EF-S 17--85 err 01??

[CruisinTx]

I originally asked this in a different section and someone suggested I bring it here.

We just returned from the Texas Hill Country where the bluebonnets were spectacular this year. About half way through the 5-day shoot, our Canon 80D with 17-85 (less than 2 years old) started throwing the error code 01 "Communication between the camera and lens is faulty." I cleaned the contacts on both a couple of times to no avail. We tried the lens on the Rebel XSi and got the same code. Here's the odd thing; it only happens from 17mm to 35mm. When zoomed beyond 35, the lens and cameras work perfectly. I have been searching for answers on other forums and have also contacted Canon on this issue. First; a quick online search turned up multiple references to this being a known problem as a design flaw. The same is true of another online forum with a very large membership which includes many professionals.

The response from Canon was somewhat disappointing. The person sending it naturally dissed the online complaints as being a "very small percentage" of owners who are mostly very happy with their lens. It only took a paragraph for that response to turn into pushing an upgrade of the camera body which I never mentioned as being the problem since it is a problem on more than one body. I wanted to check in here to see if others might be having a similar problem currently or in the past and what was the resolution.

thanks

klc

 

[Giklab]

Sounds like the connecting ribbon cable partially broke/snapped, which is why you're only seeing the issue at certain focal lengths. As to why an upgrade was suggested - the parts aren't available through official channels anymore.

Though as to why a new camera was suggested...

 

[brightcolours]

Sounds like the connecting ribbon cable partially broke/snapped, which is why you're only seeing the issue at certain focal lengths. As to why an upgrade was suggested - the parts aren't available through official channels anymore.

Though as to why a new camera was suggested...

Indeed, the flex cable that moves when you zoom will at some point fatigue/hairline break, making electrical contact to the aperture impossible. This gives you the lens error.

There are other lenses, also from other manufacturers, that can exhibit the same issue. Most notorious is the Tokina 12-24mm f4 DX, which WILL break sooner or later.

The lens does not have a life time guarantee... So, Canon does not have to handle this as such, even if you are not the only one who has a flex cable fault in this lens model.

If you can't find a Canon authorized repair place to fix it:

Pardon Our Interruption...

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[CruisinTx]

thank you. that's very helpful information.

 

[Andy01]

I originally asked this in a different section and someone suggested I bring it here.

We just returned from the Texas Hill Country where the bluebonnets were spectacular this year. About half way through the 5-day shoot, our Canon 80D with 17-85 (less than 2 years old) started throwing the error code 01 "Communication between the camera and lens is faulty." I cleaned the contacts on both a couple of times to no avail. We tried the lens on the Rebel XSi and got the same code. Here's the odd thing; it only happens from 17mm to 35mm. When zoomed beyond 35, the lens and cameras work perfectly. I have been searching for answers on other forums and have also contacted Canon on this issue. First; a quick online search turned up multiple references to this being a known problem as a design flaw. The same is true of another online forum with a very large membership which includes many professionals.

The response from Canon was somewhat disappointing. The person sending it naturally dissed the online complaints as being a "very small percentage" of owners who are mostly very happy with their lens. It only took a paragraph for that response to turn into pushing an upgrade of the camera body which I never mentioned as being the problem since it is a problem on more than one body. I wanted to check in here to see if others might be having a similar problem currently or in the past and what was the resolution.

thanks

klc

I had one that started producing an intermittent error like this years ago (I sold it at a low price in 2012 while the error message was quite infrequent) - it was about 3-4 years old at the time. I replaced it with a 24-105L and haven't looked back.

It was introduced in 2004, and the last body it was sold with was a 60D (almost 10 years ago). I have not seen one for sale new for several years, so if you only bought less than 2 years ago, I suspect it might have been very old stock lying around.

You could try source a ribbon and do a DIY fix, or look for a replacement - the 15-85mm is a much better lens.

Colin

 

[Giklab]

What brightcolours posted should be enough for you to repair, if you decide to do so. I can, however, say that both the current 18-135 and 15-85 are way better lenses if you're looking for an excuse

 

[CruisinTx]

I really appreciate all these responses so far. While we are working on a tight budget, I am considering upgrading to one of the lenses recommended here. I do have to ask though; are all of those suggested so far compatible with both a Rebel XSi and an 80D? With me recently being retired, we have to be careful with our spending and simply cannot upgrade everything will-nilly

thanks

klc

 

[brightcolours]

I really appreciate all these responses so far. While we are working on a tight budget, I am considering upgrading to one of the lenses recommended here. I do have to ask though; are all of those suggested so far compatible with both a Rebel XSi and an 80D?

Yes.

With me recently being retired, we have to be careful with our spending and simply cannot upgrade everything will-nilly

thanks

klc

 

[Giklab]

I really appreciate all these responses so far. While we are working on a tight budget, I am considering upgrading to one of the lenses recommended here. I do have to ask though; are all of those suggested so far compatible with both a Rebel XSi and an 80D? With me recently being retired, we have to be careful with our spending and simply cannot upgrade everything will-nilly

thanks

klc

Yes. Generally, all EF mount lenses are compatible with all EF mount cameras. The two exceptions are firmware incompatibility (sometimes happens with old lenses on new bodies) and "crop" (EF-S) lenses being impossible to mount on full frame bodies.

