24-70 II slight clicking sound when zooming

[ChrisM]

After returning the lens (Nov 2012 build) that had two tiny bubbles in one of the inner elements, I received the replacement from B&H yesterday. This one (a Feb 2013 build) is, as far as I can tell, perfect...completely silent with no clicking and very sharp optically. Yesterday, I saw a notice on Amazon that said that they were temporarily halting the sale of this lens due to there being a problem with their available stock, which led me to believe they've had a lot of these lenses returned with the clicking problem.

So your February has no sound at all even in a faint room? I returned a March (03) build and got a February (02) build and this one has a faint ticking sound that occurs more often than the 03 build I returned. Guess I'll have to swap out for the 3rd time *sigh.

Nope...definitely no clicking. This thread has made me a bit, um, paranoid, so I've tested the lens for clicking at least two dozen times. Fast zooming...slow zooming...holding the lens right up to my ear...listening in several different rooms in the house ('course, it doesn't help that I collect antique wall clocks...from which the metronomic ticking is a *good* thing). Not even a faint clicking from the lens. Just the normal 'swoosh' during zooming.

Sorry to hear you got a clicking February build. After reading that 'Lastcoyote' got an (02) "clicker", I was afraid mine would click (after reading the serial # on the box) before I even unboxed it. But like those few people who got a silent March 2013 model, perhaps I lucked out in getting a silent February 2013 model. Whew. With 'Murphy' as my last name, luck doesn't always follow me.

 

[lux]

just got a refurb from canon. 032. no clicking

 

[dsc888]

UPDATE...AGAIN!!!

Hey Guys,

I thought I do a little update regarding my situation with this lens. As you may have read in this thread a few weeks back, I returned a "Ticking" March 2013 copy to GearShop (Amazon) and got a good October 2012 unit and was happy. Well, a few days after I posted, I discovered my lens had a very soft lower left corner from 24mm to about 35mm at f2.8 which indicated a decentered element. This time I decided to return my lens for a refund all together.

Fast forward to a few days ago and I started itching for the 24-70mm II again and found out that I could get it for $1999 via Greentoe.com by naming my own price. Adorama sold it for that price and I had it in my hands in under 24 hours. Upon opening the package, I shuddered at the sight of the "032" serial number. I had hoped that Adorama would ship newer batches by now since some here have gotten April 2013 lenses. And indeed, the zoom ticked while zooming out from 70mm back to 24mm. I was ready to RMA it back to them...

I figured that I test out the lens while I had it in my possession since it was a Friday and any exchange won't occur till Monday anyway. This copy was very sharp...sharper than the prior 2 by a bit at 24mm and slightly so at 70mm. AF was dead on...No micro-adjustments needed. Nice! I had played with it on my 5D3 for an hour or so and I started noticing that I was NOT hearing any noise anymore. Interesting, I thought! So I went into a silent room and zoomed out from 70mm to 24mm. And it was 90% gone! I had to leave for work at that point so I had to put everything away for the day.

I came home tonight and played with the zoom ring immediately after dinner. It was still 90% improved. I can hear it faintly but I needed to put my ear right up to the barrel of the lens and listen in total silence to catch it. My hope is that it will slowly improve to the point where it is undetectable in a week or two. And at this point, I think this is a keeper. 3rd time's the charm it seems. But I will keep an ear out to see if it worsens over time. It honestly doesn't bother me at this point. And reports of later June lenses ticking isn't giving me confidence either.

Sorry for the long post, folks. But I felt I had to share my story with you. I feel I can take the noise off my mind now and simply enjoy photography again. I'm blown away at how wonderful this lens is. I'd just wish it was a tad sharper at 70mm where I tend to use it more for portraits. And I'd also wish it was sharper at MFD. But what matters is that the optics is fantastics and the AF accuracy is super, ultra consistent. I tested the lens with small printed text multiple times and I manually turned the focus ring so it that was OOF from MFD to infinity and it nailed the focus each and every time. That was my biggest complaint when I had the Mark I.

Good luck folks! Please keep us all posted if you had a bad copy.

 

[Northstar]

Hey everybody

Got my 24-70 mk II yesterday, no clicking at all.

From Canon Europe though

Zoom ring is a bit tighter than I imagined it would be though

Mine too, tight like my 24-105. I was expecting it to be more like my 70-200 II or 16-35 II. Maybe has something to do the with the design of external zooming to maintain weather seal.

The stiffer zoom is a little disappointing to me as well. I also was hoping for it to be more like my 70-200.

 

[Viggo]

Hey everybody

Got my 24-70 mk II yesterday, no clicking at all.

