My hubs dropped my oldie but a goodie 28-70L lens. It doesn't appear Canon supports repair on this lense. Anybody know a good alternative to get it fixed?
I hate to tell you this, but you're in for a challenge. The power diaphragm unit (i.e. aperture) unit failed on my 28-70 L. I had sent it around to multiple camera repair places trying to get it fixed. Some said that they could handle it, then received it, and without even looking at what was wrong, sent it back saying that they couldn't fix it. (I'm talking about you, Precision Camera).
I sent it to KEH, and they diagnosed it as the diaphragm unit, but said that they couldn't find any parts. I left it there about a month, until eventually giving up and having them send it back. A full six months later, I stumbled across a seller on eBay selling the exact part. I purchased it, and then sent the whole thing back to KEH. However, they determined that the diaphragm unit had been "significantly worked on" and had issues, and oh by the way, the main board had a problem as well that they didn't see before.
I spent another two weeks looking for parts on eBay, with no luck. Then out of the blue, KEH called me up to tell me that they just happened to have one of their vendors inform them that they had parts, and would be able to make the repairs. It ultimately cost about $300.
If they are able to make the repairs, I would recommend KEH, as I found the people to be very courteous and helpful. Unlike other places, they were actually willing to talk to you about what the problem was, and were very flexible in letting me leave it there for so long.
But all in all, it took the better part of a year to get this lens fixed. Honestly, while it is a nice lens, I am not sure that it was really worth all the hassle. If you do buy parts online, you have no guarantee that they will work. While I know that this is not what you want to hear, you might be better off just selling it for parts. I've seen non-working 28-70L's fetching over $400 on eBay; when you consider the $300 repair bill, and the fact that you can get a working one on the FM forum for around $800, it is a bit of a wash.
In any case, I hope you have an easier time than I did! Best of luck to you.
