Auto Focus broken

padocon

Hello,
All help appreciated.

I dropped my camera yesterday. Lens first onto a carpet floor. It fell about 10cm from my hand to the carpet. TBH I didn't think anything would have happened to it. Thought it was robust. Camera (400d) working fine! TG
Lens (Kit) not so lucky. At first it would not work at all but with a bit of messing I managed to get the zoom (18-55mm) working. One problem the Auto Focus is broken. Lens is fine for MF but AF don't work.

So... Is it a complicated repair? Can it be repaired? Am I better to get a new lens?

The lens is Canon EF-S 18-55 f/ 3.5-5.6 IS


Thanks in advance!
Padraig

5uspect

Have you tried a different lent to verify that the 400D is fine?

The 18-55 isn't worth getting repaired. You could probably get one second-hand on Adverts easily enough if you're very attached to it. Most people are eager to get shut of that lens pretty quickly.

padocon

Just tried there and the 400d is fine. It is working grand. But it is the lens AF that is not working.

Ricky91t

The fact kit lenses can be got for very little it'll probably be one of those things where it's cheaper to buy another than repair it. Could be wrong though.

Saying that you may as well totally disemble the lens and attempt to fix it, you've got nothing to lose.

padocon

Ricky91t wrote: »

The fact kit lenses can be got for very little it'll probably be one of those things where it's cheaper to buy another than repair it. Could be wrong though.

Saying that you may as well totally disemble the lens and attempt to fix it, you've got nothing to lose.

Thanks

Yes I was thinking that. I could use it as a back up. The MF is working. Might have a look inside but I would not know where to start fixing or how.

What would a second hand kit lens be going for? 50euro ish?

challengemaster

I'd say 50 if even that...but why not use this opportunity to upgrade to a better, more flexible lens? put the 50 quid towards that instead...

Kintarō Hattori

As said the kit lens can really be bought cheap as chips. Also mentioned above is that perhaps this should be an opportunity that you use to get yourself a better lens. Do you have the magnificent nifty fifty? Well worth getting if you don't and they can be bought quite cheaply for a Canon.

twowheelsonly

I'd be inclined to have a go at a home repair as well.
Start with the AF/M switch and work from there, possibly it's only the switch that's damaged.
There's one of those lens on Ebay for about €130 at the moment, cheaper than a shop repair I'd imagine.

Ricky91t

Don't forget it's an IS lens, they're slightly more than €50.

I second upgrading to something better though!

padocon

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

As said the kit lens can really be bought cheap as chips. Also mentioned above is that perhaps this should be an opportunity that you use to get yourself a better lens. Do you have the magnificent nifty fifty? Well worth getting if you don't and they can be bought quite cheaply for a Canon.

Have a nifty fifty.... broken also. They are both broke. I'll live with out the nifty fifty. TBH wasn't a huge fan. Its not flexible which annoyed me. Up grading hmmm... that was not on the cards. Might look into it though.

Thanks every one for the help so far. It has probably been posted already and I guess it's off topic but anyway:

zerohamster

Hey I sent you a PM did you get it?
cheers

magicbastarder

padocon wrote: »

Its not flexible which annoyed me.

maybe if they'd been more flexible, they'd have bounced.

padocon

magicbastarder wrote: »

maybe if they'd been more flexible, they'd have bounced.

Ha Ha. What I mean by that is that is that it is stuck at 50mm. I like something that can zoom a little.

challengemaster

Ricky91t wrote: »

Don't forget it's an IS lens, they're slightly more than €50.

I second upgrading to something better though!

Nope, it's not - have a 400D myself, the kit lens is most certainly NOT an IS lens. Unless they're after changing that recently... I know for a fact mine isn't IS anyway...

Ricky91t

challengemaster wrote: »

Nope, it's not - have a 400D myself, the kit lens is most certainly NOT an IS lens. Unless they're after changing that recently... I know for a fact mine isn't IS anyway...

I was just reading what was in the OP... :pac:

padocon wrote: »

The lens is Canon EF-S 18-55 f/ 3.5-5.6 IS

AnimalRights

The kit lens that came with my 400D was not IS and the kit lens that came with my 450D was IS.
The one with IS is not the worse lens in the world and as many others have said go for about 70-80 on adverts, it's the non-IS that goes for around 50ish.
I'd go for the IS version Padocon.

Ricky91t

I'd recommend maybe a sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4 from what I've seen and read they're decent lenses and not the most expensive either, Could pick them up cheap enough!

Thecageyone

This has just happened to a used lens I bought only last week! I've only used it 3 times and it's not got a knock or anything. With AF on it shudders and whirrs and creaks uncontrollably, on MF it's fine. Any quick fix for this? It's a sigma 70-300 DG. Very anoyed :mad:

zerohamster

Thecageyone wrote: »

This has just happened to a used lens I bought only last week! I've only used it 3 times and it's not got a knock or anything. With AF on it shudders and whirrs and creaks uncontrollably, on MF it's fine. Any quick fix for this? It's a sigma 70-300 DG. Very anoyed :mad:

sounds like either a gear on the AF is stripped (could happen if the autofocus was manually forced while on autofocus mode) or that the motor has simply died on it.
there is no quick fix if that is the case other then getting the part and repairing but have you tried cleaning the contacts?
I could take a look for you

Thecageyone

What's best for cleaning the contacts?

In MF the focus ring seems to stick when turned. It doesn't help that the SSS and sensor are duffed on my cam. Just unlucky, I mind equipment really well. All my camera equipment has it's own press with 2 shelves. And all bits and bobs go seperate into a steel box, all lenses are covered at all times when off cam and I'm constantly cleaning them before use.

zerohamster

Thecageyone wrote: »

What's best for cleaning the contacts?

In MF the focus ring seems to stick when turned. It doesn't help that the SSS and sensor are duffed on my cam. Just unlucky, I mind equipment really well. All my camera equipment has it's own press with 2 shelves. And all bits and bobs go seperate into a steel box, all lenses are covered at all times when off cam and I'm constantly cleaning them before use.

Its typical that that happens to people who take care of gear, it has always annoyed me when I take care of my gear really well and something goes wrong :S

If it is sticking in manual focus then there is something jamming the focus barrel. I could definitely clear that up for you no problem and have done many times. the gears are probably whirring because they are under stress. Whatever you do dont force it or you will strip the gears and will need a whole new af motor and gears which would be costly.

I use Isopropyl alcohol to clean contacts and an ear bud. works great as I take care of my gear, although I do hear alot of people use a rubber eraser first which takes off contaminants quite well.

Thecageyone

zerohamster wrote: »

Its typical that that happens to people who take care of gear, it has always annoyed me when I take care of my gear really well and something goes wrong :S

If it is sticking in manual focus then there is something jamming the focus barrel. I could definitely clear that up for you no problem and have done many times. the gears are probably whirring because they are under stress. Whatever you do dont force it or you will strip the gears and will need a whole new af motor and gears which would be costly.

I use Isopropyl alcohol to clean contacts and an ear bud. works great as I take care of my gear, although I do hear alot of people use a rubber eraser first which takes off contaminants quite well.

I'll give the cleaning a go first and take it from there. Might get back to you on it if that fails.