.

[mongo]

Have you told Canon how p^**ed off you are?
As I said in an earlier post, after letting Canon know what I thought of them, and informing them that on advice from the ACCC my next step was to send a Letter or Demand. Canon asked me to send my 17-85 in to them and they would "see what they could do" as they believed a certain level of customer satisfaction is necessary.

I sent it on Friday, and got a quote back from them on Monday for $190.
The quote was to replace exactly the same parts that were replaced in March 2010 at a cost of over $300.
I told them this wasn't good enough, and that I wasn't going to spend any more money on repairs to this lens.
I am currently waiting for a response.

This is a small example of starting to get results by pressing the right buttons with the correct legal overtones that Mongo was talking about. Would like to see how far this case gets as it may have support for Williams case.

[unistudent1962]

This is a small example of starting to get results by pressing the right buttons with the correct legal overtones that Mongo was talking about. Would like to see how far this case gets as it may have support for Williams case.

The Customer Service Representative I have been dealing with has assured me he will give me a response by close of business tomorrow.
I'll post when he does.
Hopefully it will be positive.

[davearnold]

Ok, was thinking to take my 24-105 in for repair tomorrow.

Thought would put it on the camera just for a last minute check, last time I used it the Error message was prettu much coming up straight away, might take one photo at 24, touch the zoom and error message.

I now have used it on both 450D and 7D for last hour, working perfectly, tried everything to get error, IS on/off AF on/off, 24, 105 and everything in between, even changing focal length during long exposure .......... aaaarrrggghhhhh ........ in some ways wishing it would error..... now feel the need to keep using it and not send it in for repair..... full well knowing it will probably fail at the most critical moment !!!!!

Starting to second guess maybe something else was at fault ...... was using it in light rain, when first got the error ..... did I get moisture in it, that has since dried out ????

[Bennymiata]

If the fault with the lens is because of the ribbon cable, the fault can often be intermittent.
The copper tracks in the cable do have some stretch in them so even if there is a crack in the cable, sometimes the tracks will make contact, and sometimes they won't.
Sometimes you'll find the lens may work well when it's warm, and stop working when it's cold/dry/wet whatever.
It's obvious the ribbon cable has not come apart completely, but it is more than likey to stop working when you need it the most!

Age does affect ribbon cables too as the plastic coating gets brittle, then starts to break up, but they should last for 10 years or more if they are made of a good quality material.

I've seen this happen in electronic items where they have become intermittent, and when opening them up, I've seen the ribbon cables have gone hard and brittle and can break up when touched.

[William]

Ok, was thinking to take my 24-105 in for repair tomorrow.

Thought would put it on the camera just for a last minute check, last time I used it the Error message was prettu much coming up straight away, might take one photo at 24, touch the zoom and error message.

I now have used it on both 450D and 7D for last hour, working perfectly, tried everything to get error, IS on/off AF on/off, 24, 105 and everything in between, even changing focal length during long exposure .......... aaaarrrggghhhhh ........ in some ways wishing it would error..... now feel the need to keep using it and not send it in for repair..... full well knowing it will probably fail at the most critical moment !!!!!

Starting to second guess maybe something else was at fault ...... was using it in light rain, when first got the error ..... did I get moisture in it, that has since dried out ????

After reading this , I just tried mine again, Nah ! Only works at 24mm , Soon as I zoom ERR99 :(, Might give those guys a ring now , Will report back - Bill

[William]

This is a small example of starting to get results by pressing the right buttons with the correct legal overtones that Mongo was talking about. Would like to see how far this case gets as it may have support for Williams case.

William thanks Mongo for his help and advice, Just sitting waiting to see Uni's response from Canon - Bill

[William]

Yep , Just rang these guys http://http://www.cameratech.com.au/contact.html , Quote $330 For a new Diaphram , Which has the ribbon attached to it , He said it does'nt need Recalibrating with the fault I have He can replace the Diaphram assembly without moving the Lens elements , Mine still works perfectly at 24mm, Andersons $350, And it gets Calibrated ???, Which way would you go

[davearnold]

I was there while you rang , i think William

Might even have mine back this afternoon.

[agb]

For $20 I would go Andersons and get it calibrated at the same time, even though the others say it does not need it.

[William]

:eek: He only had 3 Diaphrams left, You got one , Now 2 !!! , He did mention that he had a customer today with the same problem , One day service is pretty good :)

PS : Oh well still cant afford to get mine fixed yet , So the more repairs he does on others , He should be an expert by the time he gets to mine

[davearnold]

He had a job he was doing, will do mine after that, was hopeful of having it done today.

Mine was working fine again last night, tried it again this morning, going good until tried to take a photo of moon, pointed it up , and "err01" ...of/on ... came good , pointed it up, error message again, so thought would get it fixed, comes out of my "new lens" fund ..... so will delay future purchases for a bit :(

I will let you know when I get it back, the guy seems nice enough, but was on lunch "half hour" so a little rushed, and could not stay to chat.

[unistudent1962]

And now for my GOOD NEWS!!

Below is an excerpt from the Canon Customer Service Representative I have been dealing with:

"Any work undertaken by Canon Australia is covered by a 6 month warranty; designed to support both the parts and labour associated with the repair carried out. The previous repair was completed back in March 2010, which has seen the rework period elapse by some 10 months. General wear and tear factors, handling and storage conditions of products may impact operational integrity/longevity of a product and its components, and given that these factors vary considerably between consumers we simply cannot provide a perpetual warranty.

