Are ALL brand new Canon lenses defective?

[curtisnull]

I have gotten in the habit of sending my brand new lenses to the Canon Factory Service Center for warranty repair immediately after I buy it. So far every lens has had something wrong with it. This week I sent in my 11-24/4 and my 16-35/4 and both of them had the same problem. The autofocus module was out of alignment causing slight front focus. Does the Canon factory just not get them right? Are the tolerances for new equipment not up to par with the way CFS specs are?

 

[Loswr]

I trust you know how silly that sounds. Hyperbole is one thing, but this.... :

At any rate, I've bought ~20 lenses, none have needed service.

This week I sent in my 11-24/4 and my 16-35/4 and both of them had the same problem. The autofocus module was out of alignment causing slight front focus.

That's what AFMA is for (and maybe it's your camera - a knock or drop can shift the AF sensor).

 

[Don Haines]

No.

There was one sold in 1973 that was OK.....

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

No.

There was one sold in 1973 that was OK.....

In 1973 there were still no autofocus lenses. ???
I always say that manual focus lenses never miss the focus. Who errs is the photographer. 8)

Must be why the powerful Zeiss Otus has only manual focus. So no one can blame Zeiss lens for your copy is not perfect as it should be a lens $ 4000. :

 

[slclick]

Oh you're still buying the 'L' series? We're up to the 'N''s now. N, for Never Better.

 

[NancyP]

I have been fortunate in that none of my Canon lenses have even been significantly off-true focus even on my first, no-AF microadjustment camera, the 60D. I have been getting lenses in the middle of the pack for a camera in the middle of the pack WRT manufacturing tolerances.

 

[jdramirez]

For what it is worth... I'm usually a little annoyed when I go through the process of afma'ing my lens and it is right around 0. I think, I just spent an hour for nothing. Then just to warrant the time... I go +1 or -1...

 

[JonAustin]

For what it is worth... I'm usually a little annoyed when I go through the process of afma'ing my lens and it is right around 0. I think, I just spent an hour for nothing. Then just to warrant the time... I go +1 or -1...

I just did a quick count, and I have 7 Canon lenses, and have previously owned 7 others. I only have one AFMA-equipped body (5DIII), but I've never AFMA'd any of my lenses.

 

[jdramirez]

For what it is worth... I'm usually a little annoyed when I go through the process of afma'ing my lens and it is right around 0. I think, I just spent an hour for nothing. Then just to warrant the time... I go +1 or -1...

I just did a quick count, and I have 7 Canon lenses, and have previously owned 7 others. I only have one AFMA-equipped body (5DIII), but I've never AFMA'd any of my lenses.

depends on your shooting habits. If you have several f/1.2 or f/1.4 lenses and you shoot wide open often... then it is well worth making sure that you are hitting focus. If you are shooting at f/8... not as big of a deal.

 

[sanj]

For what it is worth... I'm usually a little annoyed when I go through the process of afma'ing my lens and it is right around 0. I think, I just spent an hour for nothing. Then just to warrant the time... I go +1 or -1...

Hahahaha. I identify.

 

[LSeries]

I have gotten in the habit of sending my brand new lenses to the Canon Factory Service Center for warranty repair immediately after I buy it. So far every lens has had something wrong with it. This week I sent in my 11-24/4 and my 16-35/4 and both of them had the same problem. The autofocus module was out of alignment causing slight front focus. Does the Canon factory just not get them right? Are the tolerances for new equipment not up to par with the way CFS specs are?

My Canon 70D and Canon 7D mk2 both allows me to fine-tune AF per lense so I would have "repaired" that by myself instead of sending the lense to Canon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2tKs1zQ58E

 

[Dylan777]

I got mine 85L II yesterday. I haven't done AFMA through Focal yet. These were shot right after I took the lens out from packaging.

First photo focused on the top screw and second photo focused on right-side door knob. Both were shot @ f1.2. Do you think my NEW 85L II has focus issue? The distance between screw to door knob is about 2".

 

[jdramirez]

I got mine 85L II yesterday. I haven't done AFMA through Focal yet. These were shot right after I took the lens out from packaging.

First photo focused on the top screw and second photo focused on right-side door knob. Both were shot @ f1.2. Do you think my NEW 85L II has focus issue? The distance between screw to door knob is about 2".

I know we are all praising the benefits of afma, Is it possible that his body is the outlier... So they are pairing the lenses to the body? I would expect Canon to bring the body and the lenses to zero... But if they are lazy, maybe they just move the afma to +6 and done.

 

[YuengLinger]

More likely ALL brand new photographers are defective. :

 

[wsmith96]

The answer: no.

 

[Hector1970]

No Every Brand new Canon Lens is defective.
In fact they are usually pretty spot on out of the box.
Maybe you are unlucky.
I usually check my technique first and try to improve that.
It's a much more likely source of error.

 

[distant.star]

.
I really hope you don't have children.

I have gotten in the habit of sending my brand new lenses to the Canon Factory Service Center for warranty repair immediately after I buy it. So far every lens has had something wrong with it. This week I sent in my 11-24/4 and my 16-35/4 and both of them had the same problem. The autofocus module was out of alignment causing slight front focus. Does the Canon factory just not get them right? Are the tolerances for new equipment not up to par with the way CFS specs are?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I've had about 100 EF lenses, and had one new one that required enough AFMA that I finally sent it in for adjustment. I bought a used one that was broken, and Canon fixed it.

There are some good articles by Roger Cicala at Lens Rentals, that discuss tolerances of both lenses and bodies.

Understanding the limitations will help people to discover why things are seldom absolutely perfect.

 

[Hjalmarg1]

I have gotten in the habit of sending my brand new lenses to the Canon Factory Service Center for warranty repair immediately after I buy it. So far every lens has had something wrong with it. This week I sent in my 11-24/4 and my 16-35/4 and both of them had the same problem. The autofocus module was out of alignment causing slight front focus. Does the Canon factory just not get them right? Are the tolerances for new equipment not up to par with the way CFS specs are?

I'm usually a little annoyed when I have to go through the process of AFMA'ing my lenses. Only two out of 20 Canon lenses had required AFMA, however never going more than +1 or -1.
I currently own the 16-34/4 and it focuses spot on right out of the box.

 

[Ozarker]

I have gotten in the habit of sending my brand new lenses to the Canon Factory Service Center for warranty repair immediately after I buy it. So far every lens has had something wrong with it. This week I sent in my 11-24/4 and my 16-35/4 and both of them had the same problem. The autofocus module was out of alignment causing slight front focus. Does the Canon factory just not get them right? Are the tolerances for new equipment not up to par with the way CFS specs are?

That's just a service center technician trying to justify the time it took to service a lens that didn't need servicing. I've never had to send a lens in for service. At least now I'll know why it takes so long to get one serviced when I do. I also know, now, not to blame Canon for the prices of new lenses. Imagine the costs incurred by Canon for all the lenses sent in for service just for the heck of it. Thanks a bunch.