Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

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Archive 2009 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Sankar Salvady
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p.1 #1 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Hi,

I just bought a used Canon 24-105 f/4 L IS. I noticed that apart from the IS motor grinding sound, I can hear a strong 'click' noise just when IS engages and just after it disengages. Is that something I should worry about ? The grinding sound is absolutely acceptable to me, but this initial and concluding sound gives me a lot of worry.
Any suggestion would be of great help.

Thanks
Sankar

Mar 05, 2009 at 06:04 AM

skibum5
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p.1 #2 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Sankar Salvady wrote:
Hi,

I just bought a used Canon 24-105 f/4 L IS. I noticed that apart from the IS motor grinding sound, I can hear a strong 'click' noise just when IS engages and just after it disengages. Is that something I should worry about ? The grinding sound is absolutely acceptable to me, but this initial and concluding sound gives me a lot of worry.
Any suggestion would be of great help.

Thanks
Sankar

normal

Mar 05, 2009 at 07:35 AM

Nathan Hobbs
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p.1 #3 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Normal,

if your really worried about it have someone familiar with canon IS lenses take a listen to it,
IS should make a very faint sound..i would compare it more to a whir especially on something as small as the 24-105...my 400 2.8IS is much much louder than my 24-105's

IS does have a distinctive click as the spinning gyros start and stop. Perfectly normal.

Old worn out IS systems that are near the end of there life tend to become louder and make stranger noises.

Mar 05, 2009 at 08:09 AM

Alistair Watson
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p.1 #4 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Yep, perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.

You should hear the IS on the 70-200/2.8 IS, a loud clunk as it engages and a noticeable whirring sound as it runs, much louder than the IS on my 400/2.8.

Mar 05, 2009 at 08:55 AM

Sankar Salvady
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p.1 #5 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Quoting Nathan Hobbs:
>> Old worn out IS systems that are near the end of there life tend to become louder and make stranger noises.

Does this mean, IS have a lifetime and hence it is not advisable to buy an old IS enabled lens?

Mar 05, 2009 at 02:41 PM

jeremy_clay
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p.1 #6 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Sankar Salvady wrote:
Quoting Nathan Hobbs:
>> Old worn out IS systems that are near the end of there life tend to become louder and make stranger noises.

Does this mean, IS have a lifetime and hence it is not advisable to buy an old IS enabled lens?

Like most all gear with moving parts, it's lifetime is 'until something breaks'. No specific timeframe.

Mar 05, 2009 at 02:44 PM

Sankar Salvady
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p.1 #7 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

thank you all for your kind responses. I will get used to the sound

Mar 05, 2009 at 06:26 PM

keithreeder
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p.1 #8 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

So that's two forums' worth of "not a problem" then...

Mar 05, 2009 at 08:30 PM

Sankar Salvady
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p.1 #9 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Good find, Keith

That is an indication of how upset i was with the noise ... but u folks have been great..thanks again

Mar 05, 2009 at 08:32 PM

christakis
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p.1 #10 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Hi Sankar,

I have exactly the same problem. I hear a loud clung when IS is engages and disengages on the same lens. I don't mind about it but I was really worried. I will try and look into it further. If you learn anything more please let me know.

Thanks
Chris

Mar 10, 2009 at 07:21 PM

Sankar Salvady
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p.1 #11 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Chris,
This weekend I had been to the local Calumet. I tested the 24-105 display piece there, and it made 'exactly' the same noise. That was enough to make me happy.

PS: I assume the display pieces kept in shops are typically non-faulty, because they give it to customers to try out some test shots, and lure them into buying it.

Thanks.

Mar 10, 2009 at 07:40 PM

christakis
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p.1 #12 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

I passed by Jessops today and tested the 24-105mm there. That didn't make a sound and that's what worried me. As I said earlier I don't mind about it as long as its not a problem. The IS works very well to be honest. I will take my camera to Jacobs and ask for their opinion.

Mar 10, 2009 at 08:23 PM

Sankar Salvady
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p.1 #13 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Sure..that's a good idea.. I had taken my lens to calumet too, and they said its not abnormal for an IS lens.. And people here in FM and photo.net had the same opinion too..

Mar 11, 2009 at 02:47 PM

joezasada
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p.1 #14 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

perfectly normal. my 300mm F/4 IS has quite a noticeable click when the thing turns on. plus with every movement you can hear the motors move to compensate...

Mar 11, 2009 at 05:14 PM

christakis
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p.1 #15 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Right so here's the update:

I took the lens to London Camera Exchange in Manchester. The guy was like no that doesn't sound right, I wouldn't pay more than £600 for a lens making such a noise. (I have a sneaky feeling he was trying to sell his used 24-105mm for £750).

Then I took it to Jacobs and the guy there was like. "Yup absolutely normal mate. Don't worry its the IS. It has heavy parts to move." I then asked him "Are you sure? Im not talking about the normal IS sound im talking about the clicks when it starts and stops". The answer was "1000% sure".

So I said right ill try it in normal shooting conditions. Outdoors, I couldn't hear anything. On the other hand the IS works SOOOO good I decided "If its not broken no reason to fix it". I also have 1 years warranty so that should cover it if any problems arise.

Thank you all for your input. Sankar, enjoy your lens! PS I personally found some vigenting wide open but nothing serious. You can only see it at 1:1.

Mar 12, 2009 at 01:08 AM

Sankar Salvady
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p.1 #16 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Glad to hear that Chris. Good luck with your lens too.
I did not notice any vignetting till now, may be because I did not shoot any 1:1

Thanks once again everyone for your thoughts on this.

Mar 12, 2009 at 01:16 AM

christakis
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p.1 #17 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

When I say 1:1 I mean 100% zoom so that 1 pixel of the picture corresponds to 1 pixel on the screen. Nothing to worry about

Mar 12, 2009 at 02:24 AM

Sankar Salvady
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p.1 #18 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

Thanks chris. I am aware of this
I have a 1:1 macro lens that i use for 1:1 shot.

Mar 12, 2009 at 02:34 AM

PetKal
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p.1 #19 · Noise when IS is engaged/disengaged in 24-105 f/4 L

As I was reading this thread I was having visions of railroad car grouping operations in a nearby
train marshalling yard with all its audio effects: "Clang...clang....bang...bang......wheel grinding......heavy diesels revving up and labouring under load."

Mar 12, 2009 at 08:53 PM

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