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Email us!Problems using Canon EOS 7D, EOS 60D, EOS 50D and EOS 40D with some old Canon lenses
Categories: Canon News, Tips and Advice - Tags: Camera, Lens
Canon EOS 60D
Last week Canon released a new FAQ on it’s site. The FAQ informs that there is a known problem when using the EOS 7D, EOS 60D, EOS 50D and EOS 40D cameras with some of their own zoom lenses that were produced between 1990 and 1995.
The eight lenses listed below are known to exhibit the problem.
- EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6
- EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6 II
- EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6 III
- EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6 USM
- EF 35-105mm f/4-5.6
- EF 35-105mm f/4-5.6 USM
- EF 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II
- EF 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6 USM
Specifically Canon says the problem when using the lenses with the EOS 7D, EOS 60D, EOS 50D and EOS 40D cameras is that the peripheral AF points do not function as cross-type AF point resulting in vertical and horizontal lines not being simultaneously detected. Vertical or horizontal lines can only be detected separately. This is not going to be something to fix by firmware as it is due to the optical characteristics of the camera’s AF sensor and lens.
You can find the full information on the Canon support site.
Due to the way that third party lens makers need to reverse engineer the Canon lens mount communication this problem also appears to appear in some third party lenses according to the Canon Rumours site. There are four Tamron lenses that are actually more likely to be a problem as they are current models: 17-50mm f/2.8 VC, 60mm f/2 Macro, 70-200mm f/2.8 and 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5. Since Canon’s FAQ indicates that the Canon lenses that don’t work should have been mentioned in the manual I expect the only option for Tamron would be to change the lens ID of their lenses to ones not affected by the problems.
There appears to be a problem with newer cameras and older lenses across the range not related to AF points but more the error 01 – cannot communicate with the lens.
Took my 28-70F2.8L (used on a MK 4) to local Canon repair centre in Glasgow only to be told they are inundated with this lenns problem and that the repair would take two weeks or more due the the volume they have in.
The Iris Encoder Assembly needs to be replaced – costing nearly £200.
This appears to be a known problem with the old lenses’ electronics not keeping up with the new breed of cameras – or the new breed of cameras not being fully backward compatible.
Now I have paid to have the camera/lens professionally cleaned to no avail and still got the 01 error. Not good if you are on a fast moving shoot and the lens will not function.
Have written to Canon and await their reply if they will assist in helping towards cost of repairs or if they will replace these units free of charge.
Need to wait and see. Fingers crossed.
George, have you tried calling the Canon repair centre in Elstree? They often do lens repairs for a fixed fee, and so far for me it’s usually been around £100. Even replacing the IS assembly in one of my lenses at that.
There are only four official repair centres that work on pro lenses, Colchester Camera Repairs, H. Lehmanns, Fixation and the Canon centre in Elstree.
More on the Canon UK site here: http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Consumer_Products/services_locator/index.aspx
Let us know how you get on
Brian