# Canon 85mm F1.2 II focus ring problem



## pcliteuser (Apr 27, 2015)

if the manual focus ring stops working "got loose etc", will the auto focus still work?

*short story:*
_my brother borrowed my 85 f1.2 for a week and when he returned it to me i realized that the focus ring is a bit loose "when you turn it around 1-2mm distance" but still working same as auto focus. I gave the lens to our local canon shop and they quoted me for $1.9k-$2k+ (converted) because they said to replace the focus ring they also need to replace the whole autofocus motor because it is linked together. Now going back to my main question..._


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## jdramirez (Apr 27, 2015)

I don't know, but I'm interested to hear. That sounds like a crock. Maybe send it in to Canon and have them take a look at it.


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## chromophore (Apr 27, 2015)

The 85/1.2L design is focus-by-wire. There is no mechanical coupling between the focusing ring and the focusing helicoid. Turning the focusing ring merely sends an electronic signal to the USM, which then performs the actual movement of racking the focus. This is why the focusing position of the lens cannot be changed if it does not receive power from a camera body, and why the lens is prone to damage if it is stored with the focusing sub-barrel extended (i.e., not at infinity focus).

This design also means that there is a little bit of play in the focusing ring, because when the ring is turned, there are no gears through which one feels any mechanical resistance. That said, in MF mode, the ring should not rotate significantly without observing a response from the AF motor. The lens should be responsive and there should not be a delay.

However, to be quoted a price of around $2000 USD to fix the lens is very clearly fraudulent: the price of a NEW lens is about that much. It is not a difficult lens to repair, focusing-wise. If there's no damage to the glass, or the sub-barrel, the repair should only run you a few hundred, say $400-500 at most.


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## jdramirez (Apr 27, 2015)

Maybe they are going you sell it to them for parts, say $500 Which you apply towards a new one, $2000. Then they fix it for $200 and resale it for $1600. 

So they make $1100 on the deal ( $200 profit on the new one & $900 on the used one)


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## danski0224 (Apr 27, 2015)

What country are you in? That makes a big difference.

If you are in the USA or Canada, I'd send it to an actual Canon service center. If you have enough stuff to become a CPS Gold member (easier in the USA compared to elsewhere in the world), that will give you a small discount on repairs.


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