Canon 35 mm F1.4L II USM. Strange sound inside. Bad copy?

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Heres an updated version of the video, with more clarity and sound:

My advice: go out and take pictures. Lots of pictures, more or less artistical. Different apertures, different focus distances, flat subjects, 3D subjects and so on. Then please come back and post them. If anyone here can spot any flaws caused by the lens, then you can start to worry...
 
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My advice: go out and take pictures. Lots of pictures, more or less artistical. Different apertures, different focus distances, flat subjects, 3D subjects and so on. Then please come back and post them. If anyone here can spot any flaws caused by the lens, then you can start to worry...

Please, dont be condescending. The topic of the thread never was IQ. Im only pointing out a valid subject, that is build quality. If you never worry about build quality on your usd1600+ lenses i envy you. I work hard to get the money to get these, and when i buy them, i expect what is advertised, a premium build quality lens. In this case, a clanking focus ring, in my opinion, doesnt qualify as such. Thanks for the reply.
 
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Heres an updated version of the video, with more clarity and sound:

I've watched your new video, thanks.

Mine definitely doesn't make any sound like that - in fact the only very slight sound emanating from it is actually a little bit of play between the lens body and the lens cap itself, which creates a slight rattle. No sound at all with the lens cap off.

Good luck.
 
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Please, dont be condescending. The topic of the thread never was IQ. Im only pointing out a valid subject, that is build quality. If you never worry about build quality on your usd1600+ lenses i envy you. I work hard to get the money to get these, and when i buy them, i expect what is advertised, a premium build quality lens. In this case, a clanking focus ring, in my opinion, doesnt qualify as such. Thanks for the reply.

It was never meant to be condescending, sorry if it sounded that way to you. I was sincerely trying to help, as I thought the thread topic was more like "is this issue enough reason to send the lens back". Maybe I was wrong.
If the lens helps you take good quality pictures, then that would be my primary consideration. I can imagine that the slightly loose focus ring could (but doesn't need to) represent a problem only in very harsh weather conditions like heavy rain or sand storms.
 
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It was never meant to be condescending, sorry if it sounded that way to you. I was sincerely trying to help, as I thought the thread topic was more like "is this issue enough reason to send the lens back". Maybe I was wrong.
If the lens helps you take good quality pictures, then that would be my primary consideration. I can imagine that the slightly loose focus ring could (or could not) represent a problem only in very harsh weather conditions.

No harm done. Sorry if i sounded a bit to harsh, but im so angry right now... the op showed a youtube video where a lot of people comment on how normal this problem is... and thats what gets me angry... people accepting the problem and canon getting away with it.
 
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Michael Clark

Now we see through a glass, darkly...
Apr 5, 2016
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I would dump it. I bought a 50 L f1.2 from Canon, and THE DAY I bought it, I dropped it 1 meter onto padded carpet, and it didn't work right, sounded weird when I shook it, and squeaked when it autofocused. I should have quietly returned it and pretended I never dropped it, but instead I had it repaired by Canon, which they did for free. It works now, but it still has a squeak, and sometimes it will not focus to the MFD. When I ask Canon to look at it again, they say "It is fine, It is fine, no repairs needed." The whole situation has me soured on L build quality, and this happened a month before the R came out, so I look at my L glass now and wish I never bought most of it. If you aren't 1000% sure, send it back. They charge too much and do too little on EF L. Honestly, they should have a buyback program for all the people with huge EF glass investments who were waiting on Canon's "sexy" solution for mirrorless mount that didn't involve adapters, like they claimed they were doing. I feel a bit betrayed.


It's not really an "adapter" the way most photographers think of adapters. It is a "registration distance spacer." It's a lot more like a Canon extender than an adapter.

The EOS communication protocols are all the same: EF, EF-S, EF-M, and RF. Other than AF, ditto for MP-E and TS-E. While RF does have capability of higher bandwidth communication, the RF cameras are all 100% backwards compatible with every EF lens made since 1987. It's not like putting a third party adapter between EF glass and a Sony body and giving up a lot in terms of AF performance.
 
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YuengLinger

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Don't stress. Just send it back for a replacement. If your gut is telling you something is wrong, go with it. Your description is telling me something is wrong.

For the record, mine, two years old now, used a lot, does not have the play in the very smooth focusing ring, and no sound and all when shaken (gently!).

Who knows? You might have somebody else's return, or the package might have been dropped pretty hard but not showing damage. IMO, this 35mm represents the pinnacle of Canon's non big-white primes. You should be comfortable, excited, and thrilled to have such a lens--not worried!
 
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Don't stress. Just send it back for a replacement. If your gut is telling you something is wrong, go with it. Your description is telling me something is wrong.

For the record, mine, two years old now, used a lot, does not have the play in the very smooth focusing ring, and no sound and all when shaken (gently!).

Who knows? You might have somebody else's return, or the package might have been dropped pretty hard but not showing damage. IMO, this 35mm represents the pinnacle of Canon's non big-white primes. You should be comfortable, excited, and thrilled to have such a lens--not worried!
"Just send it back for a replacement" .. the process is not so easy as you think. I've sent it to CPS for quality control about this problems. I've spent extra 300$ for DHL delivery to them. One week later I received the answer: "It is normal for this lens." , "all works in Canon specifications" ... and i 've received the lens back...
It was the main CPS of Russia, Canon Inc. So, manufacturer's answer is ... "all is ok"..
And i can't return the lens back, because i've bought it directly from them (canon online shop).
 
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Dec 13, 2010
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"Just send it back for a replacement" .. the process is not so easy as you think. I've sent it to CPS for quality control about this problems. I've spent extra 300$ for DHL delivery to them. One week later I received the answer: "It is normal for this lens." , "all works in Canon specifications" ... and i 've received the lens back...
It was the main CPS of Russia, Canon Inc. So, manufacturer's answer is ... "all is ok"..
And i can't return the lens back, because i've bought it directly from them (canon online shop).
I’ve been in this situation a couple of times, one with a used lens and one with a new lens.

I sent it for service, came back with and “it’s okay”. So I decided to cut my loss and sold it since it was confirmed okay, bought another one, and the guys who my old ones were just as happy as me with another one.

If you’re like me, this issue will overshadow any joy owning the lens, get rid of it since it’s okay and get another copy. If it’s the same you know it’s normal, if it works, then.. yay!
 
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