Canon 17-55mm 2.8 issues…

[Logan Lamar]

Hello everyone!

I am having a repeated issue with my beloved Canon 17-55 2.8. When I zoom in with it, shooting at any aperture other than 2.8 triggers a “error 1”. I’ve tried cleaning the contacts and putting it on a different camera body to no avail, and I’m about 99% sure it’s an internal problem with the lens.

What is especially frustrating is that this is now the third time I’ve had this problem. The last time I had this issue was March 2023 (which puts me 3 months out of the repair warranty 🙁 ), and the time before that was back in January 2021. Sending it into Canon is expensive… on the order of about $225. I think the issue is a faulty aperture ribbon cable.

Has anyone else had reliability issues with this lens? Has anyone attempted to repair this themselves?

When it’s working, this is one of my all-time favorite lenses… it’s fast, has great range and great autofocus, and the image stabilization is a huge plus for me on an older crop sensor as it allows me to keep my ISO low. I use this lens often, but if I keep having this issue my wallet might be happier if I look for an alternative.

Thanks,
Logan

[Ezra Morley]

The very first result of my online search showed that this is a pretty common issue with that lens. :/

https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/85579/weird-canon-17-55-f2-8-is-lens-error

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3934584

Must have been a bad design that breaks too easily. You might try turning off IS and see if that helps. Some people said it only seems to happen with IS on. https://www.flickr.com/groups/81487468@N00/discuss/72157603629201326/

[James Staddon]

I am really sorry to hear this, Logan! I have had lens issues that continued even after sending them in to be fixed too. I never try to repair my own lenses, so I don’t know what to tell you. I have never used the lens you mentioned either. I guess it’s just a matter of time before everything will eventually return to the dust from which it came? :/ If you want a cheaper repair option, I would recommend https://www.royalcameras.com/

[Jimmy Sparks]

Sending it off to Canon can really hurt the bank account, but sometimes it’s the best move for a lasting fix, especially if the problem keeps coming back. While you’re waiting for it to get sorted, might be worth peeking at some other lens options.

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