Originally Posted by Tabazan
If they sent it back to you unchanged and they insist it is within spec, then three possibilities remain: (1) there is flaw with the body as it relates to focus adjustment; (2) your expectations of the performance of a $400 18-135mm zoom are unreasonable; and/or (3) there is a flaw in shooting technique. This is why Canon is suggesting you purchase L glass. A test image is a diagnostic tool in the event that one does NOT possess the lens in question. Once Canon has the lens, they don't want or need to see your test image(s) because their calibration tools are an objective standard and not subject to misinterpretation due to other sources of error (e.g., user error or miscalibrated body). They looked at your lens and saw that it was within spec, arrived at conclusion (2), then provided the appropriate recommendation.
But in my opinion, one should eliminate possibilities (1) and (3) as well. It is possible that the problem is with the body. Newer bodies like the 50D, 5D Mark II, and 7D allow for microfocus adjustment.
Therefore, Canon's problem to release something that must meet their name expectations, concerns me as a customer that has already invested quite a lot in the brand (and in a way, is commercially captive) , and them as a trusworthy brand. Maybe they don't care, but I do.
I really don't understand why you feel like your experience with a single $400 consumer-level kit lens should be representative of the entire way Canon treats its customers or that their reputation should hang on this situation. You assume they do not care. But so far their actions seem reasonable to me. If you are truly that dissatisfied, perhaps you should switch systems. You are not locked in. Although to be honest, I haven't exactly heard of great service from Nikon, either. The moral is that there are bad experiences just about everywhere you look. I suppose you could try Leica? I don't know, their customers seem to have an extremely great affinity for their products. Or Sony, since Zeiss builds their glass.
Still, it's quite possible you spoke to someone who was not particularly friendly. I think that would be very unfortunate, but even so, does that mean that one representative speaks for *everyone* who works at Canon? Or even other representatives?
The third point is not to take as a reproach or any critic vs Bryan. I'm a fan of this site, and base (almost) all my decisions on him. I've seen the charts too late and took a decision too soon. My comment was just that I imagined that it would be confusing to have to review such a lens.
I am not saying you are criticizing Bryan. I am saying you should not presume to speak of others as if you know their intimate thoughts. You basically attributed motivations to him that are not supported by evidence. You very clearly implied that he has delayed publishing his review of the EF-S 18-135/3.5-5.6 IS because of what you believe is poor performance. If I were a reviewer, I would not want someone saying that about my intentions or my ability to review. It is no more or less difficult or confusing to review a soft lens than a sharp one.
If I may, I would again like to redirect the discussion toward what you can do about your situation so that you can be happy, because that's really what matters, right? First, given that the lens was sent in and returned in spec, I would try to make sure that the camera body is not at fault by trying the lens on a separate body. If you do that and the performance is still bad, then consider that this lens design simply isn't for you. Try (politely) to get Canon to accept the lens for a full refund, or sell it at a small loss and apply the monies to a lens that does perform to your expectations. Consulting with a local dealer and trying before you buy is a good way to make sure you know what you will be getting--rentals are also a good way to do this. It has occurred to me that in this day and age of discount online shopping, the brick-and-mortar camera shops are still in business precisely for this reason. Personally, I'm happy to shop online (I've been ignored when I walk into a local shop, maybe because I don't look wealthy, despite being well off). Finally, if you are still feeling mistreated by Canon as a whole, then by all means switch brands, but sadly, I can't guarantee you'll be any better off for it.
Good luck! May the lens goddess smile upon you and your photos!
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