Busted Lens & Dropped Camera

[Chinavet]

My 5 x week old Canon 50D with Canon EF 70-200mm 1.4 L IS USM lens together with Canon Extender EF 1.4 II was accidentally dragged off a table by a closing door and hit the tiles...hard.

The camera and extender seem OK (kudos to Canon), but the lens is bent/cross threaded under the camera end of the zoom ring. It is noticeably mis-aligned. At full zoom, focus and IS seem OK, but focus deteriorates increasingly with zoom out. I guess even at full zoom there is a loss of quality. This is (was) a terrific lens, I need it back and working.

Unless someone can suggest a worthwhile option (local repair?), research on the net indicates it needs to be packed off to Canon for a hefty repair bill. Some forum stories indicate that is not a sure way to get a 100% product back. Appreciate any experiences or leads. I'm 6 hours out of Bangkok so it's no simple matter to pop into the Canon dealer.

Also, I'm considering buying a Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM. I have family visiting from Australia next month. Prices there on the web seem to be A$1900-2700. Has anyone priced this lens in Bangkok recently?

Or if anyone has something comparable second hand it would be of interest.

I'll try to not break it for at least a couple of months. I'm not happy.

[lordsux]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune Chinavet.

[The Vulcan]

PM sent

[hughden]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I managed to destroy a car and break my back on the way back to Pattaya from Bangkok last year. Joining me in the accident was my 1D with a 135mm lens attached, and a 70-200mm in a separate bag. The 135mm was distorted at the point where the camera meets the body, the 70-200mm had a smashed filter but nothing else obviously wrong with it. The camera didn't seem to think anything had happened!

Once I was mobile again I gave the whole lot back to Canon for checking. I got the camera and 70-200mm back in a couple of days, checked and calibrated for a few hundred baht. The 135mm needed a new part which took a couple of weeks to come from Japan and cost me 3,000 baht. But everything worked as it had before the accident and I found Canon Bangkok to be very helpful throughout.

Good luck!

[Chinavet]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I managed to destroy a car and break my back on the way back to Pattaya from Bangkok last year. Joining me in the accident was my 1D with a 135mm lens attached, and a 70-200mm in a separate bag. The 135mm was distorted at the point where the camera meets the body, the 70-200mm had a smashed filter but nothing else obviously wrong with it. The camera didn't seem to think anything had happened!

Once I was mobile again I gave the whole lot back to Canon for checking. I got the camera and 70-200mm back in a couple of days, checked and calibrated for a few hundred baht. The 135mm needed a new part which took a couple of weeks to come from Japan and cost me 3,000 baht. But everything worked as it had before the accident and I found Canon Bangkok to be very helpful throughout.

Good luck!

Hughden, I think my 'accident' is insignificant compared to your misfortune. I hope your recovery is complete.

Hey, thanks a bunch for the input, it's encouraging.

[hughden]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I managed to destroy a car and break my back on the way back to Pattaya from Bangkok last year. Joining me in the accident was my 1D with a 135mm lens attached, and a 70-200mm in a separate bag. The 135mm was distorted at the point where the camera meets the body, the 70-200mm had a smashed filter but nothing else obviously wrong with it. The camera didn't seem to think anything had happened!

Once I was mobile again I gave the whole lot back to Canon for checking. I got the camera and 70-200mm back in a couple of days, checked and calibrated for a few hundred baht. The 135mm needed a new part which took a couple of weeks to come from Japan and cost me 3,000 baht. But everything worked as it had before the accident and I found Canon Bangkok to be very helpful throughout.

Good luck!

Hughden, I think my 'accident' is insignificant compared to your misfortune. I hope your recovery is complete.

Hey, thanks a bunch for the input, it's encouraging.

Has been an "interesting" year getting over it, breaking your back is not as much fun as it sounds. But I can carry all my camera gear around again, so that counts as being healed!

[astral]

Don't trust "local repair guys"

Get the camera and lens to the Canon Centre.

[The Vulcan]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I managed to destroy a car and break my back on the way back to Pattaya from Bangkok last year. Joining me in the accident was my 1D with a 135mm lens attached, and a 70-200mm in a separate bag. The 135mm was distorted at the point where the camera meets the body, the 70-200mm had a smashed filter but nothing else obviously wrong with it. The camera didn't seem to think anything had happened!

Once I was mobile again I gave the whole lot back to Canon for checking. I got the camera and 70-200mm back in a couple of days, checked and calibrated for a few hundred baht. The 135mm needed a new part which took a couple of weeks to come from Japan and cost me 3,000 baht. But everything worked as it had before the accident and I found Canon Bangkok to be very helpful throughout.

Good luck!

Hughden, I think my 'accident' is insignificant compared to your misfortune. I hope your recovery is complete.

Hey, thanks a bunch for the input, it's encouraging.

Has been an "interesting" year getting over it, breaking your back is not as much fun as it sounds. But I can carry all my camera gear around again, so that counts as being healed!

The amount of gear I'm hauling around these days puts me next in line for a broken back!

I really do need a clearout before it's too late.