Regardless of the above, we do appreciate the need for an element of customer service regardless of the facts. In this case, and on this occasion only, we have elected to undertake this repair at no charge as a gesture of good will. I have processed the go ahead accordingly, and would anticipate the repair to be finalised within approximately 10 business days (dependant on part availability). Upon completion of the repair, the lens will be despatched back to your nominated address (as listed below)."

While my experience has been with a different lens (17-85 IS USM), and I have already paid to have it repaired once ($309 in 3/10), if I had an issue with ANY Canon gear in future, whether it be under warranty or not, I would take the same action that I took this time in order to achieve a just outcome.

William, if you want to send me your email address I can forward you the emails that I sent Canon.

Mark

[davearnold]

Picked up the lens after work, all fixed, 3 hours is not a bad turn around time.

[Pine]

Sorry to hear about your disaster :cool:

There is a lesson to be learned here that if you go on a trip take more than one lens.

I was planning on our up coming trip to Phuket, to only take one lens eg my favourite 15-85.

Will take two now probably add the 70-200.

Hope you get your 24-105 repaired at a reasonable price. :D

Regards

[bricat]

Reading this with some interest and quite frankly I don't think I would buy this lens. Would I be right in taking this position? I know they sell a lot of these but everything that fails for me is usually outside the warranty period and I am not flushed with funds(as most no doubt) that I can afford repairs after 12 months or so. Are other brands any better? Are there other brands with as good IQ? Am saving for 15-85/70-200 lens and am now quite confused......

[agb]

Reading this with some interest and quite frankly I don't think I would buy this lens. Would I be right in taking this position? I know they sell a lot of these but everything that fails for me is usually outside the warranty period and I am not flushed with funds(as most no doubt) that I can afford repairs after 12 months or so. Are other brands any better? Are there other brands with as good IQ? Am saving for 15-85/70-200 lens and am now quite confused......
If you go to this web site http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup you can view the MTF charts for all of the canon lenses. There you will find that the 15-85 although it is not an L lens is nevertheless an extremely good lens. So you will miss out on the 85 to 105 mm lens length, but you have that covered if you get the 70-200 lens.
this http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-mtf.shtml will help with understanding the MTF charts.

[mongo]

and now for my good news!!

Below is an excerpt from the canon customer service representative i have been dealing with:

"any work undertaken by canon australia is covered by a 6 month warranty; designed to support both the parts and labour associated with the repair carried out. The previous repair was completed back in march 2010, which has seen the rework period elapse by some 10 months. General wear and tear factors, handling and storage conditions of products may impact operational integrity/longevity of a product and its components, and given that these factors vary considerably between consumers we simply cannot provide a perpetual warranty.

regardless of the above, we do appreciate the need for an element of customer service regardless of the facts. In this case, and on this occasion only, we have elected to undertake this repair at no charge as a gesture of good will. i have processed the go ahead accordingly, and would anticipate the repair to be finalised within approximately 10 business days (dependant on part availability). Upon completion of the repair, the lens will be despatched back to your nominated address (as listed below)."

while my experience has been with a different lens (17-85 is usm), and i have already paid to have it repaired once ($309 in 3/10), if i had an issue with any canon gear in future, whether it be under warranty or not, i would take the same action that i took this time in order to achieve a just outcome.

William, if you want to send me your email address i can forward you the emails that i sent canon.

Mark

vindication !!

[William]

Picked up the lens after work, all fixed, 3 hours is not a bad turn around time.

Hows the lens going Dave ? Three hours is a quick fix, Have you done any Focus and clarity checks seeing it did'nt get calibrated ?:)

[davearnold]

Hi William,

Have taken a few happy snaps, as good as it was before, and the zoom does not extend under its own weight anymore:).

Wish I had the opportunity to use it properly, but a fairly busy weekend.

If I get a chance will post a photo from it later.

Cheers Dave

[unistudent1962]

vindication !!

I got my 17-85 back from Canon today.
Not bad considering I only put it in the mail on 15/7.
Looks, feels, and works as though it was a new one again.
Knowing your rights and being prepared to push Canon resulted in a free repair and a turnaround time of just over a week.
My faith in Canon has been renewed, and they have a happy customer again.
I just hope it lasts longer than 14 months this time.

[Scotty72]

Hi.

To say I am pissed off is an understatement.

After having mine fixed < year ago, the same problem has reappeared.

I took it to a second camera repairer who, gave it a look over. He is sure that the first repair was good but, the lens is so poorly designed that the ribbon gets caught in the barrels extension mechanism.

Taken quickly, here is the offending ribbon which has popped up and now, after being wedged in the mechanism, an obvious kink in it.

76358

I can believe Canon has made one of their premium model lenses with such an obvious design flaw.

I think it may be time to retire this lens and save up for an alternative. (does the 24-70 have the same dumb issue?)

Not throwing more good money after bad.

It just occured to me why 24-105s are a-plenty 2nd hand on e-bay.... grrr!

[agb]

Hi.

To say I am pissed off is an understatement.

After having mine fixed < year ago, the same problem has reappeared.

I took it to a second camera repairer who, gave it a look over. He is sure that the first repair was good but, the lens is so poorly designed that the ribbon gets caught in the barrels extension mechanism.

