canon 400 2.8 is - repair anyone had?

KIPAX

KIPAX

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KIPAX Lancashire UK
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I think my connections to camera is worn ... tried with diff bodies and keep getting error 001 connection problems.... getting worse... deffo the lens.. cleaned the connections.. but still doing..

unfortunatly CPS dont cover this anymore

anyone had the top end/conenctions replaced and if so how much ?
 
Have you looked at the mount rings on camera and lens ?
I have a similar problem with my nikon 400. The mounts were loose. Just needed to tighten the mount screws. Hope it is this simple.
 
I had the lens mount replaced on a 70 -200 including a flat strip type cable about 4 years ago and it was £140. I would imagine all canon mounts are the same regardless of the lens
 
Yeagh been googling... shouldnt be too expensive Jim

john yes cleaned and tightened everything... maybe just a simple mount replace.. wondering if easy enough to do myself


CPS dont do repairs... canon do repairs and if you are in cps then the turnaround time is guaranteed to a couple of days.. however as this lens no longer supported by cps.. can still get repaired but could be a couple of weeks and i cant afford to be without it :(
 
going to phone independant fixers.. see if i can book in for specific job.. take down get done.. seems reasonable if they ahve the exact job.. can get the part in advance...hmmm
 
With a lens of this quality and value I would only trust it to Canon , It would be a selling advantage as its been in for a service if you decide to sell it and came out with a clean bill of health
 
F1.2 said:
With a lens of this quality and value I would only trust it to Canon , It would be a selling advantage as its been in for a service if you decide to sell it and came out with a clean bill of health
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its been in for many services :) i wasn't thinking of joes camera shop in a backstreet... it would be a canon one.. just not canon itself at elstree.. they do have offical canon fixer upper places :) service centres
 
KIPAX said:
CPS dont do repairs... canon do repairs and if you are in cps then the turnaround time is guaranteed to a couple of days.. however as this lens no longer supported by cps.. can still get repaired but could be a couple of weeks and i cant afford to be without it :(
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Really? I'm in CPS and I get a 1-2 day turnround time on *everything* I send to Canon at Elstree. It makes no difference whether it's one of the bits of equipment that counts towards the CPS qualification (eg big L lenses, pro cameras etc), or something else (eg EF-S lenses, non-L 70-300 etc)
 
StewartR said:
Really? I'm in CPS and I get a 1-2 day turnround time on *everything* I send to Canon at Elstree. It makes no difference whether it's one of the bits of equipment that counts towards the CPS qualification (eg big L lenses, pro cameras etc), or something else (eg EF-S lenses, non-L 70-300 etc)
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You certainly know more than me on the subject thats for sure :)

In my CPS control panel my list of equipment the last collum is CPS SUPPORTED and all my equipment has a tick.. but the 400 2.8 is . has an X next to it

we got a newsletter or ? stating certain lenses no longer supported...

so whats it all mean then ?
 
Still like to know what the script is with CPS not supporting equipment and what it means to the CPS user..

However... my problem with the 400 may be solved [blushes]

I had camera A on 400 lens and it would lock up now and then with err 01 communication problem.. So I changed to camera B to see if still a problem and it was...therefore common sense says problem with lens yes?

get my missus to give the lens mount a real good clean.. the coonections and the rubber seal ..go out and the problem is just getting worse (still using camera B

Last night I checked camera B mount and all the screws where loose ...very loose in fact.... so i tightened them all... checked the other cameras and There all OK

I am guessing the full good clean of the camera mount will have fixed the problem on camera A and the screws tightened fix on camera B

Having TWO problems at once led me to believe the lens was at fault.. I have a cup final to photo tonight... first half with camera B that was really bad (loose screws) and second half with camera A (possible cleaning fix) fingers crossed but I ahve a feeling all will be OK :)
 
If you still have problems get in touch with Alan Marlow http://www.cam-rep.co.uk . Cheap and fantastic work he has recently repaired my Sony SEL 24-70mm (AF had packed up) for a fraction of what Sony charge and it's working like new again. I won't use anyone else for any lens.
 
