EF 70-200 f2.8 IS L USM MKII weird noise (attached)

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victorwol

victorwol

Mar 19, 2012
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#1
Hi! My EF 70-200 f2.8 IS L USM MKII is making a weird noise since I started using it with the 1D X... I do not remember this "gear" noise in the past, just a faint whoosh... a lot lest than the MKI version. I sent it to the CPS service and they say there is nothing wrong and that the noise is normal.... I do not have another at hand to test, but I sent this sound file to my nephew who have the same (purchased both at the same time) and he says the noise of his is not even close to this one I have. Even my Sigma 120-300 that is twice as big makes less noise.

This noise is when it engages and release the IS not during.

I'll appreciate if you can download the file and listen and compare to yours.

Thanks.
 

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#2
My 70-200mm f/2:8 IS II USM does the same thing. It started within the warranty period, about 3 months or so after I bought it. I spent around $100.US to send it back to Canon after speaking with one of their reps. They sent it back 10 days later and said nothing was wrong with it...

I tried it out again and within 1 day it was doing it again. It doesn't do it all the time and like another poster mentioned, it seems to do it more when it's pointed down... I started to think that maybe it's the shutter button getting stuck 1/2 way down, because it makes the noise sometimes when I'm not even touching the button, but after I have shot a couple photos, then let the camera swing down or move it in another way, perhaps to change my settings.

I've noticed that it can effect my focus on the very next shot sometimes, unless I push the shutter again. I moved my focus to the back button, but it still does it. Not a lot, but enough to really bug me sometimes... It's a lot of money to have a lens act like that. Canon suggested that if it continued to do it to send it back, but send it with the camera, as perhaps the camera has the issue and not the lens, but it only does it with that lens, so I'm not sure...

Doesn't do it with any of my other lenses...
 
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#4
Mine started doing it shortly after I bought it, I'm kind of got used to it by now. The lens is super sharp so I don't mind the subtle noise when you press the shutter half way. I've heard this is common in this lens so I haven't sent it to canon.
 
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#5
Mine makes a similar noise, it's not very loud though - can be heard in a quiet room, not outside. Most IS lenses make some noise when the IS system activates and deactivates. My 24-105L, 28-300L, and 100L produce a similar sound. My 100-400L does, as well, but it's louder, and with that lens you can actually hear the IS system operating between the start and stop sounds, sort of a faint buzz. I had a 300/4L IS previously, and when the IS engaged/disengaged on that lens, it did so with a loud 'clunk' that could be both heard and felt, and during operation the sound was almost a low growl.

I wouldn't be concerned about it...
 
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#7
neuroanatomist said:
Mine makes a similar noise, it's not very loud though - can be heard in a quiet room, not outside. Most IS lenses make some noise when the IS system activates and deactivates. My 24-105L, 28-300L, and 100L produce a similar sound. My 100-400L does, as well, but it's louder, and with that lens you can actually hear the IS system operating between the start and stop sounds, sort of a faint buzz. I had a 300/4L IS previously, and when the IS engaged/disengaged on that lens, it did so with a loud 'clunk' that could be both heard and felt, and during operation the sound was almost a low growl.

I wouldn't be concerned about it...
Click to expand...

Well.... I least I have proof that Insent it to Canon if the lens crap on me soon... This sound is a lot more louder than what the version 1 of the lens did, and what bothers me is that can be heard by people when I'm using it is a quiet place what was totally silent in the past along with the silent mode of the 5D MKIII was perfect to take photos without being noticed too much, not at least by the sound
 
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#8
Hard to judge relative sound levels from a video or audio clip, but looking at the video posted above with the sound of moving a switch on the lens as reference, I'd say the sound made by the lens in the video is noticeably louder than my copy of the lens.

When I say, 'can be heard in a quiet room,' I mean late at night after eveyone else is asleep quiet. Even the noise of a ceiling fan or the AC blowing through the vents is enough to mask it.
 
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#9
I got my lens back... CPS service sent it back without even answering my emails with some questions about it.. Cool I got it soon... Not cool I was not answered or warned it was coming. Not like to have boxes laying on my porch with $2K lenses inside...

Even if the say the lens was fine and had nothing, it does not makes the same sound, it's a lot less louder... Before my wife could hear it across the living room, with the TV on....
 
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#10
It *IS* a faulty IS unit.

How do I know? I have had three of them!

The original 70-200 II I bought did this right out of the box. I sent it back and got a replacement.

The second unit worked fine for about 8 months. After that, I start getting the grinding/grunt sound. I sent to Canon and they said the IS was not working properly and replaced IS assembly six or something of the sort. After that, it never made a noise again.

When 70-200 II's went on sale cheap during rebates, I bought another unit. Just because it would refresh my warranty another two years... That unit start doing it as well a few months in.... Sent to Canon and they replaced the same exact IS assembly part. No noises since...
 
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#11
victorwol said:
I got my lens back... CPS service sent it back without even answering my emails with some questions about it.. Cool I got it soon... Not cool I was not answered or warned it was coming. Not like to have boxes laying on my porch with $2K lenses inside...

Even if the say the lens was fine and had nothing, it does not makes the same sound, it's a lot less louder... Before my wife could hear it across the living room, with the TV on....
Click to expand...

That is how loud mine was (could hear it from 10 feet away outside) and there was a big vibration like plastic gears not wanting to spin but being forced to. There was definitely something wrong with the copy I had. My new copy only makes a very little sound (like my version I copy) and has next to no vibration.
 
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#12
Mine makes this sound but it's very quiet. It's just loud enough to hear that it's engaging or disengaging. I actually prefer it to make this sound because sometimes I don't want IS on and the sound makes me realize it's on. The IS engaging/disengaging sound is very similar to the 70-300mm DO lens I had previously, and I've heard it as well with the f/4L IS version so I am not concerned by it.
 
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#13
I am having this problem with the same lens now. I was taking photos outdoors and just put the camera at my side to rest when it started this loud buzzing like it was being forced to focus. I was pretty sure I wasn't even touching the shutter release at the time. I started looking at some images on the camera and then turned on live view and noticed the buzzing again when focusing. Then I turned off live view and started taking some shots, this time the sound was gone. Then I turned live view back on just to see if it was still happening and there it was again. I played around with it for another minute or so when suddenly the problem went away. I went inside my house and tried to get the same problem and I couldn't get it to happen again. I can more then likely still return the lens for another copy but whats worrying is that the problem didn't occur immediately. What if it happens months down the road or even past the 1 year warranty period? I live near a Canon service center but when you pay that kind of money you expect its going to be problem free for the next few years.
 
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#14
I've had two copies of the 70-200f/2.8 L IS II, first copy went into the Ocean off a Boat attached to a 5DMK2 (I think this goes under Operator Error/stupidity), now I have a another unit that I use on my 1Dx/5DMK3, neither unit has had this issue, but, My 200f/2 L was making this exact same noise when I first received my 5DMK3 (wasn't an issue on the 5DMK2), When I received my 1Dx it wasn't an issue on this Camera, only the 5DMK3, I eventually sent it into Canon Singapore for new Firmware ?? Came back Ok no noise. Definitely an IS issue, from the Posts though it sounds like it can be an issue at any time during the Lens life, I always check the lens in the shop prior to walking out the door, but would seem this is an issue that could generate immediately, or over time, considering it's such a damn good Lens & not cheap, bit disappointing.
 
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