Broken

[molucca]

My Canon 17-85 mm lens failed to operate. I got an error 99. I cleaned the contacts. However, it wouldn't auto focus or work in any other modes. All other lenses worked. I sent it in for repair. It seems that there are no camera stores any longer. I went to several locations in the area, but no camera stores any longer. I ended up calling Canon tech support for lenses.

Rich

[gwpriester]

Today's camera's are more computer than camera.

What I discovered when something similar happened with my 55-200 zoom lens is that if I use the manual focus then the auto-focus does not work. I wound the manual focus ring all the way back and then the auto-focus works again.

[molucca]

I saw that I could check on the repair progress. The progress meter showed the repair was nearly complete. I guess if I had a measuring stick, I would know how many hours or minutes are left. Like the ringer on the phone. Just makes you think something is happening to eliminate frustration.

Rich

[Big Frank]

It's just good to know it's getting repaired. I dropped my EOS a couple of years back and contacted Canon and they pointed me to a number of Canon-recommended repair shops "close" to me. I had to drive 80 miles to get it there and the same to get it back but it's comforting to know there are still people out there repairing these things. If it had been a fridge you'd just throw it out - who repairs fridges these days? It's a great shame. I love and really respect recycling and reusing.

[molucca]

I liked the service. They gave a repair cost before sending the lens. They haven't ask for any additional funding. Their response came with a mailing label. I got a standard box rate at the post office. I bought another lens and used the packaging. It was a long plastic bubble wrap. I must have appeared strange with the plastic trailing behind me. Perfect amount, though.

I sent my camera in years ago because it wasn't recording the images. It was an incompatible memory card. There was a spot on the images as well. I had contaminated the sensor. I ordered cleaning material for the future. I also made a 5 micron air system for removing dust.

Canned systems can cool the sensor too much causing damage.

Rich

[molucca]

My lens arrived today. Two focus rings and a power diaphragm.

Rich