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aliengrove said:
If you still have problems get in touch with Alan Marlow http://www.cam-rep.co.uk . Cheap and fantastic work he has recently repaired my Sony SEL 24-70mm (AF had packed up) for a fraction of what Sony charge and it's working like new again. I won't use anyone else for any lens.
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Cheers for the thought mate..much appreciated but gonna stick with canon repair centers...hwoever if he was closer to me i would use for minor repairs and sensor cleanign and stuff for sure.. bot t'other side of country :)
 
Remember to keep checking the screws as they are a JIS screw head and not a philips or posidrive. You can buy JIS screwdrivers in the UK, it's often a good idea as it reduces the risk of damage to the screw head. :rolleyes:
 
admirable said:
Remember to keep checking the screws as they are a JIS screw head and not a philips or posidrive. You can buy JIS screwdrivers in the UK, it's often a good idea as it reduces the risk of damage to the screw head. :rolleyes:
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yeagh good advice :) took ages to find one.. cost me about 30 quid...
 
KIPAX said:
Still like to know what the script is with CPS not supporting equipment and what it means to the CPS user..
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This is what it says on the CPS website:
Unfortunately Canon is not able to provide repair within the CPS stated turnaround on some of its older and discontinued models due to the difficulty in sourcing parts. Please be aware that from time-to-time items will be removed from the CPS supported list; this may affect your CPS membership. However, you can still associate these products with your accounts and most are repairable under non-CPS service turnaround times, please speak to your local repair centre for further details.
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http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/services/faqs.do
 
Doesnt that support what I said? yet you get the cps turnaround on everything... is it because your high volume so they look after you more?
 
KIPAX said:
Doesnt that support what I said? yet you get the cps turnaround on everything... is it because your high volume so they look after you more?
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I think there are actually two reason for a type of equipment not being supported by CPS:
(1) it's too cheap
(2) they can't guarantee having the spare parts

If it's type (1), and you qualify for CPS by virtue of your other equipment, it will be repaired just as fast as the CPS-supported equipment.
If it's type (2), they'll do the best they can, but it might take a while if they have to source spare parts from elsewhere.

My experience is all type I1), but you're type (2). I reckon if you send it to Elstree it will probably come back pretty quickly. They've only recently stopped supporting this lens under CPS, so that say to me they are short of a few types of spare parts but not all types of spare parts. You'd be pretty unlucky if the spare part yours needs is one that they're short of.

I'm just a "standard" Platinum CPS. When I spoke to some of the Canon service guys at the Photography Show, they expressed surprise at that, because they thought with my volume of business I'd have some sort of super bespoke deal. But the service level I currently get is fine for me.
 
Mines a Platinum account :) its strange as I have a 135mm f2 bought in 2009 thats listed as supported but the newer 400 2.8 isn't .. hmm I guess its wait and see when the time comes to send it.. hoping my current problem is sorted tonight :)
 
KIPAX said:
its strange as I have a 135mm f2 bought in 2009 thats listed as supported but the newer 400 2.8 isn't
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The 135 is still in production so they're still making spares. Plus it's a fairly standard sort of size so it's possible that it shares a number of components with other similarly-sized lenses. By contrast the 400 was superseded in 2011, and it's not a common size so it probably has very few components in common with other lenses.
 
StewartR said:
The 135 is still in production so they're still making spares. Plus it's a fairly standard sort of size so it's possible that it shares a number of components with other similarly-sized lenses. By contrast the 400 was superseded in 2011, and it's not a common size so it probably has very few components in common with other lenses.
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All makes sense...

Strangely enough.. apart from the 300mm I wish I had never sold you :( the 135 is the best lens I have ever owned.. pin sharp at f2 any distance :)
 
KIPAX said:
I think my connections to camera is worn ... tried with diff bodies and keep getting error 001 connection problems.... getting worse... deffo the lens.. cleaned the connections.. but still doing..

unfortunatly CPS dont cover this anymore

anyone had the top end/conenctions replaced and if so how much ?
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yes I had a 400 f2.8 is mk1 and had the mounting ring replaced, sent it in from Harrisons in Sheffield and I'm sure it was less that 300 quid :)
 
Good to hear it was simple repair.
I always have a screwdriver set in my bag now.
My D4s / 400 mounts came loose all the time.I check every time i use it them. Should get it sorted.
I think if you are like me, and you travel often putting everything in the back of the car, the vibrations (especial in planes) somehow loosen the mount screws.
 
