Canon 135mm f/2.....Is this normal?

[Bill]

When in dark lighting, when the AF is trying to find focus, the lens makes HARD stops going back & forth, trying to find focus....making small but noticeable clunking noises. I can even feel the vibrations coming from the lens. It sort of reminds me of a car trying to get a parking space & keeps bumping into other cars. My other Cannon lenes do not do this. Is this normal for this lens? Thanks, Bill

 

[Jim Saunders]

I seem to recall my 300 f/4 doing something similar. What body do you get this with?

Jim

 

[Bill]

I have the Canon 5D Markiii.

 

[wickidwombat]

mine does nothing like that on the 5D3 or the eos-M
you can feel a very slight vibration of the usm if holding the barrel but no clunking or banging

the 300f4L IS clunks because that the old generation IS making the clunking but it shouldnt be clunking at the ends of the focus range

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Mine doesn't do it on my 5D MK III. It might be time to send it in for a tuneup before something serious happens. Failures always happen at the wrong time, so a early warning should not be ignored.

 

[Sporgon]

When in dark lighting, when the AF is trying to find focus, the lens makes HARD stops going back & forth, trying to find focus....making small but noticeable clunking noises. I can even feel the vibrations coming from the lens. It sort of reminds me of a car trying to get a parking space & keeps bumping into other cars. My other Cannon lenes do not do this. Is this normal for this lens? Thanks, Bill

If it's in dark conditions is the lens hunting focus from one extreme to the other ? I've had this with the 135L in very low light and it does 'thump' at each extreme. The lens is very fast on AF so it can cycle through the full focus range very quickly.

 

[Bill]

Well.....I just got this lens two weeks ago. I love the lens & the photos I get from it. ....But this this Canon 135mm sort of has it's own personality. It is what I call an aggressive lens.....What I mean is, the photos are so sharp & compressed....it's all business with this guy & he does not fool around. It seems to me that when it is trying to get focus & cannot find it .....it throws a temper tantrum! .....Well at least the lens they sent me. Thats why I wanted to know if they all did this. ??? https://www.flickr.com/photos/116908683@N05/

 

[Sporgon]

Well.....I just got this lens two weeks ago. I love the lens & the photos I get from it. ....But this this Canon 135mm sort of has it's own personality. It is what I call an aggressive lens.....What I mean is, the photos are so sharp & compressed....it's all business with this guy & he does not fool around. It seems to me that when it is trying to get focus & cannot find it .....it throws a temper tantrum! .....Well at least the lens they sent me. Thats why I wanted to know if they all did this. ???

If it's hunting focus from one extreme to the other (which it can do very quickly ), then yes, they all do. There's no focus limiter on the 135L.

 

[Bill]

Well...OK.....I guess that answers my question. No doubt , It is very fast to focus. And it does it with some major authority. Thanks.... Bill https://www.flickr.com/photos/116908683@N05/

 

[Stig]

There's no focus limiter on the 135L.

there is, 0.9m, or 1.6m-infinity

 

[Sporgon]

There's no focus limiter on the 135L.

there is, 0.9m, or 1.6m-infinity

I stand corrected. I've sold mine and forgotten it had one on. Suggest the OP sets it to stop the AF cycling right back to closes focus !