Newer lenses are quite a bit more "sturdy" than old ones, so you can pretty comfortably buy second hand, especially from people who buy kits (80D + 18-135) and sell the lens because they do not need it.

 

[Andy01]

I really appreciate all these responses so far. While we are working on a tight budget, I am considering upgrading to one of the lenses recommended here. I do have to ask though; are all of those suggested so far compatible with both a Rebel XSi and an 80D? With me recently being retired, we have to be careful with our spending and simply cannot upgrade everything will-nilly

thanks

klc

Yes they are, but an EF-S lens is NOT compatible with a FF body, so if you chose to upgrade the body to 6D, 6D ii, any 5D or 1D, an EF-S lens is not going to work.

Similarly, an EF-S lens can be used on the new R & RP mirrorless bodies, but with a massive compromise because it immediately drops the camera to a roughly 10-12Mp camera.

So if you are sure that you are staying with a APS-C body, then a EF-S lens is fine. If you think that you might go FF one day, then perhaps something like 24-105L might be better.

Colin

 

[brightcolours]

I really appreciate all these responses so far. While we are working on a tight budget, I am considering upgrading to one of the lenses recommended here. I do have to ask though; are all of those suggested so far compatible with both a Rebel XSi and an 80D? With me recently being retired, we have to be careful with our spending and simply cannot upgrade everything will-nilly

thanks

klc

Yes they are, but an EF-S lens is NOT compatible with a FF body, so if you chose to upgrade the body to 6D, 6D ii, any 5D or 1D, an EF-S lens is not going to work.

Similarly, an EF-S lens can be used on the new R & RP mirrorless bodies, but with a massive compromise because it immediately drops the camera to a roughly 10-12Mp camera.

So if you are sure that you are staying with a APS-C body, then a EF-S lens is fine. If you think that you might go FF one day, then perhaps something like 24-105L might be better.

I disagree. For APS-C, the APS-C zooms are better because 24mm really is not that wide at all on APS-C.

The only real reason to go for FF is to gain more shallow DOF ability. When that time comes, do you just throw away your APS-C cameras? No. You sell them or give them to someone as a gift, and without lens a camera is not a great gift. The APS-C lenses can be sold also. When you do go FF, you can always buy a cheap 24-105mm f4 if you want a lens like that. Don't hamper your APS-C experience for some vague future eventuality.

Colin

 

[brightcolours]

I really appreciate all these responses so far. While we are working on a tight budget, I am considering upgrading to one of the lenses recommended here. I do have to ask though; are all of those suggested so far compatible with both a Rebel XSi and an 80D? With me recently being retired, we have to be careful with our spending and simply cannot upgrade everything will-nilly

thanks

klc

Yes. Generally, all EF mount lenses are compatible with all EF mount cameras. The two exceptions are firmware incompatibility (sometimes happens with old lenses on new bodies) and "crop" (EF-S) lenses being impossible to mount on full frame bodies.

I'll tell my EF-S 10-18mm lens to stop mounting on my 6D

Newer lenses are quite a bit more "sturdy" than old ones, so you can pretty comfortably buy second hand, especially from people who buy kits (80D + 18-135) and sell the lens because they do not need it.

 

[CruisinTx]

Greetings from the far side again. The feedback here has been superb compared to a couple of other photo pages I visit. Thank you all.

Seeing as how a couple of other higher quality lenses have been recommended, it raises a few questions in my mind.

Do these other lenses incorporate the same technology as the one that failed me after so short of time (18 months)?

If so, what would I gain from obtaining another lens that will fail in short order at a higher price?

If all Canon lenses use this failing ribbon, would I be better off changing brands? What are other lenses that might be more durable while providing the same quality optics?

I have to ask because the kit lenses we got with the Rebel XSi back in 2008(9?) may not have the quality, but we have shot close to100K images with them without a single problem. I would have thought more expensive lenses would be more reliable than this 17--85 proved to be.

klc

 

[brightcolours]

Greetings from the far side again. The feedback here has been superb compared to a couple of other photo pages I visit. Thank you all.

Seeing as how a couple of other higher quality lenses have been recommended, it raises a few questions in my mind.

Do these other lenses incorporate the same technology as the one that failed me after so short of time (18 months)?

All brands use ribbon cables, not just Canon. Some lenses are known to have this issue frequently (Canon EF-S 17-85mm, Tokina 12-24mm f4 DX), others not.

If so, what would I gain from obtaining another lens that will fail in short order at a higher price?

Most lenses are pretty reliable. The 15-85mm and 18-135mm STM/Nano USM are not known for the same issue.

If all Canon lenses use this failing ribbon,

They don't.

would I be better off changing brands? What are other lenses that might be more durable while providing the same quality optics?

