Feathered Photography is under stress at the moment.
Some readers may recall that about a year ago I had to send my 500mm lens in to Canon because of sharpness issues. A malfunctioning primary lens is never a pleasant experience and mine was compounded by the fact that Canon had my lens for a very long time. Their eventual diagnosis was that it had been “shock damaged” which never made any sense to me because I baby that lens. It had never been dropped or even bumped hard. There was no physical damage to the lens, only electrical adjustments had to be made, and when it was finally returned to me it worked perfectly again so I thought my lens woes were behind me.
Then several weeks ago I began to notice sharpness issues again and they perfectly mimicked the problem I’d had the year before. So, long story short, Canon now has my lens, my 7D Mark II (my primary camera) and my teleconverter (extender) for diagnosis and repair. In the meantime I’ve been wracking my brain in an effort to figure out what’s causing the problem and I may have solved the mystery.
Much of my shooting is done from my pickup, largely because birds are more easily approached from a vehicle than they are on foot. I’ve built what I call a “lens caddy” that mounts on top of my folded-down center seat console. The lens with camera attached mounts securely in the caddy but can be lifted out in an instant when I need it. But this is a hard mount with very little “give” on bumpy roads and I’m now thinking that the jarring it receives is likely causing my focusing issues as those sensitive electronic parts slowly go out of adjustment.
The extreme bumpiness of many of the dirt roads I drive on for photography cannot be overstated. Farmington during winter and the Centennial Valley of Montana are the worst but there are many others that rival them.
Yesterday morning I made this video clip at a foggy Farmington to illustrate my point. I’m trying to keep the camera steady as I drive but it’s simply impossible to do so. You’ll see that I was only traveling at 11 mph but the bumpiness was still bone-jarring (if you listen carefully you may also notice that it even affects my breathing). The rumbling sound you hear in the background is the contents of a storage box in my pickup bed rattling around. At the end of the clip I point the camera to my empty lens caddy – it seems so lonesome there without the lens!
And on most winter days the road is even rougher than this – yesterday morning it was cushioned somewhat by a fresh layer of snow.
At this point I’m pretty much convinced that the incredible jarring my lens receives on that hard mount is causing the problem over time. I should get my gear back from Canon late next week (I now belong to Canon Professional Services – CPS – which significantly speeds up the repair and shipping process) so we’ll see if their diagnosis fits my suspicions. I’ll report back either way.
I’m reporting all this here for two reasons:
- To let you know that unless I get lucky with my much smaller lens and older cameras my posts will likely consist of older images for a few days. Please bear with me.
- Perhaps some others may benefit from my mistakes – don’t allow your expensive lenses to be jarred for any reason if you can help it and if you’re a Canon shooter consider joining CPS if you can qualify (Nikon has a similar program but I’m relatively unfamiliar with it). I wish I’d joined CPS much earlier for many reasons – I’ll report more on that later.
Ron
PS – Yes, I believe I’ve figured out a way to “shock absorb” my lens caddy and hopefully prevent this problem in the future…
I sometimes carry my camera/lens inside a well-padded laundry basket in the car. The basket keeps it from shifting around, works pretty well.
Good information Ron. You have had me thinking about my photo outings with a lens/camera on bumpy roads. So I started pondering the issue. Having to deal with a sore wrist from too much computer/photoshop work, I finally purchased a wrist cushion… which made me do another search on Amazon and came across some gel products.
http://www.amazon.com/Wondergel-WG-RG-001-WonderGel-Roll-n-Go-Cushion/dp/B0029Y918M/ref=pd_sim_121_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=411pO9voUKL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=05NTN6JBG4AX8FP25TRE
There are a lot of these type of gel products. I know when I did a lot of bicycle/mtn bike racing that the gel products ruled the world for shock absorption and pressure-fatigue. If you come up with a solution with one of these products, let me know… curious of your final solution.
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WOW! When did they do that? It’s been a few years since I’ve been down that way! Surely they didn’t pave it around the lakes!!
I’m not sure what you’re referring to, Jane?…..