Taken quickly, here is the offending ribbon which has popped up and now, after being wedged in the mechanism, an obvious kink in it.



I can believe Canon has made one of their premium model lenses with such an obvious design flaw.

I think it may be time to retire this lens and save up for an alternative. (does the 24-70 have the same dumb issue?)

Not throwing more good money after bad.

It just occured to me why 24-105s are a-plenty 2nd hand on e-bay.... grrr!
Scotty, repairs should be expected to last at least 12 months. Did Canon do the repair, if so have you tried to unistudents technique?
Spending more on the repairs is probably still the best idea I think.

[mikew09]

Hmm - seems I am hearing more and more of this problem and I am very surprised that Canon has not put out a version II to resolved the issue. I agree Scotty, pretty poor of a pemium lens. I am sure no-one expects the lens to last for ever but I would be hoping for 6-10yrs trouble free motoring out of an expensive L series lens. The 70-200 L series being a good example of expectations.

I was saving towards an enventually purchase of a 24-105 but opted out and decided on my Sigma 10-20 purchase first. The week I was bargaining a best price my laptop dies so I am back to scartch again but will not be looking at this lens for now.

[Scotty72]

Scotty, repairs should be expected to last at least 12 months. Did Canon do the repair, if so have you tried to unistudents technique?
Spending more on the repairs is probably still the best idea I think.

No, not Canon - an independent guy. He offered 3 months warranty.

Na, I think I will get a new lens - good money after bad.

Scotty

[William]

This is not good news to me Scotty :( I have heard it's how they position the ribbon cable during assembley , Something we cant control tho , I still cant afford to get mine repaired yet, But will give it a punt, And remind the guy about the kinking problem :rolleyes:, Sort of hard to throw away an L Lens IMO

[Scotty72]

I'll not chuck it, I'll keep it and maybe fix it in time. I was saving for a another lens so, I may bring that forward. My plastic has a zero balance so... temped by the 24-70L

[Bennymiata]

You ,might be lucky, somewhere down the track Scotty, to find a 24-105 that has a smashed front element or some other fault, that you can buy cheap and use it to change the ribbon over with, and still have some parts left over.

[Scotty72]

Yeah... I will keep it and eventually get it fixed .. i'll keep my eye out for what you suggest.

[Bandit4000]

This looks like a world wide problem and they say they have no record!! here is a clip from youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFey8A-3Wh8
Mark

[Scotty72]

This looks like a world wide problem and they say they have no record!! here is a clip from youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFey8A-3Wh8
Mark

Hoping that Canon might act with some honour and recall this lens....

The evidence is mounting.

[I @ M]

It has been with quite some interest that I have watched this thread and I really can't see why any of the affected parties can't get their heads together and draft a letter to Canon outlining one seemingly very common and widespread problem citing all the web links and youtube videos that you can find.

Canon aren't the first ( and won't be the last ) company to produce a lemon in their line up so surely they will start listening to complaints en masse , seeing as they are so American marketing inclined I find it surprising that there haven't been a few US "class actions" brought over this very issue.

Or do they treat them differently over there and sweep problems under the carpet with hush money in the form of uncontested repairs? :rolleyes:

[agb]

Hoping that Canon might act with some honour and recall this lens....

The evidence is mounting.
Don't get your hopes up too high. Not too many of the Japanese companies ever acknowledge that they have problems with their products.

[Scotty72]

Don't get your hopes up too high. Not too many of the Japanese companies ever acknowledge that they have problems with their products.

Oh! What a feeling?

We remember Toyota being forced, kicking and screaming, into recalling their dangerously defective vehicles. :th3:

[unistudent1962]

It has been with quite some interest that I have watched this thread and I really can't see why any of the affected parties can't get their heads together and draft a letter to Canon outlining one seemingly very common and widespread problem citing all the web links and youtube videos that you can find.

Seems to me people are more interested in whinging and bleating than getting off their a#$es and doing something about it. I've already outlined on this forum what needs to be done to SUCCESSFULLY get Canon to repair an out of warranty product free of charge. As far as I know no-one on here has bothered to follow that advice.

[Scotty72]

Seems to me people are more interested in whinging and bleating than getting off their a#$es and doing something about it. I've already outlined on this forum what needs to be done to SUCCESSFULLY get Canon to repair an out of warranty product free of charge. As far as I know no-one on here has bothered to follow that advice.

Been there : done that.

They will not acknowledge the prob!

Say they have not heard of this issue - ever (ie. I must be the only one).

I am not the original owner of the lens which has made them think that a change of ownership causes ribbons to break.

Not with-standing my efforts to get them to admit the lens itself is the problem (rather than a change of ownership magically putting a voodoo curse on it)... We shouldn't have to force them to stop 'playing with the boundaries of the truth', it is clearly an issue, it is clearly something Canon want to look at with eyes wide shut, it is clearly Canon being.... well Canon (appologies for the anaphora - I got carried away) :)

[unistudent1962]

Been there : done that.

You've contacted the ACCC?
You've emailed, or written to Canon, telling them the ACCC have suggested that you send them a letter of demand?
Canon didn't respond?
You've sent Canon a letter of demand?
They've told you in writing that they're not going to do anything about it?
And you've then referred that letter back to the ACCC?
And the ACCC have said there's nothing else they can do about it?

