anyone had this problem with a lens

[jann1033]

canon 28-135 IS on rebelxt body
the last couple times i used this lens i have had this problem...it acts like a af lens does when there is not enough contrast to focus on but in these cases there should be enough to focus on ie contrast..it is on a high enough iso, shutter aperture etc. the little green light on the exposure scale keeps flickering but it shouldn't be as there is plenty of light. it simply will not take a photo...i try a number of times and finally it will take it. it's not busy or anything like that it just won't focus or take the shot. i am not having the problem with any lens but the above mentioned which is why i thought maybe the lens af is messed up or something? i';m down loading my photos now and a couple even with the shutter depressed it didnt focus... if it came out i'll post it if it looks odd, till then any ideas if this is something i should get fixed ( still under warrenty)

 

[MarkBarbieri]

When you say it won't focus, do you mean it does nothing or it hunts (focuses far and near without stopping)? Are your other lenses working OK?

You might want to check the contacts on your lens and body. If they aren't shiny, you might want to rub them with an eraser. It could be that the lens and camera aren't making good eletrical contact.

 

[TwoOldPoohs]

I seem to recall having a similar problem with one of my lenses, but I can't remember what caused the problem. If the lens is still under warranty, I would send it in for repair.

 

[jann1033]

When you say it won't focus, do you mean it does nothing or it hunts (focuses far and near without stopping)? Are your other lenses working OK?

You might want to check the contacts on your lens and body. If they aren't shiny, you might want to rub them with an eraser. It could be that the lens and camera aren't making good eletrical contact.

it does nothing, nada ,zip.

the others seem to be working ok. the first time it happened i had been outside in the cold so i though maybe that it was just cold but last time it happened inside a greenhouse so not a bit cold...
the contacts are shiny
i noticed the macro isn't working at all ie it won't focus on macro, it just takes it as a regular shot...i emailed canon so i'll see if i should ship it back or not

thanks

 

[Lachesis00]

My 70-300mm does this when it's too dark, even on total manual settings. It won't even try to take the photo (it's always done this but progressively gotten worse). Makes me *so* mad.
Once in a while if I turn the camera off and then back on it will work... but it is touch and go. None of my other lens have ever done this.

 

[jann1033]

My 70-300mm does this when it's too dark, even on total manual settings. It won't even try to take the photo (it's always done this but progressively gotten worse). Makes me *so* mad.
Once in a while if I turn the camera off and then back on it will work... but it is touch and go. None of my other lens have ever done this.

is yours the 70-300 IS lens?
i wondered if it had something to do with that too cause i think i first noticed it when it was darker but today even with the flash/ bright light it would do it..i think it's something with the macro or maybe the IS cause when i tried to take a photo on my sloppy desk of the lens cap on macro bending over it wouldn't but when i moved it up vertically it would, same settings and very similar light since it was right there.???????? yesterday i was bending over using...well trying to use ...the macro when it did it also. also the usm was really quiet when i first got it now it is louder..it's under warranty so i am going to ship it back so they can have it for a month then tell me nothing is wrong with it..user error. i thought if i don't in 6 months the exact moment the warranty is over it will just blow up and then i'll be upset i didn't send it back

canon emailed me back and told me it's not a dedicated macro so it won't take a "real" macro photo( ie 1:1 ratio i think it's a 1:4 ratio) even though I told them it used to take them when i first got it,,they must have skipped that paragraph...so guess i was seeing things before i just went back and looked at my photos and yeah they were lots closer.

 

[Lachesis00]

Mine is not IS (oh how I wish!). But I noticed it a lot when taking concert shots. Edited to add: Also noticed in low light on the beach last month it was acting flakey, not wanting to shoot or focus once the sun was going down (it was not THAT dark yet). Even with the flash it was a no go.

I have used macro and it actually sometimes work better (this is the lens that is having issues focusing) in macro then in normal settings. Go figure!!