Hi Ron, a friend of mine recommended I use one of those “gel” filled wrist rests for computer keyboards to help isolate the camera from vibrations (can be picked up from office supply stores like Staples). He just mentioned it to me yesterday, but I’m going to try it. Perhaps lining the supports of your rest with pieces of one of these wrist rests will help…?
Thanks for the suggestion, Sharon.
Actually those rest supports are already lined with felt pads and that helps but just not enough. I’m keeping track of all of the suggestions from readers, including yours, and who knows what I’ll end up doing if the alterations I made yesterday don’t fix the problem. I won’t know of course until I get my lens back…
So sorry. I know you feel incomplete without that lens. My lens is in the shop too. I am just too hard on equipment. This time I had my camera between me and the door on the Causeway; started to open the door and pulled it shut quickly squeezing the lens between door and seat. Must have knocked lens barrel out of alignment. Can’t zoom my zoom lens. So glad I paid the big bucks for Mack insurance.
Dang, sorry to hear that you’re having lens woes too, Deedee. I hope you get it back soon and fixed to your satisfaction!
Ron, could you possibly replace your supports for the front of the lens and the camera with verticle posts About 1 1/2 in square mounted on the outer edge of the base and add a similar post on the base in the middle on each side. The heights of the posts will be determined by some trial & error but be high enough so that a web of rubber strapping / bands that would support the camera & lens without touching either the base or the posts and be high enough to absorb the road shock. First thought for a source of the rubber material would be a decent sized hobby shop. A web of rubber bands routed through eye-bolts inserted into the tops of the posts should give a variety of “pockets” with varying degrees of shock absorption. Triangles of wood mounted on the inside of the posts and the top of the base would stiffen the posts if needed for heavier gear and still provide clearance for the camera/lens. Bill
That’s an interesting potential design, Bill. I’ve already made some adjustments that may work but of course I won’t know until I get my lens back. In the end I may (or may not) have to try something like you suggest. I appreciate your thoughts on this.
I am so sorry. Fingers and toes crossed your amputated limb returns to you quickly.
I am more than familiar with ‘juddering’ roads. Ones which make your teeth rattle.
“Fingers and toes crossed your amputated limb returns to you quickly”
EC, one of my photographer friends recently said much the same thing – that losing our big lenses is like having a limb amputated”. He, and you, are right.
Hummm….a rubber bungie mounted hammock affair, hung from hooks between seat and dashboard? Not enough give to allow the camera to contact anything, but enough to float it to dampen the bumps and vibrations?
Mikal, if I’m envisioning your suggestion correctly I think my rig is too big and heavy to do that. And given my shooting situation with Mia moving back and forth between front and back there would be other problems too. Thanks for the suggestion though…
Obviously some great suggestions have been dealt. I have admit I use bubble wrap and towels. Not the best method, but so far so good.
Our back roads here are bumpy, many ruts, but some farm road to pretty good. So we deal with it as best we can.
I’m going to be a hell of a lot more careful after reading your comments.
Thanks for sharing!
“Not the best method, but so far so good”
If it works don’t fix it, Dick.
“I’m going to be a hell of a lot more careful after reading your comments”
Sadly, I DO understand that…
So sorry to hear about your lens issues. I think you have probably diagnosed the problem correctly, though. Looking forward to hearing more about your solution.
I hope you’re right, Justine. I’ll let everyone know how it all turns out.
Thanks for the advice, I travel on many of those same roads along with riding my mt. bike along dirt roads and trails with my camera in a backpack made for cameras with closed cell foam. I never thought about all the jostling damaging the camera. You will have to post your solution. As far as mt. biking you made me rethink my plan of taking along my new Canon. Maybe I will just take my old camera, which survived a nasty crash with me last year. The camera was the only thing unscathed. After that crash I wish I could bubble wrap me too.
“After that crash I wish I could bubble wrap me too.”
I LOVED that part of your comment, April. Right now very few things can make me smile (for obvious reasons) but that comment made me LOL.
And yes, I will post my solution when I come up with it. That will probably have to wait until I get my lens back though…
Do you hink Cannon might have a solution to this challenge?
Not that I’m aware of, Patty. Them or anyone else – it’s just something I have to come up with.
I really enjoyed you sleuthing because my lens has been jared for different reasons and it won’t even “fine focus” at times. I so hate to part with it!! I work parttime instructing guests at a resort one camera setting and more and use my camera as an example.
