17-55 2.8 IS and the DUST issue

No dust yet, but the lens is only a month old, so I'll have to revisit this thread later. I have used it on a windy beach and I always put a UV filter on my lenses as soon as I get them for protection. Not sure filters will do any difference as if there's in fact a dust issue I'd assume it's caused by the lense extracting and contracting.

CyberPet wrote in post #2479047
No dust yet, but the lens is only a month old, so I'll have to revisit this thread later. I have used it on a windy beach and I always put a UV filter on my lenses as soon as I get them for protection. Not sure filters will do any difference as if there's in fact a dust issue I'd assume it's caused by the lense extracting and contracting.

that's what i was wondering about; seems like a filter wouldn't do anything, if the ingress route of the dust is due to telescoping.

No dust. Got it about May 2006... one of the first copies released.

A lot of outdoor shooting. I think the dust issue isn't as big as it's played out to be. The minority with dust issues seems to be a very LOUD minority.

that's the internet for you...for every 1 person that has dust, 2 people are told...and those people tell 2 other people and so and so forth...never hear the good as much as you hear the bad.

I don't have this lens anymore (L fever and all), but I didn't notice the dust until I read about it on the forum. It was there, but I never saw it on a picture and if it was there, I couldn't tell and I look pretty hard at the pics.

Anyone else?

I got a 5D so I'm selling by 17-55. Before I packed thing up in the box I took another peak at it. I'm not sure what the science is in finding dust. I certainly don't know. But I took off the UV filter and peaked inside from the front and I don't see any dust at all.

I've had this lens for 3 months. I have mounted/unmounted at least 20 times during the 3 months.

I am careful how I do this though. Usually in a dust-free (as much as can be) environment and I do it as quickly as possible. I have all the lens caps ready. I have them loosened up so everything can be changed quickly.

Great lens...sorry to have to part with it!

No I didn't use a filter, but I have a hunch that the dust entered through the sides, not through the front lens. Hopefully mine was just a bad copy. I counted about 20 pieces of dust. Adorama was willing to refund my money. Even though the dust didn't effect the picture quality it really bothered with my head. I thought that if I had this much dust after two weeks, what would it be like after 6 months? I wish Canon would make an "L" version of this lens with weather sealing.

After me saying no dust for a long time.... guess what?

I have a few specs now, woot!

syntrix wrote in post #2524095
After me saying no dust for a long time.... guess what?

I have a few specs now, woot!

Is that a good or a bad thing?

Photolistic wrote in post #2524106
Is that a good or a bad thing?

Neither. It doesn't affect my shots, so I'm not worried about it.

In other words, I don't care.

Photolistic wrote in post #2524106
Is that a good or a bad thing?

I guess you have a dilemma!

Honestly, I think there is enough proof to assume that SOME people are having serious dust issues. Let's not deny that fact. I've seen several pics that look pretty bad.

Having said that, again, I don't yet have this problem. Now I have not been to the desert and changed lenses in the middle of a sand storm, or anything close to that. I've only changed it in "controlled" environments. (well...my house...) But I have changed it quite a bit with my 70-200.

No dust yet.

But again, it's definitely a consideration, and I went through the same thing. Pretty happy about the lens.

Do you use a filter?

I put a UV filter on it as soon as I took it out of the box.
I took it off to take a few snaps to see if the filter was degrading the IQ, but it wasn't. Had it on until yesterday. I took it off to pack the lens in the box. Now the filter is on my 24-105.

The filter I use is the 77mm B+W MRC UV Filter. This is the multi-coated one.

From what I read, people seem to believe that the dust is coming from when the lens body extends and contracts when zooming.

I don't zoom that violently, but ALWAYS use the zoom...I don't baby the zoom, but I don't snap the thing back and forth either.

Originally it was believed that the filter helped. Perhaps it does. But there are people out there with filter on from day 1 with dust.

Probably not making your decision any easier!

The biggest factor for me was that nothing else was available that had constant 2.8 and IS in this FL. NOTHING!!!

And it has met all expectations in that sense.

Photolistic wrote in post #2524726
Do you use a filter?

I would like to see images where the dust on the lens is an issue. I.e. not dust on the sensor (which I think it's more a problem than dust in the lens). So maybe someone would like to make sure they have a squeeky clean sensor and then take some images with their dusty lens - ranging from f/2.8 through f/22 - perferably of a blue sky, so it's easy to see the spots (just like you do when you spot sensor dust).