Weird 16-35mm focusing problem revisited - and fixed!

[chris_hedley]

Just to follow up last week's question, I've got my lens back from Canon already.

Say what you will about them, that's an extremely quick turnaround. I'm not sure

exactly what they found wrong with it: the enclosed note was a bit cryptic for me,

describing the work as "re-collimate lens & adjust best focus position" but I think it's

done the trick. It's still not quite as sharp as my 50mm f1.4 but I think that's an

unfair comparison and I'm probably just nitpicking as it's a lot better than it was!

 

So thanks to everyone for confirming it wasn't just my imagination, I can use my

lens with confidence now! The only thing that still needs fixing is my photographic

skills but that's another matter entirely. :)

[chris_hedley]

Actually in hindsight that turns out to be rather wishful thinking - the problem isn't as bad as it was but it still isn't fixed. Even at f6.3 the edges are still seriously unsharp, particularly down the left hand side. Apologies for posting too hastily announcing that it's been fixed when it hasn't, but after asking someone else's opinion I can't really dismiss it as being "just my problem".

 

Anybody got any suggestions about how to get Canon to actually fix the lens properly? I'm starting to seriously lose confidence in Canon over this and other QC issues I've had with them.

[400bpm]

Chris, I'm sorry to report that I've experienced similar disappointing results from Canon. I dropped my 50mm f/1.4 USM at a concert and sent parts across the floor. Canon got it working again -- all the elements appear to be scratch-free and the thing focuses normally -- however it appears to suffer severe astigmatism at wide apertures.<p>

 

What can be done when you've already had the factory work on your glass and do an insufficient job with it?

[rob_ceres]

Seems like you might be expecting to much. If a lens is dropped and parts come off I think I'd be buying a new one.

[ci_p]

Send it back, and ask them to fix the problem again. And keep doing it until it really *is* fixed. The newer the lens, the more assertive I'd suggest you be.

[ci_p]

If that does not work, you might try visiting their place in person (with the body) and asking them to sort it out. As in "it's your stuff, please make it work". It would also help to confirm that you and they are on the same page as regards what is actually wrong.

[ci_p]

If that does not work, it is less than a year old, and bought in the UK, go through the retailer and make it their problem. If that does not work, try the small claims county court. If it is more than 1 year old, you have a weaker position and you might be best selling it on ebay (though not from the pov of the poor guy that buys it)

[chris_hedley]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not sure what's my situation as I bought if from 7dayshop which is in the Channel Islands, besides which Canon have managed to lose my receipt. I've told them about that and that the lens still isn't satisfactory but they're ignoring my emails, so I guess I'll try the Citizens Advice Bureau next week, who'll probably also suggest taking them to court. It'd be nice if they'd just sort it out without having to get nasty with them, but the cynical part of me suggests that it probably saves them a lot of money as most people probably give up before that point.

[ci_p]

7dayshop is in the channel islands and outside the EU, but they are still subject to UK consumer law. Canon are pretty rubbish with replying to email - you want to be phoning them up. You should have photocopied the receipt. You probably still have a order confimation email from 7dayshop which you can print out.

 

I'd try giving canon another go before talking to 7ds before going for legal action. You have to let them have a decent opportunity to sort things out first.

[watts]

I believe 7dayshop's Canon goods are/were grey imported via the USA. My understanding

is also that warranty repairs were meant to be handled via 7dayshop who sent the goods

back to Canon USA for repair. If this is true, you have done well to get Canon UK to deal

with the lens. Why not give them a call, if they have repaired it once I'm sure they will

'repair' it again. I don't think you will have much luck going back to 7dayshop - I have

found their customer service to be pretty poor (and entirely email based) and I wouldn't

dream of buying anything more expensive than a flash card or a few rolls of film from

them. Without wishing to sound patronising, I think that items like L lenses and EOS

bodies are best bought from a proper UK dealer who will have much closer ties with Canon

UK when things go wrong.

 

On the question of the lens itself, is it possible that you are expecting too much from this

lens? I used to own this lens when it first came out and was never particularly impressed

by it (seemed a lot of bulk and weight to lug around for what I felt were average results).

 

Incidentally, I've noticed that 7dayshop no longer seem to offer Canon products. I have to

wonder what the reason for that is because I'm sure Canon stuff has been a good seller for

7dayshop?

[chris_hedley]

We gave them a call today; their attitude was pretty neutral but at least they've agreed to arrange to have the lens collected and taken back in for another attempt to repair it, so we'll see what happens.

 

The reason I'd originally thought it was fixed is that the right-hand side is no longer out of focus: that area has moved to the bottom left corner instead! I did the standard "newspaper taped to a wall" test and the text in the middle is clear enough (although could be better... perhaps this _is_ where I'm expecting a bit too much) but around the edges and in particular in the bottom left it's practically unreadable, which on an APS-C-size sensor is worrying.

 

With 7dayshop, I understand (perhaps incorrectly) that lenses tend to have a global warranty that Canon UK will honour, it's just camera bodies (can't remember if this is digital, film or both) where you have to be careful. Of course I can't cite any references offhand! But I'm also curious to know why they no longer carry Canon products.

[watts]

I think I read somewhere that Canon Europe was not supplying online dealers or outlets that

don't also have a physical (non-online) retail presence. This would explain why Amazon.co.uk

doesn't directly sell Canon products, whereas Amazon.com does. It might also explain why

7dayshop no longer sell Canon (though I thought their stock had been all grey imported

outside the official Canon channels).

[chiswick_john]

Last time I talked to a canon repair tech in the UK he said it was impossible to adjust the 16-35 to produce uniform resolution at oposite edges and corners. Mine's pretty good from 35-20 on my 5D - it's not stellar at the edges but it's pretty even. You will never get it as good as the 50 1.4 (although it's close at 35mm) as this is a very good lens and exposes Canon's weakness at wide lens design.

[chris_hedley]

Mine's pretty far away from my 50mm even at the 35mm setting. All that said, just to make sure I know what I'm complaining about I tried the newspaper test with the 50mm and the bottom left of the picture is blurred and distorted with that, too, but I suspect the 50mm is okay (at least I never noticed any problems when using it with my EOS 3). So I assume that at least part of the problem is with the camera; weird thing is, the 70-200 f2.8 is also pretty soft (and was with the EOS 3 too) and I'm wondering just how unlucky a person has to be to get this amount of duff equipment (just to add to the list, the EOS 3 had an underexposure problem: not the "usual" one but it underexposed randomly, and my old 28-135mm IS developed a mechanical fault that stopped it working); I'm finding it pretty hard to believe myself.

 

I wonder, now that I've got Canon to agree to pick up the lens, if I should persuade them to just let me send the whole lot back to find out exactly what's wrong with it.