After being so careful for years, I dropped my Canon 100-400 mm lens, on a concrete slab, no less. After my heart stopped beating rapidly, I picked it up and examined it carefully. There are a couple of dents, but the glass appears to be OK. It was not mounted when I dropped it, so I put it on my 70D body. It balked while turning it into position, but ultimately "clicked" in place. I tried a couple of shots and all appears to be OK. My lesson: when attaching the lens to a tripod (which I was doing), be VERY careful. My question: should I have the lens inspected and repaired, and if so, by whom? What's the risk of just using it like it is, with the tighter fit?
Send it to Canon. If nothing else they should go in for CLA from time to time.
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seahawk505 wrote:
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Canon 100-400 mm lens, on a concrete slab, no less. After my heart stopped beating rapidly, I picked it up and examined it carefully. There are a couple of dents, but the glass appears to be OK. It was not mounted when I dropped it, so I put it on my 70D body. It balked while turning it into position, but ultimately "clicked" in place. I tried a couple of shots and all appears to be OK. My lesson: when attaching the lens to a tripod (which I was doing), be VERY careful. My question: should I have the lens inspected and repaired, and if so, by whom? What's the risk of just using it like it is, with the tighter fit?
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Can... (
show quote)
If it were mine, I would not hesitate to send it directly to Canon for inspection and repair. You could be damaging the contacts by continuing to use it.
seahawk505 wrote:
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Canon 100-400 mm lens, on a concrete slab, no less. After my heart stopped beating rapidly, I picked it up and examined it carefully. There are a couple of dents, but the glass appears to be OK. It was not mounted when I dropped it, so I put it on my 70D body. It balked while turning it into position, but ultimately "clicked" in place. I tried a couple of shots and all appears to be OK. My lesson: when attaching the lens to a tripod (which I was doing), be VERY careful. My question: should I have the lens inspected and repaired, and if so, by whom? What's the risk of just using it like it is, with the tighter fit?
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Can... (
show quote)
Check the results before sending it to Canon. A few test target shots couple save you a lot of more (and loss of the lens for some time.)
Mac
Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.
seahawk505 wrote:
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Canon 100-400 mm lens, on a concrete slab, no less. After my heart stopped beating rapidly, I picked it up and examined it carefully. There are a couple of dents, but the glass appears to be OK. It was not mounted when I dropped it, so I put it on my 70D body. It balked while turning it into position, but ultimately "clicked" in place. I tried a couple of shots and all appears to be OK. My lesson: when attaching the lens to a tripod (which I was doing), be VERY careful. My question: should I have the lens inspected and repaired, and if so, by whom? What's the risk of just using it like it is, with the tighter fit?
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Can... (
show quote)
Since you had some difficulty attaching it, I think sending it off to the manufacturer or an authorized repair facility would be a good idea.
Mac wrote:
Since you had some difficulty attaching it, I think sending it off to the manufacturer or an authorized repair facility would be a good idea.
Upon further review... I have noted the difficulty you experienced in mounting it -- somehow I missed that -- Canon's repair service gets the nod.
I am sure you are sick, as I would have been, dropping such an expensive lens. I hope it can be repaired like new. Canon will fix you up.
Yes, it was (and is) a sickening feeling. Thank you all for your prompt and helpful responses. I will be sending it off to Canon this week.
Send it off for evaluation and needed repair or adjustment.
I dodged that bullet by dumb luck a few weeks ago. I was dismounting the lens from a camera, got distracted, bumped the table edge and the lens went straight up and then down towards a tile floor. I just reacted and made a desperate one hand grab (camera in the other) and snagged the tripod mount by one finger in the curve where the mount/foot becomes the collar.
I felt pretty weird/relieved and only handled the lenses and bodies with both hands for a couple of days.
davidrb
Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel
seahawk505 wrote:
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Canon 100-400 mm lens, on a concrete slab, no less. After my heart stopped beating rapidly, I picked it up and examined it carefully. There are a couple of dents, but the glass appears to be OK. It was not mounted when I dropped it, so I put it on my 70D body. It balked while turning it into position, but ultimately "clicked" in place. I tried a couple of shots and all appears to be OK. My lesson: when attaching the lens to a tripod (which I was doing), be VERY careful. My question: should I have the lens inspected and repaired, and if so, by whom? What's the risk of just using it like it is, with the tighter fit?
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Can... (
show quote)
Go as fast as you can and buy a lottery ticket! You are incredibly fortunate. The opening statement of your post stopped my heart, I just received a copy of that very lens. Should you have it inspected? It certainly would't cause any harm and it might prevent problems sometime in the future. Consideration should be given to the age and condition of the lens. You must be one hell of a photographer to salvage a lens like that. Nice shooting.
mickley wrote:
Check the results before sending it to Canon. A few test target shots couple save you a lot of more (and loss of the lens for some time.)
Exactly.
If I sent in everything I ever dropped, I'd be broke.
mickley wrote:
Upon further review... I have noted the difficulty you experienced in mounting it -- somehow I missed that -- Canon's repair service gets the nod.
You didn't miss it - you said it balked when being attached. Hence my comment above : "You could be damaging the contacts by continuing to use it."
Edit: Sorry, mickley, I confused you with the OP. I'll crawl back into my hole!
Send it in to Canon but first take a series of test shots you can duplicate after it comes back. You'll have a before and after to see if it was ok, in bad shape, and how their repair worked.
I know how you feel.Been their, done that. I would not use the lens and send it off to Canon?or Canon Authorized repair center for an estimate. Could be you are luck and the lens may be OK to use as is. You will get an honest assessment. My sense is that the maounting section got distorted, causing the tight fit.
seahawk505 wrote:
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Canon 100-400 mm lens, on a concrete slab, no less. After my heart stopped beating rapidly, I picked it up and examined it carefully. There are a couple of dents, but the glass appears to be OK. It was not mounted when I dropped it, so I put it on my 70D body. It balked while turning it into position, but ultimately "clicked" in place. I tried a couple of shots and all appears to be OK. My lesson: when attaching the lens to a tripod (which I was doing), be VERY careful. My question: should I have the lens inspected and repaired, and if so, by whom? What's the risk of just using it like it is, with the tighter fit?
After being so careful for years, I dropped my Can... (
show quote)
pdsdville wrote:
Send it in to Canon but first take a series of test shots you can duplicate after it comes back. You'll have a before and after to see if it was ok, in bad shape, and how their repair worked.
Good idea. If I have to send in a lens for repair I will keep that in mind.g
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