The lower edges are indeed terrible...but the image is also very soft throughout the frame, even at the centre. Was the camera hand-held or on a tripod?

This has been discussed extensively here. The 3x will not focus at the shortest focal length setting. You can verify this easily by zooming out to 10 mm, focusing on something and then resetting the zoom the the shortest F.L. The image will be out of focus. As you rotate the focus ring to bring it in it won't go quite far enough. Many people have reported this problem. I can't recall anyone having reported it fixed. If it is fixable I'd love to have it done.

MTF edge testing confirms that this lens is as sharp as the lens than Canon ships with the XL-H1 at its long setting but is appreciably blurrier at its shortest focal length which is, of course, the focal length we all bought the thing for.

Desipite the lens problems... that is an awsome location!
Details?

thanks for your replies. if i remember correctly, i just couldn't get focus for this particular shot. maybe because this scene was artificially lit & my iris was wide open? it is on a tripod.

here is the reverse using the 20x lens:
http://www.geocities.com/moiseszee/MAM20x.bmp

another shot with the 3x that seems in focus but with the edge blurred specially the left side, fstop 1.8:
http://www.geocities.com/moiseszee/MAMedgeblur2.bmp

3x lens at least fstop 5.6. looks ok
http://www.geocities.com/moiseszee/MAMglidecam3x.bmp

matthew, it's a church in the province. i forget the name. it didn't look that good because they painted the walls green. the warm light offsets it

3X zoom failure
 

Dave
I had the same problem with my 3X zoom last year. See my thread that I posted. A PCB had expired, which was changed by one of their service centres here in the UK. I was surprised at how quickly the lens was turned round. I think they must have had a supply of these boards. I did expect to have to wait a few weeks. It could be a weak point. I also find it odd that you must power down the camera before a lens change. I can change lenses on my EOS1D digital SLR powered up so why can't I do the same on the XL2? I think the auto-focus could be better, mines goes out of focus as soon as you hit the zoom switch, then comes back in.

3x lens malfunction
 

hello,
just got back from a 3 week trip to nepal. all went fine and the camera (xl2) held up excellent, except the 3x lens...
the first 2 days in kathmandu all equipment worked fine. the third day in the morning i changed to the 3x lens (i used it the day before as well), it said "check lens" in the view finder. i did. and then it worked for a few minutes. after that it started having its own will! after 6-7 sec of turning on the camera, the lens either went out of focus, black or totally overexposed (bright as the sun). the zoom didn't work from either manual or camera controlled. about 25% of the times i turned it on it stayed good.
i'm kinda hoping that it could be something that i can fix myself but doubt that.
it's still under warranty (bougth at bh)
anyone have any ides? anyone had similiar probs with their 3x?
should i just send it back!?
all the equipment is transported very carefully in a semihard camera pack.
appreciate any help
thanks
t

Is it possible you took the lens off wihtout powering down? You can blow a fuse in the lens if you do this! check the lens on another body first. Maybe at the store.

hi Matthew,
nope, i never changed a lens without powering down. the lens still works about 25% of the time. any other ideas?

This sounds like an intermittent contact either inside the lens or on the external contacts. Is the lens working better since you returned? These contact issues can somtimes be the result of the climate you are operating in.

-gb-

its still the same.
sometimes the zoom work for about 3-4 sec. stops working and the screen goes out of focus. nothing works and then after tunring it off and then on again it sometimes work or it's still out of focus.

Hi Thomas,
I know exactly what you're talking about. The same thing happend to me. I have never changed lenses without powering down, even still... my 3x lens died on me at the beginning of a shoot. I don't know what I could have done to prevent it... so it scares me to think it could happen again at any time.

hi Webb,
what did you do? did you send it back? did the warranty cover it?
yeah, i know. its scary. first i was really worried that it was the camera, then i would have been screwed... everything else works fine on the camera.

