# Cost to repair image stabilization on 70-200 f2.8L IS II



## Doug Brock (Dec 31, 2014)

When my image stabilization failed, I scoured the Internet for hints at how much a repair might cost, but didn't find any hard numbers. For what it's worth, it is costing $359 for labor and $138.64 for parts. Total bill from Canon (including my CPS Gold discount) is $407.


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## nc0b (Dec 31, 2014)

Did the lens suffer some kind of trauma, or did it just fail for no obvious reason? What was the failure mode? How old is the lens? I have had no problem with mine, but it is fewer than 3 years old. I did have an 8 year old 28-135mm have the IS fail by chattering and ruining the picture. It worked with the IS turned off, so I gave it away. Then I bought a used 40D with the same 28-135mm lens and it started intermittently chattering. I sold it "as is" cheap. I only wanted the 40D body anyway.


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## mikemilton (Dec 31, 2014)

The CPS (Canada) site shows a fixed cost to repair the 70-200F2.8Lii as $319(CAD) including parts. This would be reduced by 30% for a platinum level member


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## Doug Brock (Jan 1, 2015)

The IS failed about a year ago, but I'm not sure why - it just stopped working. The lens is about 3 years old. I have had a couple of jolts to the lens over the years, but for the most part I baby my gear and have never had gear failure before. I was just shooting some high school theatre shots and noticed my pictures were suddenly blurry. I checked the IS switches and when IS didn't start working again, I just raised my shutter speed higher than I was used to needing in the dark theatre. The lens still worked ok, just without IS. I've been watching for a lull in my schedule (and some extra bucks for a repair of unknown cost), but finally just sent it in. I'm anxious to get back to having IS as an option in theatre and for some natural light portraiture. (It wasn't much of an issue for sports shots, of course.) I was disappointed in the failure - I thought for my sort of usage, the lens should be rugged enough to last forever.


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## Doug Brock (Jan 1, 2015)

Mikemilton, I'd love to have seen any sort of price list. I had an idea from various sources that it would be expensive, but that you wouldn't know the cost till the repair was actually made. I guess I can understand that, as you might not know how many things actually need to be fixed.


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## Marsu42 (Jan 1, 2015)

Doug Brock said:


> The lens still worked ok, just without IS.



That's annoying as the IS does make a huge difference with this focal length. I'm always afraid the same will happen to my 70-300L :-\ ... that's why I actually like my IS-less 17-40L, a lens w/o IS somehow feels much more sturdy and less prone to expensive repairs.



Doug Brock said:


> I guess I can understand that, as you might not know how many things actually need to be fixed.



My guess that there are standard repair prices for these issues, that's because cps doesn't "fix" anything but most likely simply replaces the whole IS. Probably it's always the same part that fails first, so they know what to expect.


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## East Wind Photography (Jan 1, 2015)

IS is the most fragile part in these lenses. It is not rugged by any means. Treat your lens like a carton of eggs. That being said, my 300mm was no match for a linebacker that had the run of his career. I sent it in to have the IS replaced and it was about 400.00 and included a needed lens collimation, and a couple of other minor things replaced.

For the 70-200 it is worth getting repaired as a replacement is about 2K.

If you are not a CPS member, this may be a good time to join if you qualify (register your lens first via CPS before sending in) as you will get a discount on your repair and parts.


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## Doug Brock (Jan 2, 2015)

East Wind Photography, my post said that the price included my CPS Gold discount.


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## dgatwood (Jan 2, 2015)

Yikes. Assuming that price from Canon Canada is correct, if you had shipped the lens to Canada for repair, after taking 20% off their fixed price, and after converting to USD, it would cost you only $218.27 US (plus shipping).

Why does Canon USA charge almost *double* what Canon Canada charges for the same repair?


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## Marsu42 (Jan 2, 2015)

dgatwood said:


> Why does Canon USA charge almost *double* what Canon Canada charges for the same repair?



Because they can?


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## East Wind Photography (Jan 3, 2015)

dgatwood said:


> Yikes. Assuming that price from Canon Canada is correct, if you had shipped the lens to Canada for repair, after taking 20% off their fixed price, and after converting to USD, it would cost you only $218.27 US (plus shipping).
> 
> Why does Canon USA charge almost *double* what Canon Canada charges for the same repair?



Actually having torn a couple similar lenses apart. It takes a considerable amount of time to diagnose the problem, tear it down, replace the bad module, then reassemble the elements...keeping it all clean...then recollimating the optics again. It's not something you can just replace like a set of spark plugs.

I think 400.00 to fix it is quite reasonable for employing someone as specialized as they are to do it right. I personally would not attempt it even if I had a great YouTube video showing me how. The specialized tools and knowledge to do it correctly would cost more than the repair.

Why Canada costs less? Not sure unless they are just giving you a refurbished one and using less skilled techs to repair it later. could be other reasons including some fine print somewhere that exclude certain repairs from that low price.


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## TeT (Jan 3, 2015)

East Wind Photography said:


> dgatwood said:
> 
> 
> > Yikes. Assuming that price from Canon Canada is correct, if you had shipped the lens to Canada for repair, after taking 20% off their fixed price, and after converting to USD, it would cost you only $218.27 US (plus shipping).
> ...



+1


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## dgatwood (Jan 3, 2015)

East Wind Photography said:


> Actually having torn a couple similar lenses apart. It takes a considerable amount of time to diagnose the problem, tear it down, replace the bad module, then reassemble the elements...keeping it all clean...then recollimating the optics again. It's not something you can just replace like a set of spark plugs.
> 
> I think 400.00 to fix it is quite reasonable for employing someone as specialized as they are to do it right. I personally would not attempt it even if I had a great YouTube video showing me how. The specialized tools and knowledge to do it correctly would cost more than the repair.



Unreasonable? Perhaps not. But the labor market isn't that different between Canada and the U.S. (in part because it is relatively easy for workers to move back and forth between them), so I'd expect the labor cost to be about the same (unless Canon put their repair center in the middle of Silicon Valley).


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