PetKal wrote:
Just curious, Andy: what lens has eventually healed your WA wounds, if any ? The 16-35L Mk II ?
I mostly use the 16-35 II. I also use an adapted 18mm lens, I often prefer prime lenses. The 16-35ii was the first WA Canon lens without a decentring defect I used
Mark Zwiesler wrote:
My 17-55 EFS was the only lens I can say I was regularly disappointed with. I bought it with high expectations, which were never realized. The last straw was when it started collecting dust inside after only 6 months. I sent it in to Canon and got it cleaned, and sold it within days after getting it back. I replaced it with a 24-70, and couldn't be happier.
Mark
+1
I didn't even make it 6 months. My copy was incredibly soft at f2.8. Could have sent it in for calibration, but instead solved the problem by moving to a 5d and full frame lenses.
Mark Zwiesler wrote:
My 17-55 EFS was the only lens I can say I was regularly disappointed with. I bought it with high expectations, which were never realized. The last straw was when it started collecting dust inside after only 6 months. I sent it in to Canon and got it cleaned, and sold it within days after getting it back.
Mark
Hear, hear Mark! I did the exact same thing too. Got it cleaned, had a cuddle with it and traded it in for a decent price, along with my 30D and 400D. Switched to a 5D and never looked back.
I certainly miss that lens though. Despite the dust, it was absolutely fabulous. The image quality was like none I've ever seen for non-L glass.
The biggest pain in my neck (literally) has been the 70-200 f/2.8. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it. At the time it cost me AU $2099 - now you can pick up a brand new copy for around AU $1560. THAT hurts. Still, it produced fantastic results when my arms weren't trembling. I know it's not as heavy as some lenses mentioned here but I'm a pretty weak girl.
24-70 First copy calibration was off 2nd copy focus was dead on but the zoom ring had a sticky spot at @30mm the third stick zoom and oof. The fourth was near perfect after using it a bit I decided that I prefered the 24-105 due to its
reduced reduced weight. I kept it though. Its worth the pain when I need the f 2.8.
85 1.8 I never liked the yellow color cast and it just wasnt sharp as I would have liked. I sold it and rebought it and still didnt like it for all the same reasons and sent it to canon for calibration and it still wasnt sharp enough sold it too.
I'll sound like an alien but I would say 35mm f/2. That was a wonderful lens on a crop body but now that I have a 5D I can help noticing the sharpness falling apart in the corners, and that's until f/8 or something.
Of all my lenses, it was the 16-35L to be honest. All lenses prior were neither here nore there for me... but the 16-35 was definantly the one I most wanted to have, but at the end, simply didn't enjoy using.
When I first bought it, I honestly didn't know what a lot of people were upset over with performance... Actually I did, and after seeing examples, I was worried myself too.
I'd honestly thought I'd picked up a freak of a lens, I couldn't explain it. Tack sharp full frame edge to edge, and only got better in the middle. There was no fuzzy view, and by that, I do mean at f/2.8. Sure the field of view was slightly curved, but what was in focus was always sharp. Then one day while shooting birds at Seaworld in Hong Kong, something 'clicked' and everything was blurry. The strange thing, nothing loose, nothing rattling.
When I got back to Australia, I sent it to Canon, and it took them two months to repair it. When I received the lens back, it showed that the elements in the focus barrel (inclussive) were replaced, and from then on it was just the way every other one was... OKay, but nothing to write home about. Chromatic abberation was evident, and once the 1Ds III became my mainstay, I simply couldn't use the lens any more.
Sold it.
Otherwise it's my 70-200mm F/2.8 IS. My favourite lens in my collection bar none. I get a chill every time I use it, but some people convinced me to drag it up Mt Fuji with the rest of my camera gear, shortly after having major surgery... When I got to the top, I was very upset, and insisted using it. None of the shots were any good. Now I can't help but remember that whenever I pull it out... but it's an awesome lens. ^_^'
My fast primes 35L and 85L II are giving me extreme pain, they constantly front focus especially away from MFD. I'm beginning to think it's a Canon AF system limitation
