Canon 18-135 IS problems. Repair or replace?

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

07/03/2011 12:33:29 PM · #1

My 18-135 IS started acting up yesterday afternoon. The zoom barrel hangs up about half the time and sometimes won't focus. Fiddling with the barrel gets it working again temporarily. Feels like the internal mechanism has something out of place.

I paid $250 for this lens used. Trying to decide if it's worth the trouble to send it to Canon for an estimate, or if I'm best off just shopping for a replacement. I like the range on this. Makes a perfect walkaround lens for when I want to travel light. Anyone sent a lens with similar issues for repair?

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

07/03/2011 12:52:19 PM · #2

Not that it helps, or that I'm going to try to be useful and find it..

But --- Someone mentioned a while back that they used a 3rd party service for repair on their (I think*) 28-135IS, I recall that it was fairly cheap, and the repair was successful, but it did take longer than Canon..

I figure that you might be interested in saving a few bucks in return for spending some time.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

07/03/2011 12:57:05 PM · #3

I can afford to wait if the repair is reasonable. If it takes a while to repair, I'll just steal back the 17-85 from Ellen or use the G11 if I need something in that focal range. You don't recall the company, I guess?

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

07/03/2011 01:01:33 PM · #4

That was me. $86 bucks (and mine was slammed on the floor). Let me get the link... //www.precisioncamera.com/. And it wasn't that they took a long time, it was that for some reason the USPS took forever to deliver it to them.

Message edited by author 2011-07-03 13:03:21.

07/03/2011 01:05:07 PM · #5

A quick search found the thread you mentioned. It was

Kelli, and she posted a link to the repair place she used. Looks like their fixed rate for repairing that lens is $165. Minimum I could replace it for is $250 if I shopped around for another 18-135. So that sounds like a fair deal.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

07/03/2011 01:06:32 PM · #6

Thanks Kelli. You posted while I was typing my last response. So your repair was cheaper than their site estimated?

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

07/03/2011 01:08:43 PM · #7

Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:

Thanks Kelli. You posted while I was typing my last response. So your repair was cheaper than their site estimated?

Sorry, that was a typo on my part, it was $88.95 (I meant to type $89 not 86). But it was exactly as quoted, not a penny more.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

07/03/2011 01:13:11 PM · #8

That works for me. It's giving me a higher price for mine, but still reasonable. Since I have no burning desire to upgrade from from this lens, I think this is the way to go. Thanks.

It appears that most of these repairs are done on a fixed rate. They certainly know after a time what repairs run on average.

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

07/03/2011 01:45:58 PM · #9

I can say I was very happy with their results. My lens wasn't working at all when I sent it in, and had parts rattling around inside. It's good as new now.

edit for typos, can't type for shitte today

Message edited by author 2011-07-03 13:46:49.

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

07/03/2011 02:14:52 PM · #10

Well, that worked out nicely. :)