Dust When Using 100 - 400 mm Lens

Zoophoto · #1 06-13-2002, 07:45 AM

I have heard (but not confirmed) that the push/pull design of the 100 - 400 zoom lens has the effect of pulling dust into the camera.

Does anyone here use the 100 - 400 zoom? Does it bring additional dust problems with it?

Thanks

LeeRothman · #2 06-13-2002, 09:39 AM

I too was concerned about this, but found when you pump the lens off of the camera, you will notice that the majority of the air flys out the sides (area where the lens slide in and out of) as opposed to the back optical area that couples to the camera body. I guess that is why I have not noticed it to be an issue causing dust. There was a rumor, and you know how rumors are. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Greg_Kudasz · #3 06-13-2002, 08:40 PM

Oh it's no rumor! I got it big time and I'm pretty POd. I really noticed it when I put on a 1.4 teleconverter. The dust is on the INSIDE of the outer lens so there's no way to get to it from the outside.

"pump the lens off"

What do you mean by this?

Local camera store said it would be $200 to send it to Canon to be cleaned. I don't think so.

Felipe_Castanho · #4 06-14-2002, 05:31 PM

I don¥t think this is a rumor. I also have the 100-400 and I also have the same problem.

This lastmonth I have been in Pirassununga covering the 50 years of Brasilian Esquadrilha da FumaÁa (something like Blue Angels). In one day I was taking picture from the ground and I was using the 100-400mm with my EOS-1D. I become very worried and upset when I downloaded the pictures from the camera because they was all full of those dusts grains. Another day I was taking pictures from the Control Tower, the camera was set up with the same lens plus 2x converter that I did not take off until the end of the day. When I downloaded the pictures I noticed a lot less dust grains on them. I also loked at the end of the converter and I saw some of the dust there. The converter functioned as a protection barrier between de lens and the camera. But it did not stoped the dust from complete coming inside.

The converter I used was the first generation from Canon. I will makesome tests with A converter 2x II, I hope this willcompletely protect the camera¥s sensor as this new converter have the O-Ring for water seal.

Any way I think that "pumping" the 100-400 on a natural or heavy dust scenario could be a serious problem.