Do EF lenses benefit from routine CLA?

My EF 85mm f/1.2 is coming up on 10 years of regular use. There's no problems whatsoever with the lens, but I wondered if it would be a good idea to send it in to Canon for routine inspection and service?

LostArk wrote in post #19280234
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My EF 85mm f/1.2 is coming up on 10 years of regular use. There's no problems whatsoever with the lens, but I wondered if it would be a good idea to send it in to Canon for routine inspection and service?
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I did that a few times with my 400 f2.8, but eventually realized that it was nothing more than a waste of my time and money. . I could never see any difference whatsoever in the images, even when pixel peeping to the extreme at 500% + views. . And there was never any improvement in the way the lens worked - no smoother focusing or anything like that.

Seriously, what is it about your lens that is not currently functioning at 100%? . If you don't have an answer, then nothing is wrong.

The old "can't fix it if it aint broke" adage comes into play here. . CPS will clean the lens, but if there is no dirt or dust in it, then what is the cleaning accomplishing? . Cleaning only works if there is actually something to clean off of it. . And they will "return the lens to factory specifications". . But if every aspect of the lens is already at factory specifications, then what is it they are doing that will actually result in any improvement whatsoever?

It is best to do things for actual tangible reasons, not to "just feel better about it".

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I agree with Tom. I don't think there is anything in there that is time-limited, like on a car, such as hoses. Taking something apart risks it not being reassembled properly. I'd keep using it.

Capn Jack wrote in post #19280320
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I agree with Tom. I don't think there is anything in there that is time-limited, like on a car, such as hoses. Taking something apart risks it not being reassembled properly. I'd keep using it.
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You bring up a good point.

Not all of the technicians at Canon are the experts that we would expect them to be.

Long story condensed:

Canon screwed up my 100-400 v2 twice, when I sent it in for focusing issues and loose parts rattling around inside the lens, paid them $500 to fix it, and got it back just as bad as it was when I sent it in. . So I sent it back in and the same damn thing happened again (but I didn't pay this time). . Got really pissed at the ineptitude of the CPS staff and called them to say what had happened. . The guy on the phone said to send it in and that this (third) time he would have a supervisor look at it. . Finally got it fixed properly. . Seems like they have a bunch of rookies working at their service centers. . Rookies who don't know what the hell they are doing.

If you send something in for just a simple check & clean, guess who's going to do that? . One of the highly experienced, higher-level technicians? . No freaking way.

I haven't used Canon for any of my Canon lens or body repair work since that terrible experience with my 100-400 5 years ago .... because I cannot trust them. . Based on my own experience, Canon is the worst option for getting a Canon lens or body serviced. . I now use local camera repairmen to do my repairs. . They are more experienced, more skilled, and far more reasonable price-wise.


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When you find a fly in the lens and you found it because you were looking in to see what was causing the dark blob in photos, send it in.
If someone else looks in and sees the fly, but you don't see any problems with results, don't bother.
Never let that person handle any of your lenses again.
Never look inside the lens unless you have a very good reason.
Never, ever, ever shine a light into your lens to get a better look into it.

They are my rules for happy lens ownership.

Choderboy wrote in post #19280803
When you find a fly in the lens and you found it because you were looking in to see what was causing the dark blob in photos, send it in.
If someone else looks in and sees the fly, but you don't see any problems with results, don't bother.
Never let that person handle any of your lenses again.
Never look inside the lens unless you have a very good reason.
Never, ever, ever shine a light into your lens to get a better look into it.

They are my rules for happy lens ownership.

...and if you see a fly inside, it is obvious that the lens is not 'sealed'! (no piniped)
...it is 'flyed'

"Waiter, I want to send my order back to the kitchen....I did not order flyed lice!"

https://www.lensrental​s.com …er-sealed-canon-70-200mm/

"There was no sign there was a fly inside the lens until you stopped it down to f/13. Then we started to see a shadow."

"Close up you can see the other problem that happens when an insect lives in a lens for a while. They leave insect hair, parts, and unmentionable stuff scattered throughout the lens. Spiders are worse; they’ll spin a web in there. Every time. Have you ever tried to clean spider webs off of glass?"

It's like waxing your car. You do it because you love it, and rationalize that it is beneficial.

I work on the theory that if things aren't broken, then they don't need fixing....

I have a tiny speck of...some sort of schmutz in my 70-200. I've tried to get it to show up in photos and can't see it, so maybe in 15 years I'll consider it worth it to send it in and maybe get rid of that. But it's not doing anything now.

If it was a dusty UWA, that might be a very different story...

Excellent advice!

Our lenses don't matter.

Our cameras don't matter.

Only the photos that we take have
great meaning - they are what life is all about. The tools we use to take the photos don't really matter ..... as long as they do the job we need done. If our tools are producing the images that we want them to produce, then there is no sense in worrying about them.

And even when something is broken, it may continue to do it's job even if you don't bother to fix it.

My car makes all kinds of noises that it shouldn't make, and vibrates harshly at highway speeds, and has done so for years. And I have never fixed or diagnosed anything and it still gets me wherever I need to go and never breaks down.

A lot of problems with mechanical and electronic things can be ignored with no consequences.

Archibald wrote in post #19280888
It's like waxing your car. You do it because you love it, and rationalize that it is beneficial.

If waxing a car is something that is on someone's list of "things I love to do", then I think they would benefit from getting out more and adding some excitement and adventure to their life.