I just got MY 3x lens back from Canon New Jersey for the T H I R D T I M E!!!!
Each time it stopped zooming and focusing. I've only had the thing for a little over a year. I'd call it the "L" word, but am scared to jinx it, and hope that this fix works.( last time it took a shite on me in the middle of a fashion shoot).
Canon...can you say "Deseign flaw"? How about "quality control"?
Bruce Yarock

Hi Thomas,
The lens was only a few months old, so I sent it to Canon repair in CA. Turn-around was about a week. I dont' know if it helped, but i mentioned in my notes that I use this lens to make my living so a quick turnaround would be appreciated.

To add to the @#$%-factor of the whole situation, when I got the lens back the back-focus was out, so I couldn't get anything to focus. Well, another $25 in shipping charges and another week or so later, I finally had my lens back and (crosses fingers) have not had problems with it since.

Bruce - I totally agree, I think Canon either has a design flaw and/or a QC problem. It's one thing for the lens to be bad, but for the service department to fix one problem and create another was unacceptable. Oh well.

I don't like to throw stones at anyone, including Canon. I can say from previous threads on this forum only and not from personal experience that the New Jersey repair center seems to have a better track record on fixing it right the first time. Luckily, I haven't needed their services yet.

regards,

-gb-

well,
time to send it in then.
thank u all for input and help.
i dont need the lens for a few weeks, will be in front of the computer...
tom

Hi, just thought I'd chime in and say I'm on my third 3x lens - two having bitten the dust exactly the same way as has been described here. Had no problems with the stock 16x or manual 16x. Seems like the consensus is that the 3x is a bit of a dog?!

Adam

I shot with mine today and it's still working. maybe I'll be lucky this time around.
Btw, Adam...did Canon give you a new lens, or did you have to pay for it?
Bruce Yarock

Bruce, I returned it to the retailer I bought it from both times and they provided the replacements - free of charge. The lens failed both times within the warranty period.

3x Zoom Control Smoothness
 

I was just shooting some Birthday footage with the 3x lens and noted that using the "manual" zoom lens did not result in a smooth zoom action. If I very carefully turn the ring at constant speed, the image seems to zoom in bursts! Is this just me? Or my nice new lens? Or is that just how it works?

back focus on 3x wideangle
 

Is there any alternative to sending my wide angle lens in for service, to get the back focus realigned? Any tricks anyone knows of, before more expense!
Well it's worth asking isn't it?
Mike.

Mike,

Have you looked at this thread? http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...gle+Back+focus

Also, have you contacted a rep at Canon about this issue to gain any insight? Seems like this has been a known issue with the 3Xs on the XL2s. Not sure if Canon has addressed the issue or not.

Ryan

Thanks Ryan, the thread has me better informed.

Following on from my recent post, the Good news is, Canon U.K. have checked over my wideangle lens, and have not charged me, because, they say, everything is as it should be.
The Bad news is, the problem was visable to me, on both my XL2 Cams.
So since my 20x and 16x manual lens are both working as they should, I know it's not my eyes!
I really will have to use it as an emergency lens only!

Which fisheye to get: 3x or 16x manual
 

I am thinking about investing in a fisheye lens/adapter for my Canon XL-2. I have the 16x Manual lens and the 3x Wide Lens.

I plan on using it for shooting music video and cool establishing shots for narrative peices. Which one is the better one to get? unforunately the shots they have on century optics site of the lens is exactly the same for the 16x as for the 3x and it isn't a particularly good example.

Anyone else know of some good examples or competing devices to the Century optics adapter?

And which one is the better buy? the one for the 3x or the 16x manual?

Thanks in advance!

i've used both, and the CO fisheye for the 3x will give you more fisheye distortion than the one for the 16x, and your picture will benefit from the wide angle in most cases. however, if it's drama you're after, the CO baby death lens on a gl1/gl2 yields more dramatic results than either.

Fortunate&Unfortunate 3X lens
 

I just bought second hand Canon lens 3X(500$). the lens is a good condition. I even try before I bought it and work perfect. but when I get home the issue is there like other experienced (out of focus). when I zoom IN or OUT is out of focus in few second then focus good. the owner use Xl1 and work good also to him. is there anybody here has send their lens and how much they charge you? Thanks.