If you have followed these steps, they really must be playing hardball with you for some reason then.
I only had to go through the first two steps in order to get an EF-S lens repaired.
It took Canon over a month to respond to my email, but once they responded I had my repaired lens back in my hands six working days after they received it.
They made a VERY strong point of telling me that it was a "one off offer" and a "sign of goodwill" and did not acknowledge that there was any sort of design flaw with the lens.
This in obviously NOT the case, but it is the sort of carefully worded response I had expected from a Corporate Multinational such as Canon.

I'm not the original owner of that lens either, nor was it the first time the lens had been repaired.
According to Canon it's warranty wasn't even registered, so it could well have been a grey import.
I would have thought that Canon would have an even greater vested interest in protecting the reputation of their L series lenses than they would the consumer grade EF-S range.

As for having them publicly acknowledge that their is a design fault with one of their products, that will NEVER happen.
Car companies make recalls after there have been incidents that damage their corporate image, things like DEATHS, or potential catastrophic failuresthat could lead to DEATHS, they don't recall cars because the electric windows stops working, but if you go take the right acton they will make repairs, whether it is still under warranty or not.

Go through the right steps and it is possible to get them to act on complaints at an individual level.
I've just done it, and according to the person I spoke to at the ACCC most problems consumers have are solved at this level without the need for the ACCC to get involved.

IF you have followed ALL the above steps, as far as I can see the system has failed you and my next step would be to contact my federal MP and complain that the ACCC aren't doing anything to help protect your rights as a consumer, OR you can use all this as an excuse to buy a new lens.

[Scotty72]

I did contact Fair Trading (NSW). I thought the ACCC had no power over retail consumers. Don't the ACCC interest themselves with corporations law, governance etc? ie. Way over the level of buying a selling a lens.


Fair trading seemed to think that as I did not buy the lens from Canon (or one of their agents), that I would have to go after the person who sold me the lens.

[agb]

I did contact Fair Trading (NSW). I thought the ACCC had no power over retail consumers. Don't the ACCC interest themselves with corporations law, governance etc? ie. Way over the level of buying a selling a lens.


Fair trading seemed to think that as I did not buy the lens from Canon (or one of their agents), that I would have to go after the person who sold me the lens.
Scotty, why do you think they have lots of CCC's in their name. The Australian competition and Consumer commission.
You could do worse than give them a ring and talk to someone there about the issue.

[unistudent1962]

Hi Scotty,

Fair Trading (in whichever state) are not the people you need to talk to.

The ACCC are there to ensure that your rights as a consumer are upheld. The following link covers their scope with regard to consumer rights. http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/ForConsumers/

After my initial phone calls to Canon were essentially fobbed off, all further communication was done by email, that way I had a full and complete paper trail if I needed to take further action through the ACCC.

Phoning Canon is a waste of time, the first person you talk to will more than likely be the person on the front desk who collects the gear when it's brought in over the counter (I know that was the case when they still had a service centre in Brisbane). Phone conversations can easily be "forgotten" or "mis-interpreted", it's much harder for them to dismiss written communications, especially if you address them to the Service Manager. My experience with Canon on this issue has been quite positive.

[William]

Hi Mark and Scott, I know what I should be doing , But I just dont feel comfortable in writing letters to the ACCC and Canon, Outa my league :o I also am not the original owner of the Lens , Mark I still have your PM and appreciate the help you've given , You guys seem to more versed in this type of thing than me , But what ever you do , Im willing to tag along and agree with any outcome and sign anything that may help resolve this issue :confused013

[Scotty72]

I will wait a few days; calm down and think about it. If I compose a letter now, I may regret it :p

[William]

:th3: If you want to email me anything in that regards Scotty, To help : bill at whitewolf dot com dot au ;)

[Butts]

Bugger, I've been watching this thread to see how you guys went, whilst also checking and re-checking my 24-105.

Low and behold, I NOW have the same issue. Its this damned thread!! If it wasn't here I wouldn't have read it, and then my lens wouldn't have had an issue!! :lol::lol:
I blame and hold you responsible william!! :confused013

Seriously, I'm going to go down the road of contact with Canon and take it from there. I will however be using the references from DPREVIEW/FREDMIRANDA and here amongst others to state that the issue EXISTS.
I'm not expecting to get an instant response, and "oh yes we will fix it at no charge" but I'll update whenever I get a chance on my progress. I have other avenues I can use, but they are ONLY LAST resort.

Cheers

[Scotty72]

Bugger, I've been watching this thread to see how you guys went, whilst also checking and re-checking my 24-105.

Low and behold, I NOW have the same issue. Its this damned thread!! If it wasn't here I wouldn't have read it, and then my lens wouldn't have had an issue!! :lol::lol:
I blame and hold you responsible william!! :confused013

Seriously, I'm going to go down the road of contact with Canon and take it from there. I will however be using the references from DPREVIEW/FREDMIRANDA and here amongst others to state that the issue EXISTS.
I'm not expecting to get an instant response, and "oh yes we will fix it at no charge" but I'll update whenever I get a chance on my progress. I have other avenues I can use, but they are ONLY LAST resort.

Cheers


Do you wanna hold off until next week?

By then, I'll have calmed down enough and this week, Bill may be a bit preoccupied at his family member's loss.

After that, we could all collaborate on drafting a letter - outlining the myriad of evidence we have.

Up to you but, more voices might carry more weight than 1.

