IS Problems with Canon 17-55mm f/2.8

The first time you zoom it, expect it to get dust in there again

I take it this is a common issue as well for this lens? Before there was nothing in there and when I got it back there was a white space in there. I am having the same issue with my 50mm and so I shipped it along with the lens to get an estimate on how much it will cost to have it cleaned out.

Every lens (that is not sealed) will get dust in it. It will not have any affect on your photos at all. Lenses that have moving barrels in particular will tend to pull dust into them as they "breathe" and let air in and out as the internal volume of the lens changes. Also the 50s will do that too since the front element moves while focusing.

I have heard some owners of the 17-55 say they have had good luck keeping dust out by putting a filter on the front of it and thus sealing front element preventing the air from coming in around it and sucking the dust in from around the front of the lens. If you do that get a really good one that is in the same class as the glass in the 17-55 like the new Hoya EVO filters.

Does this happen when you hand-hold the camera?? You have it resting on a table and IS may not perform well when on a table or tripod. It tries to counteract its own movement.

Ive had 17-55 for 4 years now and no dust!! I keep a cir polarizer on it always... I take it everywhere

Keyan wrote in post #14745051
Every lens (that is not sealed) will get dust in it. It will not have any affect on your photos at all. Lenses that have moving barrels in particular will tend to pull dust into them as they "breathe" and let air in and out as the internal volume of the lens changes. Also the 50s will do that too since the front element moves while focusing.

I have heard some owners of the 17-55 say they have had good luck keeping dust out by putting a filter on the front of it and thus sealing front element preventing the air from coming in around it and sucking the dust in from around the front of the lens. If you do that get a really good one that is in the same class as the glass in the 17-55 like the new Hoya EVO filters.

It came with a high end Canon filter that should be in the same class if not higher.

Naturalist wrote in post #14745072
Does this happen when you hand-hold the camera?? You have it resting on a table and IS may not perform well when on a table or tripod. It tries to counteract its own movement.

It did it as soon as the camera was turned on no matter whether it was stationary or moving.

crazybryan wrote in post #14745090
Ive had 17-55 for 4 years now and no dust!! I keep a cir polarizer on it always... I take it everywhere

I need to get a CPL for it, I really do. I wouldn't keep it on it 24/7 though, I do too much indoor photography for that.

Yeah, mine had some dust in it, right now it's at Canon for a recheck after they shipped it back to me loose in the box the first time (sigh). It was front focusing when I first got it so they had to recalibrate it. It's been working fine, I think, but it seems to have quite a bit of red/blue fringing in certain situations that I don't think it should so they are going to give it a recheck. When it comes back hopefully it's clean and I got a 77mm Hoya EVO waiting to put on it.

Keyan wrote in post #14745051
I have heard some owners of the 17-55 say they have had good luck keeping dust out by putting a filter on the front of it and thus sealing front element preventing the air from coming in around it and sucking the dust in from around the front of the lens.

Any lens that extends when zoomed or focused will draw air into the interior when it's extended and push it out when it's collapsed.

The 17-55 sucks in approximately 90 cc of air every time it's zoomed from 17 to 55 mm, and with this air comes dust. Some of the dust will go back out when the lens is zoomed back, and some will stay behind. Nothing you can do about it.

A filter on the front will reduce or eliminate dust behind the front element, all right. But that just means more will come in through the rear and settle where you can't see it so easily.

If that makes for a happy lens owner, good for him.

-js

I own a 17-55:
Hoya UV filter? Check
Dust under front element? Check
Awesome IQ? Check