“I so hate to part with it!!
It takes a photographer to understand that fully, Linda. I almost feel incomplete without my 500…
So sorry to hear about your lens problems! Unpaved roads in the west are really bumpy – even if graded two days before. And Centennial, well, we like it that way to keep the tourists out! 🙂 When I think about how bumpy roads jar me, I can understand the issues with your lens. Hope you can fix that problem. You are very good at solving these issues!
“And Centennial, well, we like it that way to keep the tourists out!”
I agree exactly and strongly, Jane. It may have been you who told me that some had proposed paving the south road in the valley but it was voted down, at least partly for that reason. I’m sure glad!
I’ll admit that I was (somewhat selfishly) upset when they paved the road to Bear River MBR. Still am…
Ron,
So sorry about the lens. But if anyone can figure it out, you will!
Last week Farmington Bay was very rough at 5 mph!
Love your blogs!
Glenn
“Last week Farmington Bay was very rough at 5 mph!”
Exactly, Glenn. “Very rough” at any speed!
Ron,… I doubt that anyone can ever totally control the smoothness of our back roads, or even the smoothness of the ride in our vehicles, so when I am out “shooting,” I build a soft bed for my big lens, (a Nikon 800mm f5.6 VR, with a Nikon D4 attached) out of very soft pillows. All other cameras rests on a similar soft, and forgiving bed. I love the design of your camera/lens rest, but maybe it is time to trade it in for “pillows?”
“maybe it is time to trade it in for “pillows?””
Not in my lifetime, Roger. The roads I drive on are just too rough to reliably keep the lens on the seat if I used pillows, especially when I have to brake hard. And it only takes one crash to the floor to cause problems.
Also, with two photographers in the same vehicle there’s too much “stuff” already – think 6 cameras and lenses (not counting phones), a camcorder, tripods, coats, field guides, binoculars, hats, sunscreen, bug spray, gloves, handwarmers, coffee, food, water – the list goes on. Bulky pillows I just don’t have room for.
Thanks for the suggestion though.
Ron: Very sorry to hear about your glass. Glad that CPS is going to do a quick turn on your rig. Curious…was the fall of on image quality quick, or was it slow and you just noticed your percentage of keepers starting to taper off? Follow on question: Did you send your TC and if yes, will they fine-tune your gear with just the prime and then with the prime + TC?
Zaphir, the softness of my images was a gradual process so it was difficult to know what was going on for quite a while. I did a lot of testing of lens and camera combinations to try to figure it out. Damn, do I ever have a lot of testing shots to delete!
Yes, I sent my tc and camera in along with my lens. They’re testing each piece individually and in combination.
To be perfectly honest, I didn’t send my tc in at first but yesterday they requested that I do so so I sent it in last night. CPS paid for overnight shipping for every piece both ways even though they didn’t have to. Pretty amazing – that would have been VERY expensive.
Sorry to hear about the camera problems, glad to hear about getting to see some “older” images and maybe some old favorites again…wondering if “pillowing” it on foam , not closed cell as that might be too hard, though some Ensolite might work. Sure you’ll figure out something…wondering how others handle this…makes me think of the “egg drop” contests….
Wondering if you padded the cradle with something or placed the whole cradle on some shock absorbing material……
“wondering how others handle this”
Patty, as far as I know no one else uses a caddy like mine. It’s just a design that I came up with and built that fits my needs beautifully.
The egg drop contests are a good analogy…
Ron, at your suggestion, I looked at CPS. Prior to today, I was unaware of it. I satisfy the requirements for a gold level. My question is what in your opinion are the benefits to CPS other than the discount on repairs? By the way, I love your photos.
Doug, I’ll report back on more of this later when I have a complete report after I get my lens back.
But for starters, besides the 20% discount, you get MUCH faster service – guaranteed to be 3 days or less in the shop. Last time they had my lens for several weeks.
In addition they gave me several breaks that they didn’t even need to that would never have happened if I hadn’t belonged to CPS. They really do bend over backwards for CPS members.
I’m at the gold level too. I could qualify for platinum but don’t see the need in my situation.
