Reading mode: Light Dark

Canon 70-200F4 L Gone Back to Canon Factory Service!

Go to last post
A

adydula

Veteran Member
Messages
1,260
Reaction score
0
Location
US
After several weeks of trying to live with this new 70-200 F4 L zoom, I just really got frustrated with the lens and its inability to produce clear, crisp properly focused photos.

My 85/1.8 is sharp, my 28-135 is great, the SIGMA 15-30 is great, but this L glass was not cutting it. Think it be the other way around....

Had to send the body with the lens to the N.J factory service center.

The lens on this body consistently backfocus's 30-40 mm. from the same manual setting....

I hope they get it righy, it will be nice to know was it the lens or the body or a combination of the two.

Waiting!
Alex
 
adydula said:
After several weeks of trying to live with this new 70-200 F4 L
zoom, I just really got frustrated with the lens and its inability
to produce clear, crisp properly focused photos.

My 85/1.8 is sharp, my 28-135 is great, the SIGMA 15-30 is great,
but this L glass was not cutting it. Think it be the other way
around....

Had to send the body with the lens to the N.J factory service center.

The lens on this body consistently backfocus's 30-40 mm. from the
same manual setting....

I hope they get it righy, it will be nice to know was it the lens
or the body or a combination of the two.

Waiting!
Alex
Click to expand...
 
After a couple of weeks of shooting with the 10D and the 70-200 f/4L, I've noticed that mine also back focuses, although not as much as yours. It's a disappointment since I originally thought I was lucky enough to have a good copy.

What I don't understand is why this lens appears to have a common back focus problem with the 10D. If the prevailing theory is that the combined manufacturing tolerances of the 10D AF and the lens are additive, wouldn't you think that some copies of this lens would front focus on the 10D? Instead, it seems to be mild to severe back focusing. So, something about the combination of the 10D and this lens isn't working.

Eric
 
Parallax said:
After a couple of weeks of shooting with the 10D and the 70-200
f/4L, I've noticed that mine also back focuses, although not as
much as yours. It's a disappointment since I originally thought I
was lucky enough to have a good copy.

What I don't understand is why this lens appears to have a common
back focus problem with the 10D. If the prevailing theory is that
the combined manufacturing tolerances of the 10D AF and the lens
are additive, wouldn't you think that some copies of this lens
would front focus on the 10D? Instead, it seems to be mild to
severe back focusing. So, something about the combination of the
10D and this lens isn't working.

Eric
Click to expand...
I have read some of Westfal's comments on RobG website and it basically boils down to fitting the 10d body with a 'factory' lens that is a known good lens and focus's correctly, adjusting the cameras database info so the body is spot on. Then the your lens gets put on and gets adjusted etc...

Seems like the tolerance of a body + a lens may cause the issues so many have seen....

Having several other lens that are 'acceptable' or seem to focus correctly seems to indicate the body I have is hopefully close to the spec....and the lens is the culprit....if not then I could have to sens ALL of my lens back with the body once again!!!

A second issue is the SN on the bottom of the camera is worn off, they hopefully with remedy this also.

I have corresponded with CANON and they have been very courteous and helpful on the phone.

I noticed that as a 10d owner i have received, proactively an email just to let 10 d owners know that there is a support structure willing to work with 10 d owners having issues....I answered this email with my autofocus proble wit the 70-200 and got an immediate reply.

It looks like Canon is trying to help, but it still doesnt take the pain away of the cost and time lost when high tech stuff jsut doesnt meet basic specs...

I will post results when I get the body and lens back.

Alex
Camera-less in N.C.!!
 
I asked them about the SN rubbing off and they said it's not a problem as it's embedded in the camera and you can read it in the EXIF info. Also, they said that they have no way to put it back on the camera anyway.
R
adydula said:
Parallax said:
After a couple of weeks of shooting with the 10D and the 70-200
f/4L, I've noticed that mine also back focuses, although not as
much as yours. It's a disappointment since I originally thought I
was lucky enough to have a good copy.

