70-200mm f/4 L IS owners...a question!

Is your zoom ring scratchy? I just received my copy of this awesome lens and was wondering if I got a bad one. Should I return it for a smoother zoom or is this just normal for this lens? Please let me know either way.

Thanks!

It's relative. The rings are not as smooth as a Tamron or a Tokina or a prime like the 35L or 85L, but it should be better than most other Canon lenses. If you feel resistance as you zoom, then that's definitely not normal and there might be crud trapped under it

Go back to the store and feel their display copy and compare it to yours

smorter wrote in post #7042163
It's relative. The rings are not as smooth as a Tamron or a Tokina or a prime like the 35L or 85L, but it should be better than most other Canon lenses. If you feel resistance as you zoom, then that's definitely not normal and there might be crud trapped under it

Go back to the store and feel their display copy and compare it to yours

Thank you for the quick reply, smorter! There's really no resistance, just that annoying scratchy noise when I zoom in and out. Other than that issue, I am very happy with this lens. It is definitely as sharp as a lot of owners say it is.

Thanks again!

Hang on let me check mine

In the quite of the house, mine sounds a bit like sliding a piece of paper across the table, but not as loud. In terms of feel, it's not silky smooth like there's teflon under there, it does feel like you are VERY SLIGHTLY rubbing against something, but the motion is uniform, there's no odd bits as you zoom in where it slows down or speeds up again

smorter wrote in post #7042286
In the quite of the house, mine sounds a bit like sliding a piece of paper across the table, but not as loud. In terms of feel, it's not silky smooth like there's teflon under there, it does feel like you are VERY SLIGHTLY rubbing against something, but the motion is uniform, there's no odd bits as you zoom in where it slows down or speeds up again

You described it exactly! Thank you again for the reassurance. And to think I was ready to return it! I'm so glad you responded to my question right away.

nah no worries, I was worried too when I first got mine, for absolute reassurance you can check out a store display copy, I went and harrassed my dealer after I got mine because I was worried about the loud IS noise and the sharpness

enjoy the lens!

Congrats on your new lens! I'm still waiting for mine (2.8 IS) to arrive this morning. Every time I hear a car engine outside, I run to the window like a little kid. This wait is agonizing...

nik.hisham wrote in post #7042591
Congrats on your new lens! I'm still waiting for mine (2.8 IS) to arrive this morning. Every time I hear a car engine outside, I run to the window like a little kid. This wait is agonizing...

I know the feeling. Just received mine this evening. I must have looked through the window at least once every hour before the UPS truck finally arrived. Congratulations on your new lens, too!

And resistance, such as mentioned by smorter, is not inherent 'abnormal', it depends upon the lens design. In the 70-200 f/4L IS, there should not be significant different in the effort as you go throughtout the zoom range; the Canon 17-55mm has internal elements which change position and you definitely feel a change point in effort required at a certain point in the zoom range, in a perfectly normal 17-55mm

yes I should have clarified that, some lenses do have resistance, like the 17-55. The 17-55 strangely has no resistance if its held at certain angles, like downwards iirc

Mine is just-right - not sloppy, not overfirm, well-damped.

I think mine has got a bit smoother since I got it. Not that it was that scratchy anyway. Could be in my head too