I just decided it has got to be because it is too dark. But you'd think even if it was pitch black the shutter would release and just take forever to 'unrelease'. But I couldn't even get the shutter to engage. Wouldn't focus (even when I did manual focus) nor would it shoot once in focus. Ticked me off.
Turning it on/off and messing with the lens seemed to sometimes help but what actually did it (more light maybe, a tad which was just enough?) or something in the lens, I have no clue.

is yours the 70-300 IS lens?
i wondered if it had something to do with that too cause i think i first noticed it when it was darker but today even with the flash/ bright light it would do it..i think it's something with the macro or maybe the IS cause when i tried to take a photo on my sloppy desk of the lens cap on macro bending over it wouldn't but when i moved it up vertically it would, same settings and very similar light since it was right there.???????? yesterday i was bending over using...well trying to use ...the macro when it did it also. also the usm was really quiet when i first got it now it is louder..it's under warranty so i am going to ship it back so they can have it for a month then tell me nothing is wrong with it..user error. i thought if i don't in 6 months the exact moment the warranty is over it will just blow up and then i'll be upset i didn't send it back

canon emailed me back and told me it's not a dedicated macro so it won't take a "real" macro photo( ie 1:1 ratio i think it's a 1:4 ratio) even though I told them it used to take them when i first got it,,they must have skipped that paragraph...so guess i was seeing things before i just went back and looked at my photos and yeah they were lots closer.

 

[jann1033]

Mine is not IS (oh how I wish!). But I noticed it a lot when taking concert shots. Edited to add: Also noticed in low light on the beach last month it was acting flakey, not wanting to shoot or focus once the sun was going down (it was not THAT dark yet). Even with the flash it was a no go.

I have used macro and it actually sometimes work better (this is the lens that is having issues focusing) in macro then in normal settings. Go figure!!

I just decided it has got to be because it is too dark. But you'd think even if it was pitch black the shutter would release and just take forever to 'unrelease'. But I couldn't even get the shutter to engage. Wouldn't focus (even when I did manual focus) nor would it shoot once in focus. Ticked me off.
Turning it on/off and messing with the lens seemed to sometimes help but what actually did it (more light maybe, a tad which was just enough?) or something in the lens, I have no clue.

that is what i thought yesterday, i forget the settings now but it was normal light..it was in a greenhouse so the plants get enough light...thinking it was like f8, 1/250 or something on my other lenses so it should have taken the photo...and i used it before in basically pitch black before to take some night shots with a remote and without a remote to get some lights. if they tell me anything helpful i'll let you know.

 

[JohnW]

Is it because you are too close to the subject and therefore within the minimum distance for the lens to focus? I have seen this with a couple of my lenses where I have tried to get close but I have had to back off a bit in order to get the picture to take. The green light does blink on and off if this is the case.

 

[jann1033]

Is it because you are too close to the subject and therefore within the minimum distance for the lens to focus? I have seen this with a couple of my lenses where I have tried to get close but I have had to back off a bit in order to get the picture to take. The green light does blink on and off if this is the case.

i pretty much tried every distance short of swinging from the ceiling the focusing distance is supposed to be about 1 1/2 feet which is about where the other lenses i was using focus also..so i should not have been to close since the others were working ok from the same place i was standing( there are short stone walls around some of the plants so i couldn't get super close with my tripod. i think i even tried to manual focus the other day thou and it was still no go.
i think it could be maybe something with the autofocus though cause what else would make it not focus for macro? it must focus somehow closer than it does at just the normal setting when you have it on macro ...don't really know the secret life of a lens though so just speculating

 

[Lachesis00]

Mine isn't. I first noticed it when taking photos at a concert from the 4th row. It had been working and then nothing. It was sporadic.

Then I noticed it in San Diego earlier this month... taking photos at sunset. It would focus or try but refuse to engage.

Is it because you are too close to the subject and therefore within the minimum distance for the lens to focus? I have seen this with a couple of my lenses where I have tried to get close but I have had to back off a bit in order to get the picture to take. The green light does blink on and off if this is the case.