Scotty

[William]

Thanks guys :th3:Next week would be nice ( Scotty and Butts) We can get something happening , my brains somewhere else at the moment , Dads Funeral is tomorrow :(, Then my Birthday the next day (Friday) !!

I appreciate the help - Bill :)

[Butts]

Do you wanna hold off until next week?

By then, I'll have calmed down enough and this week, Bill may be a bit preoccupied at his family member's loss.

After that, we could all collaborate on drafting a letter - outlining the myriad of evidence we have.

Up to you but, more voices might carry more weight than 1.

Scotty
Geez, My condolences William, I wasn't aware.
Thanks for the heads up Scotty.

Happy to wait and proceed as a collective. No rush William, more important things in your life.

[41jas]

Aww Willy I hope everything went well for you last week. So sorry to hear. Thinking of you all...X X X

Butts...I can't believe this has happened to you as well. This is just crazy. Canon should be fixing this fault for free. So unfair on such a pricey lens. Every day nearly I'm hearing the same story. I know I will be buying something different next time. Probably a 24-70mm.

[William]

Thanks Jules, Starting to get back to reality ;) Well we'll give it a try, Wish I felt more positive on the outcome , In the end I got the repair price down to $330, (Not fixed yet) Hope they dont run out of DPU unit in Australia with all these repairs being done :eek:

[larrywen]

Hi William, sorry to hear that your father has passed away. Best wishes for you and hope this thread will have a happy ending.

[andylo]

My condolences William, sorry to hear your loss. Best wishes for you and your family. (and the lens)

[William]

Thanks Larry and Andy, Thanks guys, You both are good friends - Bill and Family :th3:

[Scotty72]

Good to hear life is settling down. I will get down to drafting a letter to Canon on Saturday (work is a little crazy this week - Trial HSC marking).

Let me know if you want anything included

[William]

:) Could'nt wait any longer without my 24-105. It's on the operating table right now :th3: Yep Dave was right , Same quote, Diapham assembly with the dreaded ribbon, A clean , And he's adament he can do the job so it does'nt need to be calbrated $330, He asked if I needed it , Yes, Drop it in , In the morning, Pick it up this arvo, Sameday :cool: , Mind you my son is doing this , As he lives in Brisbane , So I wont be able to test it untill the weekend :( BTW Scotty, If you still want to get that letter going you have my support - Bill , PS : Just lucky I had the comp win , Oh well in one hand , And out the next :D

[William]

Whoo Hoo , There you go , Just got the phone call to say , Come and pick it up , Thats not bad 3 hrs , AND fitted with a new version of the offending part so the ribbon wont get caught , Well thats what he told me after asking did he fit the ribbon so it wont get caught again :rolleyes:, Will give a final verdict on the weekend :D

[agb]

AND fitted with a new version of the offending part so the ribbon wont get caught :rolleyes:, Will give a final verdict on the weekend :D
This suggests that the current versions of this lens would not be suffering from the problem, only earlier versions.

[William]

You would assume so :rolleyes: I hope so :) Maybe Canon got onto the parts Manufacturer , ( Dont shoot the messenger) But that is what I was told - Bill

PS : What gets me is how come this guy can get the job done (Just checked with my son) In 2 1/2 hrs, When all the rest are at least 10 days

[Boofhead]

This suggests that the current versions of this lens would not be suffering from the problem, only earlier versions.

Great news Bill, and hopefully for the newer lenses!

[agb]

You would assume so :rolleyes: I hope so :) Maybe Canon got onto the parts Manufacturer , ( Dont shoot the messenger) But that is what I was told - Bill

PS : What gets me is how come this guy can get the job done (Just checked with my son) In 2 1/2 hrs, When all the rest are at least 10 days
Because he knows that he can do it is a shorter time than 2.5 hours and that the part only costs $30 odd, and that he can make good money by doing this job rather than some other that he can easily leave for another time. I suspect he works for himself and so can sort out the good profit making work from the ordinary makes money work.

[calloyd]

PS : What gets me is how come this guy can get the job done (Just checked with my son) In 2 1/2 hrs, When all the rest are at least 10 days

I have to admit I wondered the same when I had both my lens and camera fixed (at different times). And I was impressed by the fact that when I took them in he knew what the problem was without taking it apart. Glad to know its all fixed now Bill and very sorry to hear of your recent loss.

[William]

Yes , All times I've rang , He (Van) Has answered , I did guess a one man operation, You can contact Van here http://www.cameratech.com.au/contact.html Tell him Bill sent you ;)

@Carole, : Thanks , Every things OK with Mum, Thats the good bit :)

[Big Ren]

That's great to hear Bill. Been watching the progress of your thread. I can't believe it took so short a time. I'll keep that in the long term memory bank as hopefully, I won't need repairs any time soon. Going to Thailand on the 12th so am taking my 10-22 as back up to the 24-105....just in case.

Cheers
Paul

PS my 24-105 has been faultless since I had it repaired through Anderson's

[davearnold]

Hey Bill,

Good to hear you got it fixed, looking forward to seeing some photos from it.

Cheers Dave

[larrywen]

congratulation Bill. Hope the new version will be able to function properly much longer. Waiting to see your photos from the fixed lens.:D

[pmack]

Bugger, I've been watching this thread to see how you guys went, whilst also checking and re-checking my 24-105.