Chris
Tel-Aviv

First, try this test.

Turn on the camera into either the A, Tv or Av program mode. Be careful to avoid the Green Box (easy recording) mode.

Switch the 3x lens to manual focus. Zoom all the way in to full telephoto and set the focus. Now zoom out all the way to full wide (don't move the camera; just zoom out). Everything should still be in focus. Please report what happens when you try this simple test.

Chris, I did what you ask me and is in focus. any input sir.?

Christian

If your image is in focus after the steps Chris described, then there's no back focus problem.

That's right -- sounds like there's no back focus problem. The lens is working as it should. If the autofocus hunting annoys you, just turn off autofocus and control focus manually.

The procedure of zooming in to full telephoto and setting focus is known as critical focus. Once you do that, everything within the zoom range should stay in focus. It's a good shooting habit to get into.

Jarrod, you are right after I test what Chris, described then I put the lens setting to auto focus now it focus good even I zoom in or out. Thanks Chris! let put this issue for the record ;}
one more thing why my GL2 with adapter lensWD58 is wider than my XL2 with 3X? all I know the 3X lens is wider than GL2/WD58. any input? Thanks

Christian

Anyone? why my 3X lens is not wide enough compare to my GL2 with lens adapter WD58?. all I know the 3X lens equivalent 24mm in a 35mm film. it seems only give like 30mm. any input why? thanks

Chris

You need to be in 16:9 to get something close to 26mm (in 35mm equiv) with the XL2 and the 3X lens. In 4:3 you only get about 32mm wide.

Thanks Jean! I have no luck about focusing this lens still the focus problem was there even I do what Chris described the issue is there. everytime I zoom in or out is not focusing few seconds and afterward is focus right. the issue is like not sychronized the focus (sorry if not right term). I think I give it a try to calibrate this lens. it might be fix this issue.

Chris

Christian,

Understand that there is one motor, that drives the focus AND zoom servos, so it's not uncommon to have a drift in the zoom.

Richard, pls. being not english mother tongue would you pls. explain in easy english. you mean not zooming fast or smoothly? I do smooth zooming. Thanks!

Chris

There is only one motor in the lens.

The motor has to move the focus, AND the zoom.

When you are doing both at the same time, SOMETIMES the focus will slip.


I still cannot say that your lens is working properly. IF you are concerned, send it to a repair shop for service.

What language do you speak? We have a wide range of members across the globe. Perhaps someone can address you in your language.

Thanks Richard! now I know what you mean. I don't do sametime moving the focus and zoom. this is what I guest when I try to zoom in or out the lens is abit late to response the focus. thats why in few second is not focus well and then focus right. the timing of the focus is not sychronized when you zoom in or out. anyway thanks to all and just put this issue in the record.

how much do they charge you when you send your lens X3 for re-calibration? I brought my lens in a shop here in Tel-Aviv to fix the problem about zoom in-out. the guy check the lens and see the problem and I even tell him this is an issue to the camera XL2 but to the XL1 is ok this lens. I ask to adjust the lens with this camera XL2 and he say if he adjust the lens to my XL2 it might not work ok to the XL1. I told him its ok because we don't use this to XL1 and then he sugggested me if I want to fix that problem he need to change inside the lens and cost 450$. I said I bought this lens 500$ and the repair is 450$ (HOLY ISRAEL). he started to tell me may be less and if I want he will check the price in Canon europe how much the cost but for sure it won't less 350$ the price. now this final question, why you here when they fix your lens charge less cost and they just adjust your lens, not even change anything in your lens which is the same issue of my lens. this is my guest that the guy wants me to spent me more money so he will earn rather that just to adjust only the lens. if this true, is he, responsible using he's license to canon as a authorize technician and then at the same time earning more money to the people who doens't know in technical. this is the way sometimes they do here. can I report this to Canon? Thanks

Chris