ryanjoseph Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 <p>Hi guys,<br> I have a Canon EOS 40D and a 17-55mm F2.8 IS that I use with it. When I first bought the lens it was so sharp, I actually thought I was going crazy when it was sharper than my 50mm F1.8. But recently I noticed something h appening with lens, something hard to quantify. My number of "keeper" shots in my photos was decreasing.<br> Not wanting to blame the equipment (I made that mistake in my more novice days when I had a 24-70 F2.8L) I f igured it was simply poor focusing technique. But a couple days ago I was shooting some available light indoor s hots of my little cousin and EVERY single photo was lacking sharpness. I have taken the lens outside and c ompared it to my EF-S 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 MKI that came with my 300D, and to my surprise the 18-55 was actually eating the 17-55 2.8 alive in every variable imaginable. It was sharper, had less CA, and was better in the corners. All shots were tripod mounted at midday.<br> Edit: For some reason half my post is missing after putting it up. To summarize I took the lens in to the most reputable camera repairman in the Dominican Republic, who told me that although its a fantastic lens for some reason he sees alot of them needing realignment because of elements shifting. Does this sound suspect? The only reason I ask is I don't want to end up with a money pit of a lens that needs tweaking every year or two. I was really happy with the lens when it worked, but I am simply concerned about what the guy told me. My Spanish isn't perfect so maybe I misinterpreted what he said.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbkissel Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 <p>I haven't heard any negatives about this lens with respect to realignment issues. And after just recently purchasing this lens, I certainly hope there are no issues. I would think that as long as this lens has been available, there would be quite a few complaints if that were the case. Did you drop your lens or subject it to any sharp impacts?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuppyDigs Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 <p>I have a 3 year old 17-55 IS and it's as sharp as ever. And I've never seen a post about such a problem. However it is not unheard of. My 70-200 4L was sharp and drifted out of alignment and needed service. I never dropped or banged it but noticed a blurry left side after doing a lot of running with my camera/lens on a neck strap. Although it was out of warranty, Canon Hawaii fixed it for free. As I recall my original post on the blurry left side problem offended a few 70-200 L fanboys...</p> Sometimes the light’s all shining on me. Other times I can barely see. - Robert Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertbody Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 <p>It's possible for a lens to need re-alignment, sometimes after a "bump". While never during shooting or holding, while in my bag, there have been opportunities for my lenses to have been bumped accidentally. As far as "age cause mis-alignment" normally that takes years on higher end gear, or many months at least.<br> Sending the lens to the manufacturer as opposed to dealer might help with your confidence level, and hopefully if this happens 2 more times in near future, they would replace your lens perhaps...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony11 Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 <p>I have that lens as well with my 20d with no issues you mention, it's a great lens.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_b.1 Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I don't want to "offend" anybody, but this a common problem reported by wedding photog ...After intenssive use (more than 25K accuations) this lens may develop IS malfunctions and/or sharpness issues. It's not a true pro lens , despite the price and optical quality... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlatko Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 <p>It's a very sharp lens but I tried it for weddings a few years ago and was disappointed when the IS broke. The IS started to vibrate vigorously when the lens was zoomed to about 35mm. It was still under warranty and fixed quickly, but I felt that I couldn't rely on it any more. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjoseph Posted March 17, 2009 Author Share Posted March 17, 2009 <p>Thanks for the insight Puppy, I guess I will just hold my breath and see how the repairs on the lens work out. It was a fantastic lens while it worked well, I hope it comes back with that same magic.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjoseph Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 <p>The technician said the lens was fine and to bring my camera in, and he would match them to each other. Since then my images are tack sharp from this lens again, I don't know what time has to do with that happening though.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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