Faulty camera or faulty lens? - DPChallenge Forums

09/23/2013 02:26:17 PM · #1

A little dilemma here... my 24-105mm f/4L lens reports an 01 (communication) error with my 5D Mark III camera body and refuses to function. I've cleaned the contacts on both to no avail. However, the same lens works fine on my 7D while other lenses don't report a problem with the 5D. To make it more interesting, I have an important candid photo shoot on Thursday and this is my main walkaround lens. I'll probably use the 28-75 Tamron for that and take the 7D with me in case it's the body, however I think the 7D body is starting to fail (it locks up until I pop the battery out and put it back). Any suggestions?

09/23/2013 02:31:29 PM · #2

Switch to Nikon? ;)

Seriously, no idea, that's a really strange situation.. I'd probably just hope one or the other will outright fail so you can narrow it down.

My only useful advice is to ensure that you have a backup for your backup, since it sounds like you have a pretty sketchy situation with your gear right now.

--

On a mostly unrelated side note, I'm thrilled that my 1D hasn't thrown an Err.99 for at least a week.

09/23/2013 02:33:59 PM · #3

It's a sad state if my best option is to hope for failure.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

09/23/2013 02:43:10 PM · #4

Originally posted by scalvert:

It's a sad state if my best option is to hope for failure.

Intermittent malfunctions are the worst. I'd way rather have something which is simply broken. Which is why my 1D is driving me batshit crazy. I'd like it just fail already so I can send it in and have it fixed.

And while, true, while yours isn't exactly 'intermittent', it sure is strange, that the lens and body should both work, but not with each other.

Clearly, the real solution, if you can do without both, is to send the pair off to Canon and let them sort out the problem.

ETA: One (sorta horrible) idea... Have you performed a full reset on the camera body? Might fix a software problem if that's the issue.

Message edited by author 2013-09-23 14:56:00.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

09/23/2013 03:15:42 PM · #5

Have you used this lens successfully with the 5DmkIII before?

Can you borrow another 5DmkII? If so, try the lens on it. Same error? If yes, then there's some interaction between the lens and 5D mkII cameras that's causing problems. Try the lens on other peoples' cameras.

09/23/2013 03:18:24 PM · #6

Originally posted by Spork99:

Have you used this lens successfully with the 5DmkIII before?

It's the lens I've used most often on that camera for over a year.

09/23/2013 03:19:26 PM · #7

Originally posted by Cory:

Have you performed a full reset on the camera body? Might fix a software problem if that's the issue.

Not a bad idea. I don't really alter the camera settings much, so a reset is no big deal.

Leica 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 Vario Elmar-T ASPH

09/23/2013 03:30:52 PM · #8

Originally posted by scalvert:

Originally posted by Cory:
Have you performed a full reset on the camera body? Might fix a software problem if that's the issue.

Not a bad idea. I don't really alter the camera settings much, so a reset is no big deal.

Could also try pulling the battery for a while.

MAK

Leica CL

09/23/2013 03:31:37 PM · #9

Re-instal firmware?.. I had a similar issue with a Nikon D2H and it turned out to be the contacts on the camera body..

Simms

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

09/23/2013 03:33:52 PM · #10

Have you upgraded the firmware recently?

09/23/2013 03:45:38 PM · #11

No luck with the battery or camera reset. The firmware was updated several months and thousands of photos ago, so I doubt that's it. Most likely a problem with the lens.

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

09/23/2013 04:30:43 PM · #12

RE: Faulty camera or faulty lens?

You know there is a third possibility here... :P

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

09/23/2013 04:44:50 PM · #13

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

RE: Faulty camera or faulty lens?

You know there is a third possibility here... :P

Ha, there *is* a third possibility, and not the one you suggest :-)
It may be a lens+body interaction, something that one body sees as a problem and the other simply does not. The 5D Mk III is a more modern body and may interact with the lens in different ways than the older 7D body. It would be interesting to see if the lens misbehaves on another 5D Mk III body, and/or behaves well on another 7D. If the behavior is consistent, even if different, across body types, then it is almost certainly the lens. the difficulty, of course, is finding other bodies to test with.

tanguera

Nikon D750

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

09/23/2013 04:47:53 PM · #14

Could it be this problem?

09/23/2013 06:30:40 PM · #15

Originally posted by kirbic:

the difficulty, of course, is finding other bodies to test with.

There's a big photo meetup at "my" zoo in a couple of weeks. I could wait and test the lens there, although if I sent it to Canon I'd probably have it back by then.

09/23/2013 06:31:41 PM · #16

Originally posted by Art Roflmao:

You know there is a third possibility here... :P

Nah, THAT problem is consistent across all my lenses.

Message edited by author 2013-09-23 18:31:55.

10/09/2013 11:16:43 AM · #17

It was the lens. Canon replaced the "power diaphragm assembly"â�� a $300 fix, but they also cleaned it and replaced all the rubber. Now the lens is like new and the turnaround time was only 4 days.