Low and behold, I NOW have the same issue. Its this damned thread!! If it wasn't here I wouldn't have read it, and then my lens wouldn't have had an issue!! :lol::lol:
oh no not you too butts!
Are you the original purcahser of the lens?
Unfortunately for scotty and william, as they are not the original purchasers of the lens, I do not think they have any statutory rights worth claiming, but i'm not too familliar with the details. If you have a problem with something you bought, you speak to the person that you handed the money over to first. With second hand goods, your rights drop to almost zero. However you could always ask the original lens owner to claim on your behalf. You could just draft the letter/email and ask them to sign it.

[William]

OK , took the 24-105 out for a run this morning after it's operation , I was worried about focus issues since it was'nt calibrated after the insertion of the new part , Far as I can tell , It seems to working fine , I took others as well as these for testing purposes , Anyway I hope it lives a happy life for now on :)

"Morning Crowds"
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6107894862_9b21171b97_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57507865@N06/6107894862/)
&quot;Morning Crowd&quot; (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57507865@N06/6107894862/) by sunrisechaser (http://www.flickr.com/people/57507865@N06/), on Flickr

"Morning Look"

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6061/6107894776_940c6bcb4c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57507865@N06/6107894776/)
&quot;Morning Look&quot; (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57507865@N06/6107894776/) by sunrisechaser (http://www.flickr.com/people/57507865@N06/), on Flickr

"Pandanus Sunrise"http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6076/6107347229_80df21ca79_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57507865@N06/6107347229/)
&quot;Pandanus Sunrise&quot; (http://www.flickr.com/photos/57507865@N06/6107347229/) by sunrisechaser (http://www.flickr.com/people/57507865@N06/), on Flickr

[agb]

Good new, and I like the shots you took too.

[Tannin]

Thanks for this thread, people. I just rang your guy, William and am sending my failed 24-105 up to Brisbane for the fix.

[William]

No probs Tony , You will be happy, It will come back like a newie !! It will feel a little tighter and smoother on the Zoom as well , What turn around time did he give , Seeing it only takes him 2 to 3 hrs to repair ? Same price ?

[Tannin]

Cheers, William. Price quoted was (from memory) $330. About that anyway - enough to hurt but much better than a new one!

I didn't ask about turnaround time. That won't especially matter to me - yes, I miss the lens, but I've been having fun using my 35mm and 60mm macro primes instead, or sometimes the little plastic 50/1.8, and I'm covered over 80mm by the 100-400 (= ~80-310mm on the 1D III where it mostly lives) and from 22mm down by the ultrawides.

So despite being a bit peeved at an $1820, 4 year old L Series lens failing after only moderate use because of a bad design decision, it hasn't really impacted on my photography yet. And I think the discipline of using primes has been good for me - reminded me to think a bit more and to move around and take control of perspective rather than just roll up and go click (which is so easy to do with a zoom).

It'll still be nice to get it back though!

[mikew09]

I too Bill have been following this thread done a bit of googling too. Looking at how many of these lens are sold maybe the issue is not as common as it seems but still a too common fault. Today I purchased a new 24-105 (woowhoo) and thanks to this thread decided to take the extended warranty of 5 yrs. When I enquired i was also told there had been a fix to this fault so hoping this is valid. Got the lens and ext warranty for 1300 at my usual store so very happy.

Considering the warranty is good I am ok for the 5 yrs. After that, who knows :-). Tonight I test the new lens to put up my efs lens for sale to help fund the 5D.

[41jas]

Gee I can't get over the amount of these lenses packing it in. I was worried about the focus when I got mine back to Willy but it's back to normal. For a little while I was wondering how long it would last me. The repairer I had gave me a 6 month warranty. He took 6 weeks before I got it back and charged me $600. Next time I really wonder if it's worth fixing again "if" it ever happenes again. Fingers crossed it doesn't.

[vk2gwk]

Twp questions reviving this thread....
1. Is "Cameratech" in Brisbane still there...??? The website does not seem to be working.
2. Did anyone follow things up with Canon with or without help of the ACCC?

[William]

Yep "camera Tech" is still there , His site was'nt working properly last year , Note the fix time !! None of this 2 weeks stuff , From memory it took 2 hrs to do the job , No , No one took it up mainly we did'nt know how to word the complaint I guess , It was beyond me , BTW It's a one man operation, Give him a ring and tell him it' urgent and you need it ASAP ;)

[unistudent1962]

Twp questions reviving this thread....
1. Is "Cameratech" in Brisbane still there...??? The website does not seem to be working.
2. Did anyone follow things up with Canon with or without help of the ACCC?

1. To the best of my knowledge Cameratech are still trading at U102/89 Charlotte St Brisbane 3229 5406.

2. See my earlier posts.
I had a similar problem with a 17-85, contacted the ACCC, sent Canon an email telling them I'd contacted the ACCC, and whilst not admitting that it was a known fault/design issue, they repaired it for free as an act of "customer goodwill".

[sonofcoco]

Wanted to follow on with the discussion about Camera Tech in Brisbane with 1 question:

Is the bloke any good?

I went in today and the price he quoted was reasonable, especially compared to what the bloke at Ted's and Camera House told me it would cost just to fix a sticky shutter button (I think it's something to do with dust etc under the button - it doesn't fire every time, and you often need to hold the button down quite hard). It fires every time with a remote though, so there's nothing wrong with the shutter mechanism itself.

