Doug Kerr
Well-known member
I recently ordered an EOS 40D and an EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro lens from B&H. When the whole kit arrived, I put the 60mm on the body and took a grab shot. I then mounted another lens on the body and did various things. Later I put the 60 back on and bingo - the display showed "00" for the aperture - normally an indication that the lens is not "communicating" with the body.
I thought that there might have either been some kind of foreign material or oxidation on the lens contacts or a problem with the contact plungers on the body, but inspection under a microscope showed no sign of such. Inspection suggested that the plungers were making good contact (at least, all the lens pads showed barely-visible "tracks" after mounting and unmounting the lens a dozen times or so).
As I looked into it more thoroughly, I found that if the lens was put in place and turned all the way clockwise to the locking stop, the display showed "00". Then, if the lens was rotated back just a tiny bit (the extent of the play in the locking pin), the display became normal. And further movement over the small available range didn't change the display. But then the lens might not necessarily work anyway (no AF).
I didn't have this problem with any of my other lenses on the 40D body. But then the 60mm worked without apparent anomaly on my 20D body.
Will Thompson (who works everyday with all kinds of electronic equipment, and has probably seen every physical cause of misbehavior known to man) conjectured that the problem was not likely in the contact between the lens "pads" and the body plungers but more likely a bad solder joint behind one of the pads where it connected to a ribbon cable inside the lens. Will conjectured that, even though the pad was "molded into" the lens body, there could still be a very tiny amount of "play", and when the pad was forced just an infinitesimal amount to one side or another by the drag of the body plunger, it could have flexed that bad joint.
In any case, I sent the lens back to B&H with a full description of the problem. They promptly sent me a new one.
So far, I have seen no anomaly with the new lens.
Today I hope to do some actual work with the 60!
By the way, the 40D arrived with firmware v1.0.5 in place. Yesterday I upgraded to v1.0.8. This removed the editorial error in the Norwegian menu for picture style setting (bildetype replaced by bildestil), and likely did some some other beneficial things. It is said to mitigate a visual problem with the back panel monitor screen (some type of "jaggies" on images).
Speaking of the back panel screen, I greatly enjoy its substantially greater size compared to the screen of the 20D (one of my major motives for buying the new body). But, boy, does that let you see the mediocre performance of the screen (whose pixel resolution hasn't been increased). I agree with those who feel that this is a real failure on Canon's part.
Oh well, maybe on the 50D, then we'll get it when we buy the 60D!
I thought that there might have either been some kind of foreign material or oxidation on the lens contacts or a problem with the contact plungers on the body, but inspection under a microscope showed no sign of such. Inspection suggested that the plungers were making good contact (at least, all the lens pads showed barely-visible "tracks" after mounting and unmounting the lens a dozen times or so).
As I looked into it more thoroughly, I found that if the lens was put in place and turned all the way clockwise to the locking stop, the display showed "00". Then, if the lens was rotated back just a tiny bit (the extent of the play in the locking pin), the display became normal. And further movement over the small available range didn't change the display. But then the lens might not necessarily work anyway (no AF).
I didn't have this problem with any of my other lenses on the 40D body. But then the 60mm worked without apparent anomaly on my 20D body.
Will Thompson (who works everyday with all kinds of electronic equipment, and has probably seen every physical cause of misbehavior known to man) conjectured that the problem was not likely in the contact between the lens "pads" and the body plungers but more likely a bad solder joint behind one of the pads where it connected to a ribbon cable inside the lens. Will conjectured that, even though the pad was "molded into" the lens body, there could still be a very tiny amount of "play", and when the pad was forced just an infinitesimal amount to one side or another by the drag of the body plunger, it could have flexed that bad joint.
In any case, I sent the lens back to B&H with a full description of the problem. They promptly sent me a new one.
So far, I have seen no anomaly with the new lens.
Today I hope to do some actual work with the 60!
By the way, the 40D arrived with firmware v1.0.5 in place. Yesterday I upgraded to v1.0.8. This removed the editorial error in the Norwegian menu for picture style setting (bildetype replaced by bildestil), and likely did some some other beneficial things. It is said to mitigate a visual problem with the back panel monitor screen (some type of "jaggies" on images).
Speaking of the back panel screen, I greatly enjoy its substantially greater size compared to the screen of the 20D (one of my major motives for buying the new body). But, boy, does that let you see the mediocre performance of the screen (whose pixel resolution hasn't been increased). I agree with those who feel that this is a real failure on Canon's part.
Oh well, maybe on the 50D, then we'll get it when we buy the 60D!