# Canon 24-105 F4L Err-01 Question



## Hector1970 (Feb 6, 2021)

Just curious of any opinions on this.
About a year ago my Canon 24-105mm starting actiing up. 
Then it seemed to be consistently coming up with the Err-01 and saying clean the contacts.
Of course I did clean the contacts but it made not difference.
Looking it up it seems to be a relatively common issue generally to do with the ribbon cable.
It doesn't seem to be practical to get it repaired, seems to be relatively expensive.
I went back looking at it recently and youtube videos of people repairing it.
People were blocking contacts to make it work sort of manually.
I started messing with different apertures and its erractically working.
Say if its on F4 and doesn't work if I switch off and back on and go to F16 it will at least work for a while.
So I'm wondering if its the aperture blades have an issue or whether the ribbon would also cause that problem.
It was a very handy lens, sad to see it broken but not sure if its worth investing in its repair.


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## Valvebounce (Feb 6, 2021)

Hi Hector. 
I have repaired a couple of EFs 17-85mm myself using eBay ribbons and I had a 24-105 f4L professionally repaired. In my lenses it has always been the ribbon that failed although I suspect others will have had aperture failures. In the 17-85s it seems the ribbon guide bar is under bent and this causes a pinch point that folds the ribbon in the same place repeatedly, I could easily see the break. On the 24-105, I watched the videos and decided it was not in my interest to meddle! I don’t know where you are based but I used a company called 1st aid repairs in the UK. https://1staidrepairs.co.uk/ I think it was just on the £100 mark and they fitted a new aperture and ribbon, they sent the old one back with the lens and again I could see the break in the ribbon. 
I will say my experience has been that if the ribbon has failed if the lens is used wide open (f4) the error never happened, either zoomed in or out. However as soon as the aperture was stopped down even 1/3 the error would happen intermittently.
I hope this helps.

Cheers, Graham. 



Hector1970 said:


> Just curious of any opinions on this.
> About a year ago my Canon 24-105mm starting actiing up.
> Then it seemed to be consistently coming up with the Err-01 and saying clean the contacts.
> Of course I did clean the contacts but it made not difference.
> ...


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## Hector1970 (Feb 6, 2021)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi Hector.
> I have repaired a couple of EFs 17-85mm myself using eBay ribbons and I had a 24-105 f4L professionally repaired. In my lenses it has always been the ribbon that failed although I suspect others will have had aperture failures. In the 17-85s it seems the ribbon guide bar is under bent and this causes a pinch point that folds the ribbon in the same place repeatedly, I could easily see the break. On the 24-105, I watched the videos and decided it was not in my interest to meddle! I don’t know where you are based but I used a company called 1st aid repairs in the UK. https://1staidrepairs.co.uk/ I think it was just on the £100 mark and they fitted a new aperture and ribbon, they sent the old one back with the lens and again I could see the break in the ribbon.
> I will say my experience has been that if the ribbon has failed if the lens is used wide open (f4) the error never happened, either zoomed in or out. However as soon as the aperture was stopped down even 1/3 the error would happen intermittently.
> I hope this helps.
> ...


Thanks Graham - thats interesting. I'd be a guy always tempted to use a screwdriver but I think these lens are too complex. I'd never get it back together. I might yet be tempted get it repaired. It's a useful lens but no point putting into it more than its worth. I'd do it for £100 but obviously prices may have changed. Thanks for replying


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## bergstrom (Sep 22, 2021)

Having mine fixed for €230. Yikes.


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