He also said I could drop it in in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon. Seems good, as long as the camera's ok at the end of it all. The added bonus is I don't have to wait 4-6 weeks for it to be sent to the Canon service centre.

I still reel every time I'm quoted a price for something here. Am still thinking about how much it would cost in Korea. Given the guy at Camera Tech told me most of the cost would be labour, I'm guessing the same procedure would cost about $60 in Korea...

[mikew09]

Wanted to follow on with the discussion about Camera Tech in Brisbane with 1 question:

Is the bloke any good?

I went in today and the price he quoted was reasonable, especially compared to what the bloke at Ted's and Camera House told me it would cost just to fix a sticky shutter button (I think it's something to do with dust etc under the button - it doesn't fire every time, and you often need to hold the button down quite hard). It fires every time with a remote though, so there's nothing wrong with the shutter mechanism itself.

He also said I could drop it in in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon. Seems good, as long as the camera's ok at the end of it all. The added bonus is I don't have to wait 4-6 weeks for it to be sent to the Canon service centre.

I still reel every time I'm quoted a price for something here. Am still thinking about how much it would cost in Korea. Given the guy at Camera Tech told me most of the cost would be labour, I'm guessing the same procedure would cost about $60 in Korea...

How much did he quote for the fix of the sticky button?
I am interested too, I am having a bit of a sticky button issue on my 50D and I treat my like it is gold plated. Lot of dust in the country but I assume it is a bit of a more common fault as I have seen a few of these comments on 50D shutter button. I came across a you-tube video on how to fix it and doesn't look a complicated repair but something I wouldn't attempt. Might also get a sensor clean at the same time. I have a 5yr warranty from Teds which has about 2 yrs still on it. But this requires the body to be sent away and I have been told 4 to 6 weeks turn around. If it is cheap enough I will just get Camera Tech to do it.

[William]

He is good Mike, Have'nt had a problem at all (Touch Wood) with the 24-105 since he fixed it , He can usually do it in a day, :th3:

[sonofcoco]

He quoted about $170-180 for the button, and he said if I dropped it in in the morning it'd be done in the afternoon. He was also pretty honest and said the part is about $20 and the rest is labour as it takes a while to take the apart and put together again.

I went to Teds and they told me the same thing they told you - 4 to 6 weeks. But mine's out of warranty so they also said it could cost around $300-400.

Have also got a quote for the same job in Korea, as some friends are going there soon and might be able to take the camera. They quoted about $40 at the Canon Service Centre if it's just the button sticking. It's tempting to just send it over there and get it done if the timing is right.

[lenscap]

I will keep CameraTech details in a safe place, just in case. I hope I don't have to visit him though.:crossed:

By the way, does he do other brands as well?

[rookie]

Sorry for the bump of an old thread but guess what my 24-105 has the error01 and funny sound.Looks like might have to send it up to Brissy.Is everyone who has had theirs fixed still working ok ? With the price of a new one $799 is it worth getting it fixed?

[William]

Sorry for the bump of an old thread but guess what my 24-105 has the error01 and funny sound.Looks like might have to send it up to Brissy.Is everyone who has had theirs fixed still working ok ? With the price of a new one $799 is it worth getting it fixed?


Send it to the old mate in Brissy http://www.yellowpages.com.au/qld/brisbane/camera-tech-repairs-12839606-listing.html, Approx $320 Good as new , I've had no trouble since and it get's used most days
:)

[rookie]

Thanks William just put it in the post $330.Van said he has had no returns so that is a plus.

[William]

:cool: Cool Wayne , Glad I could help , He told me at the time it would'nt happen again as well , Plus he does a service on the lens also , Came back tight as a drum , Not only that he did mine in an hour and a half, Not two weeks like I was told by others :th3:

[I @ M]

Wow!!
This thread is over 12 months old.
Obviously there are still lenses out there with the INBUILT MANUFACTURING DEFECT that have never been rectified.
Still people are forking out dollars to fix fix a premium quality lens that should have been repaired for free.

UNBELIEVABLE!! (http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?87512-quot-My-24-105-f4-L-Died&p=895604#post895604)

[William]

Andrew , Canon still say there is nothing wrong with the 24-105 :eek::lol2: What problem !!!!!

[I @ M]

What problem !!!!!

I think that the problem lies within the heads of the owners.

It doesn't take too long to find EVIDENCE and FACTS on the interwebby thing that clearly demonstrate the inbuilt faults.
Surely some rational straight thinking person would be able to present all the EVIDENCE and FACTS to something like the ACC saying that the product was not fit for its intended purpose ( professional use and abuse over a period of time beyond the warranty period ) and let them have a chat to Canon about the issues.

Canon might say there is nothing wrong with it but we all know how much credibility that can be given to companies like that.

I simply cannot get over the fact that so MANY people are happily ( perhaps not happily ) shafted over this one.

[41jas]

Wow...another one. I fixed mine but twice as much as willys but its going fine at the moment. If it ever dies again I will buy a 24-70. I would never own another one again knowing all the problems with this lens with so many people.

[acko]

I must have been lucky....I have had mine for a number of years now and so far (touch wood) is is still performing as new.
Good to have that contact for the guy in Brisbane though!

[Xenedis]

I had one of the first 24-105s in Australia (I bought it on the day of its release in 2005), and I had it until I sold it until I sold it over three years later in 2008.

It never had a problem, and was used on two cameras.