From Canon Europe though

Zoom ring is a bit tighter than I imagined it would be though

Mine too, tight like my 24-105. I was expecting it to be more like my 70-200 II or 16-35 II. Maybe has something to do the with the design of external zooming to maintain weather seal.

The stiffer zoom is a little disappointing to me as well. I also was hoping for it to be more like my 70-200.

Mine has loosened up so I'm suspecting they all will over time, otherwise the zoom lock would be as useful as a c**k flavored lollipop ...

 

[zaku178]

*sigh 4th lens from B&H and this one is a 062 and of the 4 this one has the loudest click.

 

[dsc888]

*sigh 4th lens from B&H and this one is a 062 and of the 4 this one has the loudest click.

Oh man! Sorry to hear about your latest unit having the ticking. Why don't you try and use it for a few days and see how it works out. Mine has almost completely quieted down to the point where I have to put my ear to within an inch of the lens in a silent room to hear it. And it's an 032 that clicked right out of the box. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Ruined]

Now we have someone whose 24-70 II lens developed a squeaking noise over time:
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=18290.0

I would avoid this lens entirely if you plan to shoot video, as it appears many will develop this zoom noise issue even if they seemed fine at first. Canon also told this individual the squeak was "normal." Not cool, whatever is causing it must not be cheap to fix...

Hopefully the 24-70 IS redesign will come sooner rather than later to replace this apparently faulty zoom design/manufacturing of the 24-70 II... Unacceptable for a $2200 lens!

 

[zaku178]

I guess 5th time is the charm, got a 06 again and this time no ticking, no bubbles on the lens, and no squeaking sounds from zooming in and out on the zoom barrel.

 

[entlassen]

I can't believe this thread was originally made in June. Is there anyone who picked this lens up around Black Friday (via the $1799 sales @ B&H/Amazon) who has gotten a copy with the problem? In other words, is it safe to order now, or is the problem still ongoing even now in early December?

 

[zaku178]

I can't believe this thread was originally made in June. Is there anyone who picked this lens up around Black Friday (via the $1799 sales @ B&H/Amazon) who has gotten a copy with the problem? In other words, is it safe to order now, or is the problem still ongoing even now in early December?

It's all by luck, I've had ticking copies from 02, 04, and 06 serials. I got a ticking 06 in mid November and I was lucky my new 06 copy did not tick or squeak.

 

[Viggo]

Yeah, my mind is blown too, as I thought I just had a bad luck, but it seems I was just one out of very many with same issue.

I have used the 2470 almost exclusively, and a lot, and so far mine does not have the squeak. And for someone from canon stating it's normal? Wow, I would be rather upset..

 

[Ruined]

I can't believe this thread was originally made in June. Is there anyone who picked this lens up around Black Friday (via the $1799 sales @ B&H/Amazon) who has gotten a copy with the problem? In other words, is it safe to order now, or is the problem still ongoing even now in early December?

It's all by luck, I've had ticking copies from 02, 04, and 06 serials. I got a ticking 06 in mid November and I was lucky my new 06 copy did not tick or squeak.

...YET!

 

[Ruined]

Yeah, my mind is blown too, as I thought I just had a bad luck, but it seems I was just one out of very many with same issue.

I have used the 2470 almost exclusively, and a lot, and so far mine does not have the squeak. And for someone from canon stating it's normal? Wow, I would be rather upset..

It is unacceptable, yeah, and I bet expensive to fix given how many lenses are affected. Amazon had to pull down the product page for some time which indicates a lot of people were returning them.

I, too, am wary of the build quality of this lens. And still ticked they failed to implement image stabilization like Tamron did, who are apparently innovative now

 

[entlassen]

The $1699 price is back again. But is it safe to pull the trigger?!

 

[sunnyVan]

I haven't been following this thread. I just got mine abt 10 days ago. So far no problem at all. No clicking noise. Mine appears to have been made in aug2013 if I'm reading correctly.

 

[entlassen]

I haven't been following this thread. I just got mine abt 10 days ago. So far no problem at all. No clicking noise. Mine appears to have been made in aug2013 if I'm reading correctly.

May I ask what are the first 3 digits of the serial, and from which store?

 

[sunnyVan]

I haven't been following this thread. I just got mine abt 10 days ago. So far no problem at all. No clicking noise. Mine appears to have been made in aug2013 if I'm reading correctly.

May I ask what are the first 3 digits of the serial, and from which store?

082 buydig.com

 

[b7a4]

What does this clicking sound like?

 

[entlassen]

I haven't been following this thread. I just got mine abt 10 days ago. So far no problem at all. No clicking noise. Mine appears to have been made in aug2013 if I'm reading correctly.

May I ask what are the first 3 digits of the serial, and from which store?

082 buydig.com

Thanks. I'm glad to see that they are slowly move forward in the batch months.