Repair of 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM?

[DwightMcCann]

It appears that my 70-200mm f2.8 L IS USM lens is damaged. It does not focus automatically, when the IS kicks in there is a significant wiggle to the image and when I shake it there is a BAD® sound. I think it might have fallen and been picked up and put back last night at the casino while I was using the indoor plumbing between Tower of Power and Tom Jones. Anyway, what's the best way to get it back to Canon and repaired? I could take it back to the Calumet where I bought it or ship it directly to Canon after contacting them. I expect this will be a few hundred dollars. Thanks for any insight.

[Denny G]

Bummer. I would hate for that to happen. However, do you need a middle man? I would send it directly to Canon.

[Pekka]

Sorry to hear about your 70-200. The closest repair shop to you is

Factory Service Center
15955 Alton Parkway ,
Irvine CA 92618

phone 949-753-4200
Service Counter Hours of Operation: 9am - 4:30pm (local time), M - F

I got this info from http://www.usa.canon.com where they also have the form to fill.

By your description is sounds like IS unit is broken. It has two very fragile pins which can break on quite easily on impact.

[DwightMcCann]

I will call at Pekka's suggestion ... I should have checked Canon's website but between the lens and forgetting my wife's birthday I am somewhat discombobulated!

[BlueTit]

Hope you get it sorted. Great to see someone use the word "discombobulated", my broter used ot use it all the time and until recently I thought it was a made up word!

[DwightMcCann]

I think it is a made up word! :-) I'm going to get a 100-400mm L to keep handy in case this happens again ... and probably a 20D to hold me over until I can get a 1Ds Mark II.

[BlueTit]

"discombobulated" is listed on Dictionary.com!


I have never used the 100-400 but based on all the great shots taken with it that I have seen on this forum, it is on my shopping list. I have never used a push-pull zoom and some people seem to dislike it, but I can't imagine it would be a problem, if anything I imagine it woul dallow you zoom faster. Anyway, I hope you get something to keep you going until the 70-200 is fixed.

[DwightMcCann]

I just ordered a 100-400mm L from 17th Street Photo to act as a backup to my 70-200mm f2.8 L which I will be shipping to Canon for repairs tomorrow ... and while I was at it I ordered a 20D to backup my 1DMII. This stuff is addictive! Should I have ordered the grip, too, or is it really not necessary if you aren't using the builtin flash?

[BlueTit]

The grip makes the camera much more comfortable to hold and is very handy for portrait shots as it has controls on the base on the grip so you don't end up getting all twisted trying to take the shot.

[Rob612]

I like the grip for several reasons.

- makes the camera feel better in my hands, especially with long/heavy lenses (true for the XT also)
- Gives me almost unlimited power, so I do not have to worry about that, no matter if I use the built-in flash or not (not that I use it too much, perhaps...). I still have a charged spaer always with me but... I don't have to think about it.
- A lot of help for vertical shoots.
- It "looks" better (this was idiotic, I know, but I had to throw it in... :D)

[DwightMcCann]

"Looks better" is perfectly reasonable and to deny it would be silly! These forums are littered with comments about "big white lenses giving prestige" and impressing people, etc., etc. I personally wouldn't buy for that reason but I do enjoy having folks come up, obviously impressed, and ask about my equipment. So, thanks, I will pick up a grip ... BG-E2?

[hauff]

You have now progressed from "discombobulated" to discomcashulated".


Buy the BG-E2 for your wife as a birthday present and all will be good again.

[DwightMcCann]

ROFLMAO! I only buy what my business can pay for, but I do have a 'day job' to pay the mortgage. As for my wife, she runs with her own drummer and I seem to have no influence on how she feels about me at any given moment ... I think she lives in some parallel emotional universe to which I have no connection. Sometimes this is bad but sometimes it is fantastic!

[jimchapin468]

Dwight sounds like you have to much money! I am jealous.

[shiato storm]

watch out though, canon have acknowledged a problem with the bg-e2 and 20d combo...an apparent battery drainage without explanation...just so you know!

[DwightMcCann]

Jim, I'm almost 60, have been with the University of California for 30 years and sacrifice most nights and weekends to my "side business" ... I don't own a boat, airplane, second home, hobby car or motorcycle, do not play golf or ski! Now just what do you propose I do with my money? :-)

[Rob612]

"Looks better" is perfectly reasonable and to deny it would be silly! These forums are littered with comments about "big white lenses giving prestige" and impressing people, etc., etc. I personally wouldn't buy for that reason but I do enjoy having folks come up, obviously impressed, and ask about my equipment. So, thanks, I will pick up a grip ... BG-E2?

Absolutely agree with you. The aesthetical factor can (and actually has) have some influence. I tend not to be influenced by that factor, perhaps it just happened to me to fall in love with an used 600mm f/4 that I finally choose to pass over (there is a thread about this here on POTN) that would have been actually a "prestige" expense. Thanks to POTN I dropped it, but I realized at the end that I would have bought the thing basically because I really liked the idea of owning one of those.

And yes, BG-E2 is the thing to get :)