# EF 300mm 2.8 IS - Anybody seen anything like this?



## drummstikk (Apr 9, 2013)

I rented a 300mm 2.8 IS from a local dealer last weekend for a softball game as my 70-200 was in for repair. There was some kind of issue with the lens as I could not achieve any kind of flat plane of focus. I suspected a mis-aligned or loose lens element. It seemed to get better or worse, perhaps depending on focus distance. For a time it seemed worse around home plate than in the outfield. Autofocus seemed to be struggling at times, and even when I went manual it was difficult to focus, leaving me thinking it was time for a new eyeglass prescription.

Here is an example photo:



2013-04-06 at 13-02-16 by Progeny of Light, on Flickr

Note that the webbing in the player's glove appears mostly sharp (but not perfectly so, in my opinion) and the face is less focused, and the feet are WAY out. In fact there seems to be NO area of grass in the lower third of the image that is in focus. There should be a strip of sharply focused grass right at the players feet.

Also, the blur at the outer edges appears streaked as if from motion blur, but this is virtually impossible as the photo was taken at 1/1600 sec.

I showed sample images to the dealer and they refunded my rental fee. I was doing a little more shopping in the store when the rental guy approached me and told me he'd done some test images with the lens on a 5D and they looked perfectly normal. I looked at them and agreed. He suggested there was a problem with my camera, although neither of us could come up with a logical explanation for how the camera could cause this type of image blur.

When I got back home I shot some test images with my 7D (the camera used with the rental lens) although the longest lens I had on hand was a 24-105. Therefore, I could not replicate the telephoto conditions I experienced with the 300mm. My pictures were fine.

So my question to you all is this: Has anyone seen anything like this before with a 300mm 2.8 or other lens? Anybody know of any kind of camera malfunction that could cause this?


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## Drizzt321 (Apr 9, 2013)

I personally haven't had that, but it certainly looks like some of the samples I've seen elsewhere for a mis-aligned lens element.


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## jhpeterson (Apr 9, 2013)

This looks like it may a problem with the image stabilization. I've seen it happen a couple times, but only on the first-generation lower-priced lenses. 
Perhaps the stops that control the travel of the IS have stripped. Since it looks sharpest close to the center, much like a lens that tilts, you seem to have one where the plane of focus is not parallel with the sensor.


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## wickidwombat (Apr 9, 2013)

yeah it almost looks like its shot with a lensbaby
another vote for lens element out of whack


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Apr 9, 2013)

The left side looks bad. I'd say the lens is decentered. Lens Rentals has a great facility to test returning lenses for this type of issue. Some rental places apparently don't test and let the next customer test it for them.


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## drummstikk (Apr 9, 2013)

Thanks to all commenters. An IS problem is an interesting theory. When the game first started, I noticed sharpness problems. It was a chilly morning and I thought I might not be holding the lens as steady as possible, so I turned on IS. (It was off when I first picked up the lens.)

So I got similar results with IS on and off. Perhaps the IS "element" was stuck in an odd position from the last use of the lens.

Anyway, I feel better eliminating my camera from suspicion since all suggestions regard the lens.


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## jhpeterson (Apr 9, 2013)

drummstikk said:


> So I got similar results with IS on and off. Perhaps the IS "element" was stuck in an odd position from the last use of the lens.


That might just well be the case. If the lens was dropped or subject to a great amount of vibration, the group that moves about to produce IS could be off-axis.


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## swampler (Apr 9, 2013)

Could it be related to this firmware update?

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_300mm_f_2_8l_is_ii_usm?pageKeyCode=prdAdvDetail&docId=0901e024805fb8c0


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## jdramirez (Apr 9, 2013)

I'm not sure what would have caused that. Did you have a 2nd body to be able to confirm it was the lens?

Having said that, I'm glad you got your money back? I'd be upset if I rented something that gave me those kind of results.


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## pwp (Apr 9, 2013)

Errgh! Tough luck. That's not nice. But let's all take the obvious salient point here to heart. 

If you're using any equipment previously un-used by _YOU_, including _new_ bodies, lenses, flash gear and so on, TEST IT FIRST. 

It's close to being the number one golden rule. A professional reputation takes a long time to build but it can unravel in a heartbeat. Your client is unlikely to buy the line that the lens was faulty. They want results they can work with.

Drummstikk your case is incredibly unfortunate as your pre-shoot tests didn't reveal the fault.

-PW


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## jdramirez (Apr 9, 2013)

pwp said:


> Errgh! Tough luck. That's not nice. But let's all take the obvious salient point here to heart.
> 
> If you're using any equipment previously un-used by _YOU_, including _new_ bodies, lenses, flash gear and so on, TEST IT FIRST.
> 
> ...



He didn't say he was on the job, did he? Having said that, I have adopted the take a test shot which at least guarantees I have a batter and a memory card in the camera.


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## pwp (Apr 9, 2013)

jdramirez said:


> pwp said:
> 
> 
> > Errgh! Tough luck. That's not nice. But let's all take the obvious salient point here to heart.
> ...


I guess I was suggesting this is something that everyone could learn something from. Whether a high level professional job or a meaningful personal project is at stake, why not make sure. Like the Boy Scouts motto says, "Be Prepared". It's sound, well tested advice.

-PW


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Apr 9, 2013)

could it be heat waves? I remember that a few times for soccer we were all getting hideous results, with weird twisted focal planes (when there even was a focal plane at all). It doesn't have to be really hot, it often happens during spring or fall transition periods actually when the grass/ground/bases an heat very differently than the air. If you shot early the air may have been a much different temp than the ground with sun shining on it?

did you try it elsewhere at all?


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