pope said:
Good to hear it was simple repair.
I always have a screwdriver set in my bag now.
My D4s / 400 mounts came loose all the time.I check every time i use it them. Should get it sorted.
I think if you are like me, and you travel often putting everything in the back of the car, the vibrations (especial in planes) somehow loosen the mount screws.
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yeagh I think the peli case vibrations are my biggets problem.. changed to soft wheels and carry over rougher ground but it's a very heavy case and i am getting older every day so hard to carry :)

Did a football match last night and all seemed well.. got some schools rugby this mornign and another match tonight so if still OK by end of tonight then calling fixed.. but pretty confident..

yes got the expensive JIS screwdrivers with me at all times just in case... just never had the actual camera body mount loos before.. lots of lens screws yes... oh hum lesson learnt .
 
Glad to hear you appear to have it sorted Tony

As far as CPS is concerned - I spoke to Elstree on Tuesday as I have to get a repair done to my 400 f2.8 IS - I explained I am a CPS platinum member and that the lens is the only bit of gear that's not qualified - they told me that if it doesn't qualify any more then it gets treated as a normal member of the public sending it in - got told if parts are available then it will take about two weeks to sort.

So I'm off to Elstree via Edinburgh and Luton airports this coming week to hand it in and see what can be done.

Moral of my story is if you carry a 400 over your shoulder on a monopod then make sure you also have a strap around your neck to secure it

IMG_6525 2.jpg
 
davidy233 said:
Glad to hear you appear to have it sorted Tony
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Yes did two jobs yesterday and all hunkey dorey.. so it was two seperate problems making it look like the lens at fault ..


davidy233 said:
As far as CPS is concerned - I spoke to Elstree on Tuesday as I have to get a repair done to my 400 f2.8 IS - I explained I am a CPS platinum member and that the lens is the only bit of gear that's not qualified -
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Exact same position as me.

davidy233 said:
they told me that if it doesn't qualify any more then it gets treated as a normal member of the public sending it in - got told if parts are available then it will take about two weeks to sort.
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Thats how I read the situation before someone got my hopes up :) Oh dear how bad is that :( I couldn't do without mine any time of year for more than one week let alone two or more but couldn't afford to hire in either.. 400 being a 400 its the only bit of kit that isn't backed up or have a lens B to use.. As football finishes I am on cricket sat and sun this weekend and every weekend ..(not my fav job either)

davidy233 said:
Moral of my story is if you carry a 400 over your shoulder on a monopod then make sure you also have a strap around your neck to secure it
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OUCH! .. But.. Surely if they already know what the problem (as with yours) and what needs doing before you take it then they can check if they ahve the part and be prepared for you.. that was my plan if i needed a new mount...

PS I never carry mine like that and never have... it's got a great big handle so I use it...always have

I guess the idea is to upgrade to 400 mkII but to be perfectly honest my 400 is bang on.. i cant see how a mkII would be much improvement.. if it is then its certainly not enough to spend thousands on....is that your thinking
 
KIPAX said:
Thats how I read the situation before someone got my hopes up :) Oh dear how bad is that :( I couldn't do without mine any time of year for more than one week let alone two or more but couldn't afford to hire in either.. 400 being a 400 its the only bit of kit that isn't backed up or have a lens B to use.. As football finishes I am on cricket sat and sun this weekend and every weekend ..(not my fav job either)
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I'm using a 300 F4 L while it's out of action - can just about get away with it for most of the stuff I'm doing - it's nothing like the same though

KIPAX said:
PS I never carry mine like that and never have... it's got a great big handle so I use it...always have
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Hopefully I can get it fixed and have learned my lesson - at match on Saturday every photographer was carrying their 400 over their shoulder - luckily I was on grass when it fell - if it had been on the track of a professional ground I'd be down a 1dx too

KIPAX said:
I guess the idea is to upgrade to 400 mkII but to be perfectly honest my 400 is bang on.. i cant see how a mkII would be much improvement.. if it is then its certainly not enough to spend thousands on....is that your thinking
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My 400 was also bang on - and I can't really afford a mkii at the moment
 
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KIPAX said:
I guess the idea is to upgrade to 400 mkII but to be perfectly honest my 400 is bang on.. i cant see how a mkII would be much improvement.. if it is then its certainly not enough to spend thousands on....is that your thinking
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Optically, trying to discern any difference between them is like counting how many angels fit on the head of a pin. Pointless. The Mk I is super brilliant and the Mk II is super brilliant plus a little bit.