What I don't understand is why this lens appears to have a common
back focus problem with the 10D. If the prevailing theory is that
the combined manufacturing tolerances of the 10D AF and the lens
are additive, wouldn't you think that some copies of this lens
would front focus on the 10D? Instead, it seems to be mild to
severe back focusing. So, something about the combination of the
10D and this lens isn't working.

Eric
Click to expand...
I have read some of Westfal's comments on RobG website and it
basically boils down to fitting the 10d body with a 'factory' lens
that is a known good lens and focus's correctly, adjusting the
cameras database info so the body is spot on. Then the your lens
gets put on and gets adjusted etc...

Seems like the tolerance of a body + a lens may cause the issues
so many have seen....

Having several other lens that are 'acceptable' or seem to focus
correctly seems to indicate the body I have is hopefully close to
the spec....and the lens is the culprit....if not then I could have
to sens ALL of my lens back with the body once again!!!

A second issue is the SN on the bottom of the camera is worn off,
they hopefully with remedy this also.

I have corresponded with CANON and they have been very courteous
and helpful on the phone.

I noticed that as a 10d owner i have received, proactively an email
just to let 10 d owners know that there is a support structure
willing to work with 10 d owners having issues....I answered this
email with my autofocus proble wit the 70-200 and got an immediate
reply.

It looks like Canon is trying to help, but it still doesnt take the
pain away of the cost and time lost when high tech stuff jsut
doesnt meet basic specs...

I will post results when I get the body and lens back.

Alex
Camera-less in N.C.!!
Click to expand...
--

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so
 
adydula said:
After several weeks of trying to live with this new 70-200 F4 L
zoom, I just really got frustrated with the lens and its inability
to produce clear, crisp properly focused photos.

My 85/1.8 is sharp, my 28-135 is great, the SIGMA 15-30 is great,
but this L glass was not cutting it. Think it be the other way
around....

Had to send the body with the lens to the N.J factory service center.

The lens on this body consistently backfocus's 30-40 mm. from the
same manual setting....

I hope they get it righy, it will be nice to know was it the lens
or the body or a combination of the two.

Waiting!
Alex
Click to expand...
I have just received my 10D & 70-200F4 back from Canon Service, NJ. It took 3 weeks from the time I shipped them to the day I received them back.

The 70-200 is focusing much better now, with just a slight forward DOF. I have also took a few shots with my two other lenses and they seem ok so far.
Good luck with your camera/lens!
Don
 
Dwaggs said:
adydula said:
After several weeks of trying to live with this new 70-200 F4 L
zoom, I just really got frustrated with the lens and its inability
to produce clear, crisp properly focused photos.

My 85/1.8 is sharp, my 28-135 is great, the SIGMA 15-30 is great,
but this L glass was not cutting it. Think it be the other way
around....

Had to send the body with the lens to the N.J factory service center.

The lens on this body consistently backfocus's 30-40 mm. from the
same manual setting....

I hope they get it righy, it will be nice to know was it the lens
or the body or a combination of the two.

Waiting!
Alex
Click to expand...
I have just received my 10D & 70-200F4 back from Canon Service, NJ.
It took 3 weeks from the time I shipped them to the day I received
them back.
The 70-200 is focusing much better now, with just a slight forward
DOF. I have also took a few shots with my two other lenses and they
seem ok so far.
Good luck with your camera/lens!
Don
Click to expand...
Don,

I may need to do the same with my 70-200 F4. How did you go about sending it in? Did you send in all your lenses or just the 10D / 70-200? Is there a number you called to get the address?

Thanks,
Rob
--
Hey...It's Only Money!!
 
Rob Lawrence said:
Don,

I may need to do the same with my 70-200 F4. How did you go about
sending it in? Did you send in all your lenses or just the 10D /
70-200? Is there a number you called to get the address?

Thanks,
Rob
--
Hey...It's Only Money!!
Click to expand...
Rob,

Call 1-800-OKCANON and the Canon rep. will give you the proper address for your repair.

