70-200 f/2.8L IS Focusing Ring

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

Hi folks, I have a question on the 70-200 f/2.8 IS' focusing ring


According to Bryant's review on this lens, he stated that there is a slight play "Aside from a very slight amount of play in the focus ring.."


Mine has a slight play too, but if you use your hand to gently tapthefocusing ring from belowyou can hear a slight clanking sound. Does any body experience this?


Thanks for the answer.


Nate,

[Oren]

Not sure what you mean but when I use my 17-85, when I press the shutter button to focus I sometimes feel like it's moving (I mean the focusing ring is moving).

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

I know what you mean Oren, but this is different.


Just hold the 70-200 f/2.8 IS on your right hand, and use your left to gently tap the focusing ring from below..do you hear anything?

[Oren]

Just hold the 70-200 f/2.8 IS on your right hand, and use your left to gently tap the focusing ring from below..do you hear anything?
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Don't you hold the camera with your right hand?


Anyhow, all I hear is "wake up, wake up from your dream!"... LOL I don't have any of the 70-200's (yet), let a lone the 70-200 f/2.8 L IS[:)]


On a more serious note, since you have both the 70-200 and the 400 f/5.6, which one would you choose if you could only have one of them? (I know you'd probably say the 400mm but I still have to ask)

[wickerprints]

The slight play in the focusing ring is normal and in fact present in most if not all EF USM lenses to some degree. My copy of the 70-200/2.8L IS has a tiny bit more than my 24-105/4L IS, which in turn has an even tinier bit more than my 85/1.8. The amount of play even on the 70-200 is well under 1mm--I estimate it to be on the order of 0.1-0.2mm, barely perceptible to the naked eye.


If you wiggle the focusing ring back and forth, you will hear a sound as some internal gear "hits up" against something inside. That should be expected as well. The IS motor is far louder in comparison.


As I tap on the focusing ring, the sound I hear is the normal sound of the play in the focusing ring. I don't hear any other kind of sound. Again, it is very quiet and I have to put my ear up to the lens to hear it clearly.


When I walk around with this lens, I can sometimes hear internal components making a clacking sound. I believe this is the IS mechanism moving around inside (even when IS is not enabled). Again, I consider this normal.


If I shake the lens when detached from the body, I can again hear the IS mechanism moving around.


If you are hearing something louder than the sound of the IS when it is activated, I would be more concerned, because that is the loudest sound I've heard come from my lens. It's louder than the IS on the 24-105/4L IS--not surprising given that the latter is a newer design.

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

Of course I hold the camera with my right hand, but for the purpose of this thread, I was talking about holding the lens without mouting it on the camera.[:D]


I would choose the 400 f/5.6 of course. I use it almost everday. I've been contemplating on selling my 70-200 f/2.8L IS for many times, but I every time I used it I was verygladthatI didn't sell it.

[wickerprints]

I know you didn't ask me, and I don't have the 400/5.6L, but you will have to pry my 70-200/2.8L IS from my cold dead hands. Unless Canon made a mark II revision. LOL

[Alan]

I know you didn't ask me, and I don't have the 400/5.6L, but you will have to pry my 70-200/2.8L IS from my cold dead hands. Unless Canon made a mark II revision. LOL
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wickerprints,


Knowing how much Nate loves his 400/5.6 L, you'd have to pry it from his hands, too! [;)]

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

Wickerprints, your answer is what I was looking for, thanks.


Anybody else experience the same thing?