The big benefit to upgrading is the weight. Canon have cut a HUGE amount of weight out of it - from 5.4kg to 3.8kg. I can use it hand-held. (I'd rather not, and I certainly couldn't for an extended duration like a football match, but it is at least doable.) I'm sure that's the only reason why they've been able to tempt lots of pros into spending the £££££.
 
davidy233 said:
on Saturday every photographer was carrying their 400 over their shoulder -
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Yes i see exactly the same thing.. I am usually he only one using the handle as intended haha.. they even carry them like that in the rain with lens pointing upwards and i just don't get it :)
 
StewartR said:
The big benefit to upgrading is the weight. Canon have cut a HUGE amount of weight out of it - from 5.4kg to 3.8kg.
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Well i tried an older pre IS model and gave up on it many years ago.. was just tooooo heavy so this one seems light.. but peli case on wheels or on sack truck for distance and using a monopod I think I will stick to this model :) Hate getting to grounds that want me to use stairs and I have to carry the peli with 3 bodies.. the 400, 70-200 and 24-70 lens plus bits n bats... I am over 60 and not mister muscles :(
 
Thought I'd do a quick update on this

As noted above I was told on the phone that my 400 wasn't covered by CPS anymore and that it would have to be dealt with as a non CPS customer repair with a time of 2-3 weeks.

Not trusting it to the post I booked a cheap flight to Luton and headed off to Elstree this week.

Walked in and showed them my 400 and it's cracked mount - they said we can fix it but we'll have to give a quote. Got asked if I was a CPS member and on saying yes they said told me that once I'd accepted quote then if parts were in stock it would be a couple of days.

Got quote next day (Wednesday) and accepted it (much better price than I'd guessed) - Got phone call first thing Thursday to say 'Sorry but one of the parts we need is going to have to come from Japan, could take a couple of weeks - My heart sunk.

Then the guy said 'Would you like a loaner until it's fixed' - Yes please

Loaner arrived this morning and the 300 f4 is back on the 'Only use in case of emergency' shelf.

Now I don't know if I would have got the same service if I hadn't made the trip down to Herftordshire - but Absolutely top service from Canon repair and CPS
 
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davidy233 said:
Now I don't know if I would have got the same service if I hadn't made the trip down to Herftordshire - but Absolutely top service from Canon repair and CPS
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hmmm

I was finally going to elstree with my 400 today... have been plodding throuhg... mine packs up now and then with connection problems..... have a 24-70 with dodgy front glass and also want my 1dxII clean and service... so getting all done..

Well i got a job this coming sunday thats a series of three games from an important customer.. i decided i couldnt take the risk of not having the 400.... so plan B :( Am going to post the 24-70 and 1dx using canons £25 cps post offer.... then going to contact leihmans in stoke to get the rear mount replaced.. as its a fixed job they should be able to get the part ready so i can drop off and pick up day or 2 later..

my 400 problems are err 01 .. it just stops workign with bad connnection.. turning on off or unlocking lens/twist/and back it works OK again.... so am guessing new rear mount will fix...
 
KIPAX said:
You certainly know more than me on the subject thats for sure :)

In my CPS control panel my list of equipment the last collum is CPS SUPPORTED and all my equipment has a tick.. but the 400 2.8 is . has an X next to it

we got a newsletter or ? stating certain lenses no longer supported...

so whats it all mean then ?
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I just had my 50D repaired, it too was no longer CPS supported and went wrong about 3 weeks after the e-mail, but they fixed it and turned it round in a few days. I think they exclude certain items from CPS if they dont think they can get all the parts in double quick time (or maybe no longer keep all parts in stock) and therefore offer a guaranteed 3/4 day turn around. The camera needed a new shutter, so I suppose that's a part they do keep. Might be worth a call/e-mail to see what they can offer you., I doubt if you are an "unknown" to them :)
Matt
 
davidy233 said:
Thought I'd do a quick update on this

As noted above I was told on the phone that my 400 wasn't covered by CPS anymore and that it would have to be dealt with as a non CPS customer repair with a time of 2-3 weeks.