I only sent in the one lens and the body. I have two other lenses, the 17-40 & the 50mm macro. Testing these since the camera adjustment, it looks like the 50mm will have to be adjusted now(BF). I knew it wasn't perfect before but I wasn't too concerned about it's AF since I mostly have used it in manual focus for macro anyway.
Good luck with your 10D -
Don
 
Hello,

I sent the lens and camera body to Canon in New Jersey last Monday, I just got the camera body and lens back today. ITS FIXED!!!

Not too bad at all for a busy time of the year.

I took about 100 shots of my grand-daughter in autofocus mode, using the center AF marker. All focus just where I intended them to, what a joy at last!!

I am delighted in how well this combination now focus, its AWESOME, finally. I wished I'd stop complaining and had sent it to the service center a month ago.

The 70-200 F4 L is really performing like I would expect a lens of this caliber to perform.

I got the stuff back via overnight FEDEX.

I also got a few emails and two letter in the mail, letting me knwo that I Canon received the camera and lens and was working on the gear.

The only explanantion was 'adjusted focus on the lens and with the body.

It now focus very well on what I point it at, the only issue now is the photographer and his technique....

Contrast, sharpness and bokeh are very well within what I would hope to see.

I can see lots of good stuff to come now!

If you have any issues with backfocusing etc....dont wait get it fixed!!

Now back to photography!!

Alex!
 
I am asking this because I just sent the body and a couple of lenses back to Canon a few weeks ago. Now that I have a brand new 70-200 f4 with the backfocus problem, I really don't want to part with the 10D body for yet a few weeks! Since the body was recently calibrated, I think there is little reason to send in the body with the 70-200 f4. Any comments? I talked to Canon, they said it's up to me. Not very helpful.
adydula said:
After several weeks of trying to live with this new 70-200 F4 L
zoom, I just really got frustrated with the lens and its inability
to produce clear, crisp properly focused photos.

My 85/1.8 is sharp, my 28-135 is great, the SIGMA 15-30 is great,
but this L glass was not cutting it. Think it be the other way
around....

Had to send the body with the lens to the N.J factory service center.

The lens on this body consistently backfocus's 30-40 mm. from the
same manual setting....

I hope they get it righy, it will be nice to know was it the lens
or the body or a combination of the two.

Waiting!
Alex
Click to expand...
 
I can understand not wanting to send in the body, I had the same dilemma, I had a new camera and three lens, and only the 70-200 F4 L was causing me pain...and I did not want to part with them, but thems the breaks...

I would probably take the chance and send the lens back with a very good description of the problem, ie backfocusing etc...

They would be forced to put this lens on a body that was set to nominal settings, I would presume, if your body is set to nominal settnigs, you should be ok, if not then your going to have to deal with that.

I have yet to test the other lens on this body now, I will do this and post, just need more time and a job that lets me not work!!

Laterr
Alex
cp10932 said:
adydula said:
After several weeks of trying to live with this new 70-200 F4 L
zoom, I just really got frustrated with the lens and its inability
to produce clear, crisp properly focused photos.

My 85/1.8 is sharp, my 28-135 is great, the SIGMA 15-30 is great,
but this L glass was not cutting it. Think it be the other way
around....

Had to send the body with the lens to the N.J factory service center.

The lens on this body consistently backfocus's 30-40 mm. from the
same manual setting....

I hope they get it righy, it will be nice to know was it the lens
or the body or a combination of the two.

Waiting!
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hi! I am not familiar with what a backfocusing problem is. Can you please explain it and how to find out if I have the problem?

Thanks!
adydula said:
I would probably take the chance and send the lens back with a very
good description of the problem, ie backfocusing etc...

They would be forced to put this lens on a body that was set to
nominal settings, I would presume, if your body is set to nominal
settnigs, you should be ok, if not then your going to have to deal
with that.

I have yet to test the other lens on this body now, I will do this
and post, just need more time and a job that lets me not work!!

Laterr
Alex
cp10932 said:
adydula said:
After several weeks of trying to live with this new 70-200 F4 L
zoom, I just really got frustrated with the lens and its inability
to produce clear, crisp properly focused photos.

