Stopping dust entering your 17-55 f/2.8

PerfectSpeed

PerfectSpeed

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here is a link to a youtube vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOZRN2mxajk

Towards the end of the vid, he applied some silicone to access points for dust, would doing this on a new lens prevent dust?

I would prefer to do this now if it works rather than taking my lens apart later :D

Assume the lens is never for resale, have you, or would you try it, any thoughts.
 
I had similar problems with a Tamron 15-50 it would regularly get dust inside. I used to hold the flexible pipe from my hoover on to the mount end and zoom the lens in and out a few times with the hoover running and this would always suck the debris out.
 
I don't think that a little dust will affect image quality. It's so far from the sensor that there'd have to be oodles of the stuff before it'd even begin to affect the image.

I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I had a 17-55 a while back and it did get quite dusty inside on the front element.

I elected to dismantle the lens and remove the dust. It was actually a fairly simple operation involving just 4 screws. Perfect results afterwards.

Procedure and pics here.
 
After reading and watching links think I will tape over the 3 holes, I don't use filters so that one is out, and it's costly.

So I will see if the tape works.

Thanks.
 
ah5168 said:
I had similar problems with a Tamron 15-50 it would regularly get dust inside. I used to hold the flexible pipe from my hoover on to the mount end and zoom the lens in and out a few times with the hoover running and this would always suck the debris out.
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:eek::eek::eek:
 
Where did those snow flakes come from, weren't there in my last post :suspect:

Nice touch TP :thumbs:
 
zooxanthellae said:
Just install a quality filter to the front to seal the element
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This isn't guaranteed to work, unfortunately. The Canon 17-55 is very very prone to dust ingress and filters don't necessarily prevent it.
 
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Well I can only go my used copy, full of dust on purchase, gave it a clean behind the element and fitted a filter. 6 months later no dust. I'm not a fan of using filters but in this instance I think it's worth it to help prevent pulling air right through the lens case from the front. Also keep the lens clean at the zoom and focus ring junctions as dust can gather there to be pulled in.
Just my findings.
 
This may be a hypothetical argument, but here goes. Canon designed it that way, presumably for a reason.

The lens has to draw in air somewhere. It is designed to do this behind the front element group, where, due to naff design, it tends to collect on the glass. However, it is very easy to clean from there, almost as if it was a design 'feature'. I've done it, plenty of others have - all it takes is a fair amount of confidence and 20 minutes with a screwdriver. Google a DIY guide on this.

If the lens is sealed at the front, it forces the air to be drawn in from elsewhere, where it will ultimately be much harder to remove, ie a costly rebuild. It may even cause some reliability problems with the diaphragm and IS mechs. It might pump crap into the mirror box and sensor.

If I had this lens again, it wouldn't try to seal it. I'd use it until it got a bit mucky, then clean it myself, and carry on.
 
The key thing here is that a few bits of dust do not affect the image quality in any meaningful way.

Christian Huygens (1629-1695) once said (when a lens he had made was sent back for a small optically irrelevant defect) "You pay to look through my lenses not at them".

A small amount of dust in a lens may be irritating but the sensible thing to do is to just ignore it !
 
Agreed concerning a bit of dust, unfortunately mine had large pieces of carp in it including what looked to be small animal hairs and a powdery residue on the glass,think the owner was a smoker with a rabbit fetish. I wouldn't have bothered opening up again for a few bits of dust.
 
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