Not trusting it to the post I booked a cheap flight to Luton and headed off to Elstree this week.

Walked in and showed them my 400 and it's cracked mount - they said we can fix it but we'll have to give a quote. Got asked if I was a CPS member and on saying yes they said told me that once I'd accepted quote then if parts were in stock it would be a couple of days.

Got quote next day (Wednesday) and accepted it (much better price than I'd guessed) - Got phone call first thing Thursday to say 'Sorry but one of the parts we need is going to have to come from Japan, could take a couple of weeks - My heart sunk.

Then the guy said 'Would you like a loaner until it's fixed' - Yes please

Loaner arrived this morning and the 300 f4 is back on the 'Only use in case of emergency' shelf.

Now I don't know if I would have got the same service if I hadn't made the trip down to Herftordshire - but Absolutely top service from Canon repair and CPS
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Probably would have, they offer fantastic support. I am CPS (but no way professional photographer) and they have always been terrific with me.
Matt
 
Well now I am really upset... words fail me :( :( :(

I had a conversation with canon(2 weeks ago) about my 400 lens and not only did they send me a postage label so i could send it to them free of charge they said the following..

Thank you for your email. For CPS platinum members a loan unit will be provided if we are unable to meet the turnaround. Yes we can accept the EF 400 2.8L IS USM mark 1 version.
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So I finally found/made a window in my diary to have the lens away for a week (had to wait for cricket season to finish then find a week with no midweek football) .. sent yesterday and they recieved and replied this morning :( they havent even looked at it...yet the email from customer support clearly states they will accept the lens

Dear Customer,
We wish to confirm receipt of the devices listed below.
Pos Item Description Serialno Charging Key
001 90 2533A003 PNLA EF 400 2.8L IS USM T ##### No Repair
400 LENS CASE/END CAP/TRIPOD RING/HOOD/HOOD CAP
Parts are no longer available for this model,
unit will be returned unrepaired.
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Hi All
Just a footnote I sent my 300mm f2.8 is in for a service and a new switch panel. The only one listed was in Germany I asked about my 600mm f4 I.s and was told that in March next year these lenses would no longer be serviced if not before with parts not being available. I have now sold both lenses and bought a 400mm f4 do I.s mkii. The work was carried out at Elstree before anyone asks.
I would think long and hard if anyone is considering buying a secondhand series 1 I.s lens even with a 3 month warranty. Because you could end up with a very expensive door stop. Check to see which lenses will still be supported to be fair I think the new mkii lenses are now about 5 years old. I had my 600mm f4 i.s for 9.5 years and it was secondhand when I bought it and it had never had a service in all that time. The 300mm was 6 years old and had been in twice both times for a new switch panel.
 
I bought mine new 7 yrs ago and at around 6 thousand pounds I feel poorly dealt with :(

I just spoke to canon on the phone who now tell me that on the 17th of this month they where instructed not to fix this model and to return untouched.. this as 4 days after the email i recieved saying they would fix it... couldn't make it up could you ? :(

they then gave me contacts details for a company called euro hightech in wembley/london who they reccomend for non supported lens.. I ahve sent an email for time/price quote for a new connection

got to say.. not happy at all :(
 
My initial thoughts were - If you buy any secondhand electronic thing you're on a wing and a prayer once its over 5/6/7 years old.................
But flippin eck - 7yr old item, new when purchased at a huge price does seem pretty damn poor service to me.
 
I might be being a bit thick here, but surely a ef mount is an ef mount, regardless of what ef lens it's come off of. So if it's a contacts problem any ef mount would do, even a 400 is ii mount should fit.
I would happily be corrected though.
 
MatBin said:
My initial thoughts were - If you buy any secondhand electronic thing you're on a wing and a prayer once its over 5/6/7 years old.................
But flippin eck - 7yr old item, new when purchased at a huge price does seem pretty damn poor service to me.
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yep had it from brand new :(

gutted ....

Agree with Richard (@lost ) your on a hiding to nothign buying used at this level.. I built up my gear mostly trading up and buying used.. this was one of the first item i bought brand new because of the price level we are at.. i probably wouldnt if someone said 7 yrs later it might be usleess... looking at around a grand a year..... although i am being a bit dramatic.. its far from useless and may get it fixed yet :)
 
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