My 85/1.8 is sharp, my 28-135 is great, the SIGMA 15-30 is great,
but this L glass was not cutting it. Think it be the other way
around....

Had to send the body with the lens to the N.J factory service center.

The lens on this body consistently backfocus's 30-40 mm. from the
same manual setting....

I hope they get it righy, it will be nice to know was it the lens
or the body or a combination of the two.

Waiting!
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Canon EOS 10D
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L
BG-ED3 Battery Grip
 
adydula said:
I would probably take the chance and send the lens back with a very
good description of the problem, ie backfocusing etc...

They would be forced to put this lens on a body that was set to
nominal settings, I would presume, if your body is set to nominal
settnigs, you should be ok, if not then your going to have to deal
with that.

I have yet to test the other lens on this body now, I will do this
and post, just need more time and a job that lets me not work!!

Laterr
Alex
cp10932 said:
adydula said:
After several weeks of trying to live with this new 70-200 F4 L
zoom, I just really got frustrated with the lens and its inability
to produce clear, crisp properly focused photos.

My 85/1.8 is sharp, my 28-135 is great, the SIGMA 15-30 is great,
but this L glass was not cutting it. Think it be the other way
around....

Had to send the body with the lens to the N.J factory service center.

The lens on this body consistently backfocus's 30-40 mm. from the
same manual setting....

I hope they get it righy, it will be nice to know was it the lens
or the body or a combination of the two.

Waiting!
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
that the adjustment of your 10D and 70-200 did not cause a problem with your other lenses that were OK.

Eric
adydula said:
Hello,

I sent the lens and camera body to Canon in New Jersey last Monday,
I just got the camera body and lens back today. ITS FIXED!!!

Not too bad at all for a busy time of the year.

I took about 100 shots of my grand-daughter in autofocus mode,
using the center AF marker. All focus just where I intended them
to, what a joy at last!!

I am delighted in how well this combination now focus, its AWESOME,
finally. I wished I'd stop complaining and had sent it to the
service center a month ago.

The 70-200 F4 L is really performing like I would expect a lens of
this caliber to perform.

I got the stuff back via overnight FEDEX.

I also got a few emails and two letter in the mail, letting me knwo
that I Canon received the camera and lens and was working on the
gear.

The only explanantion was 'adjusted focus on the lens and with the
body.

It now focus very well on what I point it at, the only issue now is
the photographer and his technique....

Contrast, sharpness and bokeh are very well within what I would
hope to see.

I can see lots of good stuff to come now!

If you have any issues with backfocusing etc....dont wait get it
fixed!!

Now back to photography!!

Alex!
Click to expand...
 
Backfocusing is when the AF system adjusts the focus so that objects behind the intended subject are in focus - ie. it is focusing back behind the subject.

To test:

Take a photograph of a person or dog or sign or what ever that is a good solid AF target - big, high contrast, etc. Use One Shot AF and center focus square only to be sure you know what the camera is supposed to focus on. Use the widest aperature available on your lens - f1.4, f2.8 or whatever is the smallest fnumber. Then make sure there is plenty of grass, carpet, road, rocks - whatever in front of and behind the subject in the photograph.

Now, look at the photograph on your computer - closely examine the ground and determine where the image starts to be in focus (sharp) where it is cloest to the camera and then proceeding back from that point see where it begins to go out of focus. The subject should be roughly centered in the area which is in focus - this area is called the Depth of Field (DOF).

If the subject is in front the the area on the ground that is in focus, then the camera/lens front focused. If the subject is behind the area on the ground that is sharpest - then the camera/lens front focused.

Frank
John Catral said:
Thanks!
adydula said:
I would probably take the chance and send the lens back with a very
good description of the problem, ie backfocusing etc...

They would be forced to put this lens on a body that was set to
nominal settings, I would presume, if your body is set to nominal
settnigs, you should be ok, if not then your going to have to deal
with that.

I have yet to test the other lens on this body now, I will do this
and post, just need more time and a job that lets me not work!!

Laterr
Alex
cp10932 said:
adydula said:
After several weeks of trying to live with this new 70-200 F4 L
zoom, I just really got frustrated with the lens and its inability
to produce clear, crisp properly focused photos.

