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70-200 2.8L and 1.4x II repaired for cheap

Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 10:07 pm
by OntPhoto
I just received the repaired 70-200 2.8L non-IS and 1.4x II from Sun Camera.  The 70-200 2.8L seems to be working OK.

However, the repaired 1.4x II did not fit on my camera at all.  It was so tight on the camera (7D MK2) that you had to force it to rotate and then it did not click into place at all.  This was both surprising and disappointing.  It tells me no one from Sun Camera actually put the repaired 1.4x II on a camera.  If they had, there is no way the extremely tight fit would not have been noticed.  It's things like this that makes you question what happened. 

After hand-holding the 70-200 2.8L non-IS and seeing how unsteady it was to hold steady, I am appreciating the recently purchased 70-200 2.8L IS III.  I can definitely benefit from IS.  

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 9:09 am
by E.J. Peiker
Before you draw any conclusions, check tightness of all of the screws on the camera side of the TC mount. If one has not been fully tightened down and protrudes even slightly, you could have that problem. If that isn't it then likely the back plate of the mount is slightly warped.

Re:

Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:10 am
by OntPhoto
E.J. Peiker wrote:Before you draw any conclusions, check tightness of all of the screws on the camera side of the TC mount.  If one has not been fully tightened down and protrudes even slightly, you could have that problem.  If that isn't it then likely the back plate of the mount is slightly warped.
All screws are tight.  There is this one pin that can be depressed but springs back.  I think what you said about the mount being slightly warped is a good lead.  In the process of sending it back.

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 6:31 pm
by OntPhoto
I know why the Canon 1.4x II sent n for repair did not fit back into a 7D MK2.  They had forgotten to install a part they intended to install, the Ring Snap that goes below the mount.  They are not sure how that happened but it did.  Things get busy and techs get distracted.  They have fixed it now and I will test it out.

Part.  Canon Ring Snap for the 1.4x II.  $10.64 CAD
Part.  Lens Mount.  $57.14  CAD
Total Labour for both repairs together.  $240.00  CAD


The 14+ year old dropped 70-200 2.8L non-IS now works great after the repair. I have tested the lens with and without a 1.4x III and it works just fine.  Images are sharp even when the subject is heavily cropped.  Repair price is great too.  

So, if you happen to drop your 70-200 2.8L non-IS, it is possible to have it repaired for a low price depending on the type of damage. I dropped mine onto gravel and the mount took the brunt of the impact.  The mount acted like a shock absorber for the internals of the lens.  Like a bumper on a car.  The lens hood also helped to lessen the impact as it popped off when the lens hit the gravel (my best guess would be that the lens mount end landed first and then leveled off on the ground and the hood popped off).

Sun Camera Service is a trusted shop and is a sub-contractor for Canon Canada.  It is also a depot for repairs for some major Canadian retailers that sell camera gear.  I have had a few things repaired over the years at Sun Camera including a Canon 400 5.6L and a Canon Flash.  The 400 5.6L was initially sent by me to Canon Canada for repair and unbeknownst to me, Canon had shipped the lens to Sun Camera to repair it. I only found out about Sun when they called to say the lens was ready to be sent back. 

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 5:25 pm
by OntPhoto
Got my Canon 1.4x II back from Sun Camera.  Works fine.  You don't think too much about these tele-converters.  I normally do not handle them too gingerly but have gotten a new respect for handling with care because of their expensive cost to buy new. They're close to $600 CAD before taxes.  That's why it's worthwhile to get it fixed rather than buy a new one. I left it on the shelf for many years because I thought the cost of repair would be almost the same as getting a new one.  My initial worry about repair cost was based on what I thought Canon Canada would charge.  It used to be an upfront $250 CAD charge just to have them do a look over and estimate.  It's like getting my car maintenance done at the car dealership where they wanted to tack on a charge of $66 CAD just to wipe up some oil that had leaked out (after replacing or repairing a part).  A job that I assume would have taken 1 minute to do.  No thanks. Appreciate repair shops like Sun Camera that do not charge a premium price for repair work.  $10 parts and some labour cost only.