Canon 17-55 (Repairs)

D

DDirector

Veteran
I have the Canon 17-55, which I havent used in a while because of problems.

First thing, the interior is very dusty. It needs to be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned!

The second problem, being the biggest problem are the aperture blades. They are stuck.
I was out shooting in the cold once and since then the blades were getting stuck. Now, I it wont move. Stuck at f/16-22.

Any idea if this can be fixed, and how much it would be?
Or am I best off to just scrap the lens and buy a new one?
 
The dust is very easy to clean if you have a lens spanner. It's a very useful tool, so it is worth buying one off of ebay. The ring with the writing around the front of the element of the lens is just stuck on. Pry it off and you will see that the front element can be unscrewed with a lens spanner and the dust blown out of the inside. I no longer have my 17-55 so I am not sure if there is another element between the front element and the aperture. I don't think there is. You might be able to tap or push the aperture open. I don't know. As much as I've taken apart my own lenses and even cleaned the aperture of some older manual lenses with oil, I don't know what would cause the aperture to get stuck open. A spring is supposed to keep the aperture open until it is closed down for a picture. At least that is the way that older manual lenses work. The spring could be loose or something could have gotten lodged between the blades or one of the blades got stuck out of place. It can't hurt to try to push it open. At least, that is what I would do.
 
That lens is known to have a sticky aperture. I've seen it fixed by just switching the setting back and forth from 2.8 to 22 over and over. Don't know if that would work once it's fully stuck, but it seemed to do the trick for one that occasionally jammed.
If you're a CPS member, then I'd say definitely send it in. Otherwise, doesn't hurt to call Canon and ask their opinion.
 
The dust is internally, between other glass elements and not just behind the first piece of glass.
I have removed that plastic ring on the front and cleaned behind the first glass, but the bigger dust particles are deeper in the lens where I am unable to clean. A strong blower didnt help either.

I've had to switch from 2.8-22 a lot to fix it. But not its pretty much stuck closed at around f/16.

Is it worth getting it repaired if it would cost me around $300?
 
I've had DSLRs repaired by different big online repair places - if someone's authorized, they're usually good, you might get a quote.

KEH also does repairs now. Most repair services give a minimum quote for glass (I think KEH is like $200) and then they send an estimate when they inspect it.

But if dust is in one of those assembled cells of elements... some manufacturers made those "permanently sealed" with glue, etc. (So dust can't get in, go figure).

I just repaired a stuck shutter on a big medium format lens (but the shutter's similar to an aperture on those). Soaked the shutter in camp stove fuel (coleman fuel or white gas). Apparently it's a solvent that leaves nothing behind when it evaporates, and this type of aperture blade is sorta self-lubing... crazy as that sounds, it's a legit repair technique (and it was a very "sporty" job, as far as nerves and piles of parts go). But don't SLR apertures have some sort of oil?

But if that's a 2.8 zoom, what would it cost to replace it these days? A repair charge is probably worth it unless the lens is a dog (Don't know Canon myself).

Just for geekiness, the major assemblies of a Mamiya RB lens (still can't believe it worked when reassembled):

rblens.jpg
 
The Canon 17-55 is about $900 for a new one. ($550 or so used)
Its done down in price recently.

My lens also seems to have reduced its sharpness over the years due to the internal dust buildup.
Thats the big problem with this lens, dust gets in easily. Like a dust vacuum.
And if you are saying that it may NOT be possible to completely take it apart and clean it, then whats the point?
 
Well, a second of searching shows two youtube videos for disassembling that lens and a page of hits, so it's been done before.
 
Michael Carter said:
Well, on this thing they call "google"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCNNtyEO9vY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOZRN2mxajk
http://www.instructables.com/id/RepairAdjustClean-Canon-17-55mm-f28-Dropped-/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZxN4v4m6Ts
That took 30 seconds. Believe me, there's more...
Click to expand...


No.
You dont understand.
I already mentioned this in the posts above. I have ALREADY taken the front glass element of my lens before and cleaned it. That is not the problem.
The dust is not behind the first piece of glass. Its behind the other pieces, deeper in the lens, where I cannot get into it.
 
Ahh, so you want to disassemble a main element group?

I've discussed this on APUG as I want to make an uncoated lens with silver interior. The folks there say those are threaded pieces that have glue in the threads. So you have to heat the thing up in the oven. Sometimes you have to drill pairs of holes and get a lens spanner involved.

They also pretty universally say that it takes a hell of a lot of dust to mess with your image (though I want to break into an element group for more esoteric reasons than dust!)
 
I am a curious person and tried disassembling many lenses over the years, and my advice is, Don't try to get inside yourself, that's throwing 900$ away. Either send it to Canon or use it as it is, playing with the internal elements will probably make it unusable.
 
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