slejhamer
16th of August 2004 (Mon), 12:29
And I must say that I'm very pleased - I feel like I've got a whole new system! 8)
I had long suspected that my 10D had a minor backfocus problem, but it wasn't really enough for me to worry about. Having heard that anything "within the depth of field" is acceptable, I didn't think it worth the trouble to send the camera in for service.
However, when I got my 70-200 f/4 L lens the problem became more obvious when using the longer focal lengths. Though I had no way of knowing if it was the lens or the camera causing the problem, one thing I did know was that I could get consistently better results when focusing manually.
Then, earlier this month I had the opportunity to use a friend's 300mm f/4 L (non-IS) and, while the images were more crisp than those from my zoom lens, they still weren't as good as expected. Again, manual focus gave better results than AF. After explaining the issues to Canon service over the phone, they suggested I send both camera and lens to them to check out.
Three days after I sent the gear, I got an email from Canon confirming receipt, and also telling me that both items were still under warranty so any necessary repairs would be free. In the email, they also said I could check the repair status online, just by plugging the order number into the support web page. Cool!
I waited three more days then logged into the support site, not expecting any news yet. (They had told me it would probably take a few weeks.) However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the work was already completed and I could expect the gear back within a week. It actually only took another three days - nine days total including shipping time!
The receipts said that the lens and camera had both had AF calibrated, and the camera had also been cleaned and the hot shoe replaced. I didn't know there was a problem with it, but I'm glad they did the extra work.
The lens now works very well on my camera. Whereas I had posted my initial impressions of the lens and suggested that my technique needed improvement, I can now state that it was much more a gear-related problem - though it may have been the lens, the camera, or both. AF now seems very accurate and the images are quite crisp.
So, if you think there is a problem with your gear and it's still under warranty, don't hesitate to send it in. Canon service is excellent! :D
(By comparison, I had a horrible experience getting a lens cleaned by Sigma, and as a result I will not do business with them again.)
I had long suspected that my 10D had a minor backfocus problem, but it wasn't really enough for me to worry about. Having heard that anything "within the depth of field" is acceptable, I didn't think it worth the trouble to send the camera in for service.
However, when I got my 70-200 f/4 L lens the problem became more obvious when using the longer focal lengths. Though I had no way of knowing if it was the lens or the camera causing the problem, one thing I did know was that I could get consistently better results when focusing manually.
Then, earlier this month I had the opportunity to use a friend's 300mm f/4 L (non-IS) and, while the images were more crisp than those from my zoom lens, they still weren't as good as expected. Again, manual focus gave better results than AF. After explaining the issues to Canon service over the phone, they suggested I send both camera and lens to them to check out.
Three days after I sent the gear, I got an email from Canon confirming receipt, and also telling me that both items were still under warranty so any necessary repairs would be free. In the email, they also said I could check the repair status online, just by plugging the order number into the support web page. Cool!
I waited three more days then logged into the support site, not expecting any news yet. (They had told me it would probably take a few weeks.) However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the work was already completed and I could expect the gear back within a week. It actually only took another three days - nine days total including shipping time!
The receipts said that the lens and camera had both had AF calibrated, and the camera had also been cleaned and the hot shoe replaced. I didn't know there was a problem with it, but I'm glad they did the extra work.
The lens now works very well on my camera. Whereas I had posted my initial impressions of the lens and suggested that my technique needed improvement, I can now state that it was much more a gear-related problem - though it may have been the lens, the camera, or both. AF now seems very accurate and the images are quite crisp.
So, if you think there is a problem with your gear and it's still under warranty, don't hesitate to send it in. Canon service is excellent! :D
(By comparison, I had a horrible experience getting a lens cleaned by Sigma, and as a result I will not do business with them again.)