I have to ask because the kit lenses we got with the Rebel XSi back in 2008(9?) may not have the quality, but we have shot close to100K images with them without a single problem. I would have thought more expensive lenses would be more reliable than this 17--85 proved to be.

klc

 

[Giklab]

I really appreciate all these responses so far. While we are working on a tight budget, I am considering upgrading to one of the lenses recommended here. I do have to ask though; are all of those suggested so far compatible with both a Rebel XSi and an 80D? With me recently being retired, we have to be careful with our spending and simply cannot upgrade everything will-nilly

thanks

klc

Yes. Generally, all EF mount lenses are compatible with all EF mount cameras. The two exceptions are firmware incompatibility (sometimes happens with old lenses on new bodies) and "crop" (EF-S) lenses being impossible to mount on full frame bodies.

I'll tell my EF-S 10-18mm lens to stop mounting on my 6D

Interesting. I was under the impression EF-S lenses had a flange thing to prevent that. TIL

 

[Giklab]

Greetings from the far side again. The feedback here has been superb compared to a couple of other photo pages I visit. Thank you all.

Seeing as how a couple of other higher quality lenses have been recommended, it raises a few questions in my mind.

Do these other lenses incorporate the same technology as the one that failed me after so short of time (18 months)?

All brands use ribbon cables, not just Canon. Some lenses are known to have this issue frequently (Canon EF-S 17-85mm, Tokina 12-24mm f4 DX), others not.

I second this, and would add the Canon 17-55 to the list.

If so, what would I gain from obtaining another lens that will fail in short order at a higher price?

Most lenses are pretty reliable. The 15-85mm and 18-135mm STM/Nano USM are not known for the same issue.

There are really only a few lenses with this sort of frequent malfunction, but they are popular enough and have been sold for long enough that the issues keep popping up.

If all Canon lenses use this failing ribbon,

They don't.

Pretty much. All brands have a lens or a few that are stinkers reliability wise. Hello Nikon 24-70 2.8.

would I be better off changing brands? What are other lenses that might be more durable while providing the same quality optics?

I have to ask because the kit lenses we got with the Rebel XSi back in 2008(9?) may not have the quality, but we have shot close to100K images with them without a single problem. I would have thought more expensive lenses would be more reliable than this 17--85 proved to be.

klc

Canon 18-135 STM or USM, Canon 15-85, Sigma 17-50 and 17-70. Tamron's 17-50 is still a solid choice, despite being a bit old nowadays.

 

[Andy01]

I really appreciate all these responses so far. While we are working on a tight budget, I am considering upgrading to one of the lenses recommended here. I do have to ask though; are all of those suggested so far compatible with both a Rebel XSi and an 80D? With me recently being retired, we have to be careful with our spending and simply cannot upgrade everything will-nilly

thanks

klc

Yes. Generally, all EF mount lenses are compatible with all EF mount cameras. The two exceptions are firmware incompatibility (sometimes happens with old lenses on new bodies) and "crop" (EF-S) lenses being impossible to mount on full frame bodies.

I'll tell my EF-S 10-18mm lens to stop mounting on my 6D

Interesting. I was under the impression EF-S lenses had a flange thing to prevent that. TIL

I don't think so.

When I was selling my 17-85mm used, the first prospective buyer took out an old 5D and mounted it - it didn't work of course, but he did manage to mount it.

Colin

 

[Andy01]

Do these other lenses incorporate the same technology as the one that failed me after so short of time (18 months)?

klc

Many people here are using older lenses, particularly L lenses, like the original 24-105L that are 12-15 years old, and still going strong.

Colin

 

[brightcolours]

I really appreciate all these responses so far. While we are working on a tight budget, I am considering upgrading to one of the lenses recommended here. I do have to ask though; are all of those suggested so far compatible with both a Rebel XSi and an 80D? With me recently being retired, we have to be careful with our spending and simply cannot upgrade everything will-nilly

thanks

klc

Yes. Generally, all EF mount lenses are compatible with all EF mount cameras. The two exceptions are firmware incompatibility (sometimes happens with old lenses on new bodies) and "crop" (EF-S) lenses being impossible to mount on full frame bodies.

I'll tell my EF-S 10-18mm lens to stop mounting on my 6D

Interesting. I was under the impression EF-S lenses had a flange thing to prevent that. TIL

The part that hits the FF mirror box can be removed easily (ef-s 10-22mm for instance) or semi-easily (10-18mm + philips screw driver + saw)

 

[Klaus dk]

All brands use ribbon cables, not just Canon. Some lenses are known to have this issue frequently (Canon EF-S 17-85mm, Tokina 12-24mm f4 DX), others not.

I second this, and would add the Canon 17-55 to the list.

I've had a 17-55 break on me twice - two different lenses, both bought second hand. The second one broke today. Growl!

I also had a 10-22 bought second hand dead on arrival. Luckily the seller paid for the repair but it cost almost as much as I paid him for the lens, so he wasn't very happy.