My 85/1.8 is sharp, my 28-135 is great, the SIGMA 15-30 is great,
but this L glass was not cutting it. Think it be the other way
around....

Had to send the body with the lens to the N.J factory service center.

The lens on this body consistently backfocus's 30-40 mm. from the
same manual setting....

I hope they get it righy, it will be nice to know was it the lens
or the body or a combination of the two.

Waiting!
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Canon EOS 10D
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L
BG-ED3 Battery Grip
Click to expand...
--
Someday I will take a good photograph - until then I will blame my equipment.
 
Frank,

There is a million posts on many websites about Canons backfocusing issues, and its not just Canon that has these issues to deal with...

I have been doing this stuff for thirty years and it was not until I started playing with DSLR's that I became concerned with this phenomena.

If you manual focus you never really see it, because you focus on something and if the picture you shot comes out focused on what it was you focused on your happy. For the most part this has been the way its been with all the stuff I have played with for the last 30 years.

When I bought my 10D with the 'standard' comsumer grade 28-135 mm I was a happy camper for the most part, focus in auto mode was a new thing to me, having used the manula mode for years, learning what the AF does etc, how it works etc...then I purchased a good L lens, the best buy from Canon is the 70-200 F4 L USM, a great piece of glass , but my copy when using autofocus mode ws not focusing exactly where I thought I focused...especially when you take pictures on an angle...

If you take a ruler or a scale of some sort, printed on paper and tape it to a wall, with good lighting and shot at max open aperature at a 45 degree angle at the center of the scale or ruler, you will see where the focus is along this ruler or scale.

If you focus on the center of the scale , you would expect the focus would be on the center mark or line, and a little before and after. Mine was 30-40mm behind or in back of the center line or mark i was focusing on in AUTO FOCUS mode. You also shoot some pix in manual mode. these seem ok on my body and lens. You would want the two to sync up as best as possible.

If you shoot outside in the bright sun and use small aperatures, ie F8 and above then the depth of field, expecially with the smaller mm lens (wide angle) and infinity shots (landscapes) this phenomena is masked alot due to the large depth of fieds (DOF).

The only remady is get the lens, cameras calibratred by a factory service center.

Chuck Westphal on the Rob G. site has basically stated Canon places a 'factory' lens on your body and check to make sure its in spec, and then the lens is checked on this calibrated body. There are adjustments that can be made to the camera and to the lens.

With most stuff theres a + - set of criteria (dont know what they are for Canon, secret??), but if your on the + side of the tolerance and your lens is on the plus side of the tolerance for it, you could see this problem. Kind of an additive thing...

I was not happy and sent both the body and lens in, and now the AF works exactly where I want (or think it should).

I focus on eyelases and they are sharp, before it was focus on the eyes and the eyes were abit out of focus and the ears were in focus not very good! portrait).

Many Canon ownere have not had this problem, noone really knows how prevelant this issue is, Canon has not made any public statements...

One thing I will say is It was approx 1 week from the camera leaving my house to its return to my house. Canon made sure I got notice in writing of my stuff arrival and estimated time of return. This was the professinal way to do the repair.

Best of luck.

Alex
 
Good Retort!! Canon fix's my backfocusing problems!!!

I just spent a day in the North Carolina Mountains with the newly calibrated 70-200 F4 L and a new SIGMA 15-30 along with the trusty 28-135 IS USM lens. All were used on the newly calibrated 10D body.

I chased butterflies in bright sun and was very, very pleased at hand holding and shooting in P and AV and Tv modes wit the 70-2-- F4 zoom....using the single center AF sensor the lens and body pix are spot on, I am very pleased at whatever Canon did to make this combo (10D ) work.

The new SIGMA 15-30 was a wonderful lens for the mountain landsacpes, and many low light landascapes, proped up on a fencepost etc...this camera does very well in low light, really is amazing technology.

I am glad I sent this stuff back to Canon, now all i worry about is being in the right place at the right time!!

SMiling!

Alex
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top