# Noisy 70-200f4L



## grog13 (Sep 6, 2013)

I just bought a used 70-200 f4L (non-IS). Got it from a dealer, date code Y, looks brand new. Everything seems to work fine - focus is normally fast, seems accurate, but it's a bit noisy. There's a bit of a "rattle" or "clatter" as it focuses (but the manual focus ring turns very smoothly). It's not a loud noise, but clearly audible a few feet away. I owned one of these awhile back and seem to remember it was very quiet - just a soft swish as it focused. Anyone know if this sound is common for this lens? I don't want to send a good lens back if this is nothing to worry about.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 6, 2013)

Take it back if you have any doubt. You are likely hearing the IS activate.


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## distant.star (Sep 6, 2013)

.
I've had one for three years now -- never heard a peep out of it.

If I were you, I'd return that one tout suite!


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## jcollett (Sep 6, 2013)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Take it back if you have any doubt. You are likely hearing the IS activate.


He did state that his lens is a NON IS model so that would not be the case. I'd recommend taking back a lens that made a loud noise with the AF mechanism.


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## SDPhotography (Sep 6, 2013)

Hello,

First post but long time reader.

My 70-200 non IS makes a whirring sound when focusing, and sometimes a slight thud as it moves back and forth. Never had any issue for the last 4 years. I had 2 shops look at it and said it was normal on mine.

Cheers


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## distant.star (Sep 6, 2013)

.
I just took mine outside and did some fast near/far AF switches on a 5D3. Essentially silent, as it should be.


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## grog13 (Sep 6, 2013)

distant.star said:


> .
> I just took mine outside and did some fast near/far AF switches on a 5D3. Essentially silent, as it should be.



Slight thud is a good description. In playing with it more, I realized the sound is the same one it makes when the focus ring (turned manually) hits the soft stop at either end of travel. Very similar but softer to that of the zoom ring's (hard) stop. It makes this sound even when it doesn't move to the end of travel, but changes direction. So unless somebody says "That's the sound my lens made just before it exploded" I'm thinking it's nothing to worry about.


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## mrsfotografie (Sep 6, 2013)

It may depend on the body; my 70-200 f/2.8 IS II is essentially silent on the 7D but makes some strange noises sometimes when it's on the 5D2. It must be complaining about the 5D2's inferior AF system!!: "Hey I'm a really cool and fast lens and you, silly body, are a dog.... "


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## dgatwood (Sep 6, 2013)

grog13 said:


> Slight thud is a good description. In playing with it more, I realized the sound is the same one it makes when the focus ring (turned manually) hits the soft stop at either end of travel. Very similar but softer to that of the zoom ring's (hard) stop. It makes this sound even when it doesn't move to the end of travel, but changes direction. So unless somebody says "That's the sound my lens made just before it exploded" I'm thinking it's nothing to worry about.



Sounds like there's a bit of play in some part of the mechanism such that when it changes directions, some part moves freely for a moment before it starts pushing on some other part. As for whether it is a problem or not, I couldn't say. Depends on whether that bit of play puts that piece minutes away from jamming.


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## celltech (Sep 6, 2013)

Just tried out my copy on a 5D3. It's far from "silent". My 70-200 f/2.8 non-IS is not as noisy, but you can still hear it. The f/4 noise is rougher in nature. Both focus as fast as I could imagine they should be, considering how much internal guts they have to move around.

Then I put both on my T2i. Both are a bit more quiet, but its obvious they are not being driven as hard. My 5D3 is capable of much more "violent" focus swings when I force it onto something that is hard to get a lock.

So I second the thought that a body makes a difference...


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## grog13 (Sep 6, 2013)

mrsfotografie said:


> It may depend on the body....



I wondered about that. And the only body I have right now is the eos-M, so it does do quite a bit of back & forth. When I had another 70-200 in the past (used with SLRs of course, mostly 40d & 50d) there was not so much "indecision" on the part of the camera.


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## mrsfotografie (Sep 6, 2013)

grog13 said:


> mrsfotografie said:
> 
> 
> > It may depend on the body....
> ...



There you go, the 'indecision' is the cause, just as is the case with my 70-200 on the 5D2


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