Elstree Repairs & Services?

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Danny133

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How do i go about sending my 7D and lens off to have them calibrated to each other properly?

What number do i need to call and how long does it normally take?

Also what are the warranty cards i would need to send off? I have an import from digigood does this mean i cant use it?
 
Unit 130 Centennial Park
Centennial Avenue
Elstree Hill South
Borehamwood
Elstree
Hertfordshire
WD6 3SE

Tel: 0844 369 0100
Fax: 0208 731 4139

You need to download a repair form to include with the kit you send to them:

http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Consumer_Products/Repair_Process.aspx

In my case, I got an email from them within an hour of the camera arriving there with a reference number you can use to track the status of your repair.
 
Send it Special delivery too.
 
and i have to pay for it yeah?

because sending that much kit weighing alot .. 2k ish is gonna cost me a good £20 special delivery
 
cant it be taken to colchester camera repair or something .. its local to me .. ish
 
Danny133 said:
cant it be taken to colchester camera repair or something .. its local to me .. ish
Click to expand...

I expect so, ring em and ask.

I found Elstree cheaper when I got quotes for a broken lens though.

Have you tried the Micro adjust on the camera. I presume this is why you are asking because of the lens problem. Save yourself some money that way.
 
wouldnt this be done in warranty? or would i have to pay

where is this micro adjust feature :S
 
No idea where it is, in the menu somewhere. The 50D had it too.

You need to know if the lens is front or back focusing and then set the adjustment as required until the lens is focusing exactly where you tell it to.

I dont know if that would be done in warranty, possibly. You still have to pay the shipping though.
 
I've been into Elstree a few times. It seems they want proof of purchase rather than warranty cards. If your receipts are from a UK supplier and show VAT having been paid then you should have no problem getting the stuff sorted under warranty. Lenses have an international warranty, but bodies do not.

I've had lenses and bodies calibrated and repaired by Elstree. Many were within warranty and completely free of charge. I had some lenses calibrated outside warranty but I can't remember the bill for those. It was, I think, about £30 per lens whether a simple prime like a 50/1.4 or a more complex zoom like the 70-200/2.8L IS.

BUT, before going down that path you might want to check that your problem is one of poor calibration rather than simply a duff lens. You may have already done that, but I haven't spotted a post anywhere where you mention that.

To check the sharpness of the lens when focused properly use a tripod and Live view and focus on a well lit, contrasty target using Live AF. You might also try manual AF using 10X magnification through Live View. If you can get sharp results like that, but when using Quick AF the image is soft then that would suggest poor AF calibration. However, if everything is soft then that would suggest duff lens optics as the primary problem. You might have an AF calibration problem too, but if the lens is basically genuinely soft, rather than simply misfocused, I think that needs dealing with first.
 
Not sure if it helps but I contacted Colchester Cameras today asking about this same subject regarding my 50D and 100-400 lens.

The prices they quoted were:

1. Best Position. Which is to adjust the body to the lens alignment (AF Micro Adjust) = £50 + VAT

2. Full calibration on the 50D = £50 + VAT

3. Full calibration on the 100-40mm = 130 + VAT

The service price includes a complete strip down, any repair, full clean, full check and a six month warranty but does not include any major parts.

I am tempted to send them the 100-400 to play with as it is a 1999 model and has some dust inside and my pictures always seem to be soft at 400. Maybe a clean and calibration is due after that amount of time.
 
Don't use RMSD for heavy items since it's too expensive.

Book a courier from parcel2go for about £5 and then insure it for another £5.
 
Rolyratman said:
3. Full calibration on the 100-40mm = 130 + VAT

The service price includes a complete strip down, any repair, full clean, full check and a six month warranty but does not include any major parts.
Click to expand...
You might as well contact Canon at Elstree. They repaired the zoom tension ring on my 100-400, calibrated the lens and included a six month warranty on the entire lens, not just the repair, for a "fixed price repair" fee of £127 including VAT. That was last year. Maybe the VAT rise will have added a little, or maybe prices have gone up in any case, but for the price of a phone call I think it's worth making the enquiry.

If yours doesn't need any actual repair then it might end up being cheaper.

FWIW I went for a couple of years using AF microadjustment to try to dial in the AF on my 100-400, but was never quite satisfied with the results. Once Canon did the job properly, with a full calibration, I've been much more satisfied with the performance. It now works perfectly with 0 microadjustment on three of my bodies, and is better throughout the zoom range too, rather than being optimised for the 400mm end only.
 
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