Dust in NEW Canon 17-55... Grrrr!

PilotBrad

Mr UPS was nice enought to drop off my brand new Canon 17-55 f2.8, which came with an added bonus from Canon... a single piece of dust behind the front element.

I know all about the rumored dust problems with this lens, so I don't mean ignite that discussion, but before I pack it up and return this to the vendor (who is now out of stock), I am curious to know how many of you who own this lens received clean copies?

I just don't want to go through the hassle of packing it up and returning it and buying another one, if there is a high likelihood that I will just get another copy with dust.

Scott_Quier

Mine was pristine. A couple of years and some dust behind the first element later, I had a zoom assembly mal-function. So I sent it in for some TLC. It came back clean. I've had it another year since then and it's still clean behind that element. Makes me wonder if they didn't do some sort of un-announced "recall" work while they had in their hands.

Cuong

Mine also came without any dust. I have had this lens for a few years now and it's still pretty clean even though I use it all the time. It's been to Upper Antelope Cyn and came back unscathed.

Cuong

PilotBrad

Thanks guys! I thought about this a bit more after I sent my first note and there is no way I am paying $1,000+ for a lens with ANY dust, so it is going back to the vendor for a refund.

Now I just have to find a place that can get me a replacement by Friday.

studio1972

I know the dust is annoying, but you do realise it actually makes no difference to the image?

PilotBrad

Yea I realize that it makes little difference, but when I buy something new (for any price) I expect it to be perfect.

Perhaps after a few weeks of use it might have a partner or a mate to hang out with, but if after a few months it is still a single solitary speck of dust, then every time I look at it I'll kick myself for not returning it when I had the chance.

I ordered a another one today and hopefully it will be dust free, but at least I'll have something to compare it to.

studio1972

The funny thing is, the more expensive an item is, the less likely it is to be perfect when you buy it. For example, when you buy a new house, try not to think how many builders have had a pee or worse in your en suite toilet already. New cars will have been driven before you get your hands on them as well, for example, and if they get dented, guess what, they just fill and spray the panel.

angevin1

PilotBrad wrote:

I ordered a another one today and hopefully it will be dust free, but at least I'll have something to compare it to.

Sending it back was a good idea. The dust makes me wonder, how clean the room was, how thorough the technician?

cheers,

TeamSpeed

It takes longer to box up the lens and ship it out than it does to clean out the dust. It is very easy to remove that dust, one round label and 3 screws, a quick series of air bursts from a blower, and put it back together. Any 17-55 without a UV filter will eventually pull dust into the gap between the front element and the next series.

kdog

TeamSpeed wrote:

It is very easy to remove that dust, one round label and 3 screws, a quick series of air bursts from a blower, and put it back together.

How do you reattach the round label?

ziggy53

kdog wrote:

How do you reattach the round label?

It is a plastic bezel that attaches with an adhesive tape that usually stays affixed to the bezel, so you just stick it back onto the front of the lens. It is only decorative and some folks probably leave it off entirely.

I suspect that if Canon does the service to clean the lens that they replace the bezel with a new one with fresh tape.

kdog

ziggy53 wrote:

It is a plastic bezel that attaches with an adhesive tape that usually stays affixed to the bezel, so you just stick it back onto the front of the lens.

Thanks, Zig. That was easy. The screws appear to be very small philips screws. Do you or anybody happen to have a link to a particular small screwdriver set that they favor for this sort of thing?

Update: Well, I ordered a 4 piece philips screwdriver set from McMaster-Carr. Sizes 000, 00, 0, 1, stock# 52985A23. No clue if that's correct, but for $15 I figured I'd take a chance.

ziggy53

kdog wrote:

Thanks, Zig. That was easy. The screws appear to be very small philips screws. Do you or anybody happen to have a link to a particular small screwdriver set that they favor for this sort of thing?

I have several different miniature and jeweler's screwdriver sets. I use whatever seems to fit best. Most were either gifts or local acquisitions.

I've used CablesToGo for other things and they usually have pretty good quality so I suppose I would recommend this:

http://www.provantage.com/cables-go-38014~7CBT93NP.htm

ziggy53

kdog wrote:

...

Update: Well, I ordered a 4 piece philips screwdriver set from McMaster-Carr. Sizes 000, 00, 0, 1, stock# 52985A23. No clue if that's correct, but for $15 I figured I'd take a chance.

Those are tiny sizes.

McMaster-Carr do tend to have high quality. Sounds good.

PilotBrad

TeamSpeed wrote:

It takes longer to box up the lens and ship it out than it does to clean out the dust. It is very easy to remove that dust, one round label and 3 screws, a quick series of air bursts from a blower, and put it back together. Any 17-55 without a UV filter will eventually pull dust into the gap between the front element and the next series.

Easy or not, why risk it with a brand new warrantied lens? Especially when the vendor is paying for return shipping and I found a better deal on the new one (USA not import).

While I am somewhat pro-hood and anti-filter, I did decide to filter this lens for the reasons you cite. We'll see how it goes.

PilotBrad

New lens arrived today... no dust... me happy!

ziggy53

PilotBrad wrote:

New lens arrived today... no dust... me happy!

Congratulations. It really is a spectacular performer.

rainbow

ziggy53 wrote:

Congratulations. It really is a spectacular performer.

The other one would have been specktacular, too...

TeamSpeed

PilotBrad wrote:

Easy or not, why risk it with a brand new warrantied lens? Especially when the vendor is paying for return shipping and I found a better deal on the new one (USA not import).

While I am somewhat pro-hood and anti-filter, I did decide to filter this lens for the reasons you cite. We'll see how it goes.

There is really no risk. It is so easy a caveman could do it!

You just need two jewelers screwdrives, one flat and one philips, along with a lit table top and a microfiber towel.

I just look at the fact that 1) I have the hassle of boxing it up and sending it out, just to be without the lens and 2) it most likely will get dust in it eventually. Having done it now on a few different lenses, not just the 17-55 (several are constructed the same way), it is what I would do.

The last lens I purchased for a very, very good price was thought to have a glass defect by the owner. When I received it, I found it to have some sort of animal fur inside that looked like a glass crack. 15 minutes later, the lens was as good as new!

PilotBrad

TeamSpeed wrote:

There is really no risk...

Well I guess we will just have to agree to disagree on this one. I understand what what you are saying, the job doesn't look complicated at all, but the risk to me is that by opening the lens the potential to void the warranty exist. In my case I paid for a US lens, not gray-market version, because I wanted the warranty and doing anything to put that in jeopardy would be IMHO foolish.

Now, if I had bought it used, I would have taken it apart days ago.

bgarland

Thanks for the cleaning tips on this lens. I have one that's about 1 year old and had few dust particles behind the front glass.

It only took me about 10 mins to remove the front bezel and screws, lift out the front lens and easily blow out the dust and reassemble. The Bezel was still very sticky and went right back on with no problem.

Now it looks as good as new.