PS acko: Good to see you here; I recognise you from other places. ;-)

[William]

Graham, From what I can tell from comments and reading , Around the 4 to 4 1/2 yr mark , Mine is just 4 :confused013


Quote me, Probably because it happens out of warranty we're on our own

[Xenedis]

Quote me, Probably because it happens out of warranty we're on our own

Canon Australia warranties last one year.

That's fairly standard for many manufacturers.

[agb]

Under the new laws introduced after january 2011 for goods purchased after january 2011 it might be possible to ask how long would it be reasonable to expect the good to be serviceable. For an L lens it is probably more than a couple of years.

[Babu]

Recently I also became a victim of the dreaded 24-105L failure.
I was totally underwhelmed by the response I received from Canon. As well as having to pay a $50 deposit for them to assess the problem, we would be without the lens for 3-4 weeks; pay for packaging and freight both ways then fork out $600 or more (their ballpark estimate). No, I couldn't talk to a technician.
Next I rang the Camera Service Centre as recommended by William. They were very friendly and helpful. Yes I could talk to a tech who estimated $380 and a time frame of about a week depending on freight times.
Finally I asked the guy at Camera Tech in Brisbane when I was dropping in with two camera bodies for cleaning. He quoted $330 and a turn around of one day.
I picked up the two bodies and the repaired lens the next day. The feel of the zoom operation is better than it had ever been in the eight and a half years I'd had this lens prior to the repair. The barrel no longer extends by itself if the lens is pointing down. The tech said that the fault was not just the ribbon cable and that the new part is a substantial improvement on the old one.
Because I live near Brisbane, it worked out a lot better to have the work done at Camera Tech but, if I lived near Sydney, I would certainly have given the job to the Camera Service Centre.

[bobc163]

could somebody please define what the difference is between a "kit" lens and a standard lens

[William W]

could somebody please define what the difference is between a "kit" lens and a standard lens

A “Kit Lens” is a term used in marketing and promotions to describe a lens or lenses which a sold in a “bundle” with a camera.
Sometimes this lens is only available in ”the kit” (i.e. NOT sold as separate item).
In recent times the “kit lens” is a ZOOM lens as opposed to times gone by where the “kit lens” (as one example) was an inexpensive 50mm PRIME Lens.
Two recent examples of a “Kit Lens” are the EF-S 18 to 55 F/3.5~5.6 IS for an APS-C Canon DSLR and the EF 24 to 105 F/4L IS for the 5D Series of cameras – you will see these lenses sold as “kits” with the respective cameras.

A ”Standard Lens”, is more a technical term and refers to the lens being a “standard focal length, for the particular camera format. That is to say the lens represents approximately the Field of View of the naked eye. For example on a 5D that is around a 50mm Lens and on an APS-C Camera around a 30mm lens.
A “Standard Lens” can be a Standard PRIME Lens or a Standard ZOOM lens. The examples above are standard PRIME Lenses.
A “Standard Zoom Lens” has a range of focal lengths around the standard prime for that camera format: for example on a 5D a Standard Zoom Lens would be the EF 24 to 70F/2.8L and on a 70D a Standard Zoom Lens would be the EF-S 17 to 55F/2.8 IS.
Note also that the two “Kit Lenses” mentioned above can also be described as “Standard Zoom Lenses”.
A "Standard Lens" is also referred to as a "Normal Lens".

A lens wider lens than a “Standard Lens" is termed a “Wide Lens” or a “Wide Angle Lens” and a lens longer than a "Standard Lens" is termed a “Telephoto Lens”.
There are nuances of description such as “Ultra Wide Angle”, “Short Telephoto”, “Medium Telephoto” and “Super Telephoto”.
There is an old type of lens termed a "Long Lens" - which is a very special type of "telephoto lens" and the term "Long Lens" is sometimes misused to mean a "Telephoto Lens".

Note that the lens’s description should (but often doesn’t) relate to the Camera’s Format: for example the EF 50mm F/1.4 lens is a “Standard Lens” when it is mounted on a 5D, but the same lens acts as a “Short Telephoto” when it is mounted on a 70D.

WW

[Babu]

A good, thorough explanation William.

It is also my understanding that, for marketing/ supply reasons, kit bundles are often split with the lenses being sold as "white box" lenses at a lower price than the regular Canon/Nikon... labelled box lenses. This seems to impact on cashback offers and warranty in some countries.

A local grey importer offers the "standard" boxed version of the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L IS lens for $943.70 & the "kit" version for $885.85. Under the latter they note: "This a kit lens & may not come in a box or may come in a plain, white box. It may not include a manual. Includes Front & Rear Caps as per the standard version. Full warranty applies." No mention of the soft pouch, software disk etc you get with the "standard " version of the lens.

They could well be identical lenses marketed differently.

[William W]

A local grey importer offers the "standard" boxed version of the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L IS lens for $943.70 & the "kit" version for $885.85. Under the latter they note: "This a kit lens & may not come in a box or may come in a plain, white box. It may not include a manual. Includes Front & Rear Caps as per the standard version. Full warranty applies." No mention of the soft pouch, software disk etc you get with the "standard " version of the lens.

What has happened is that a 'Kit' of 'a camera and lens' has been bought by the wholesaler and then split, the camera and lens would be originally in one box.
The camera is sold as a "body only" and the lens is repacked in a 'white box' and sold separately.


WW