I’m curious as to how the camera/lens combo is secured in the cradle. Does it clip in somehow with the ability to be quickly removed? I’ll be interested to hear if the 7Dii had any role in the issue and how you have shock absorbed the cradle as well.
Neil, The camera/lens combo is VERY secure in the caddy just from its own weight. The rectangular lens foot and foot plate fit snugly in the slot I cut out of the top of the caddy which prevents any movement front to back even when I have to hit the brakes hard. The bottom of the camera sits on a padded rest and the hood up front sits in a curved (and padded) piece of wood that matches the curve of the hood so there’s no lateral movement at all.
The caddy is secured to the console by pieces of wood that fit tightly into the two round cup holders. It never goes anywhere…
Even on the bumpiest of roads the combo never bounces out of the caddy and all I have to do is lift it out when I need it. I absolutely love that caddy! I’ve just got to figure out the best way to shock absorb the entire setup.
I’ll report back later on CPS’s diagnosis and on my solution for the caddy.
Sorry to hear this Ron. I am sure CPS will take care of you though. I often wonder about similar issues and after reading your story (thank you!) I will be more careful. I lean my 600mm at an angle across the carpet floor divider (transom?) in my truck and on bumpy roads I put in the backseat usually on top of a couple of (down) coats etc. I bet you could lay some kind of soft towel, or similar absorbing material down there, or perhaps not store it on the caddy while driving the bumpy roads — unfortunately giving up the “quick draw” ability. I hope you get it back soon and I hope to be out at Farmington Bay and surrounding areas towards the end of next week. Thank you for the education on this (and all the other excellent posts you provide).
Ed, If I put it in the back seat I can’t reach it from up front. I might as well stay home. Besides, Mia and all her gear are nearly always back there so there’s no room.
One option would be to put the console in a vertical position and have my caddy securely strapped to the seat. That way the seat would be my shock absorber. The problem with that is that with the console up Mia’s vision from the back seat would be severely limited and she’s definitely the best bird spotter of the two of us. She has much better eyes and I have to (or at least should, occasionally…) keep my eyes on the road.
Just laying the lens on the seat, front or back, is not an option. I learned that years ago when bumpy roads and quick stops dumped my earlier lens on the floor. Ouch!
I sure hope to see you out at Farmington. Let me know when you’ll be there when the time gets closer and I’ll make the trip – 500mm or not. Look for my silver Ford pickup with HARRIER plates.
Yes, I had forgotten you had Mia in the backseat. I tried this LensCoat long lens bag for awhile, so it was angled toward the floor of the passenger seat, and it can work, does provide a *little” shock absorption, however I think there are probably better methods.
http://www.lenscoat.com/4xpandable-p-2193.html
Yes, I will let you know when I come out and will be in a Green Toyota Tundra or a Blue Subaru Outback, both with New Mexico plates.
When you sent your lens back to CPS did you ship in the original Canon Hard Case or ?
Thanks Ron
Yes, I shipped in the hard case that came with the lens. And I still had the box Canon used to ship the lens back to me the first time so I used that box again.
I’ll be looking for you at Farmington.
Oh and since you have the lens braced against the hard plastic of the dashboard…
Actually, it isn’t braced there, Laura. There’s plenty of space there even though it may not look like there is.
And I should have mentioned – this is an older photo of my previous pickup and my first version of this lens. I have the newer 500 now. In the pickup I have now there’s even more space between the front of the lens and the dash.
Yep! That would do it over time. I fondly remember those washboard two-track roads heading out to my favorite hunting fields in Wyoming! The birds knew them, too. Mariah started trying to bust out of her giant hood as soon as we hit said washboard roads. Patience was never one of her virtues in getting the hunt started. 😀
“Yep! That would do it over time.”
That’s what I’m thinking too, Laura. The symptoms the lens is having now fit perfectly with Canon’s earlier diagnosis of “shock damage”. I’m really curious to find out if that’s the case this time. I’m betting that it is.
DARN! Tho I’m sure that wasn’t quite what you had to say about it! 🙂 Does sound like you’ve figured it out. Some closed cell foam perhaps?
“Some closed cell foam perhaps?”
That’s one of the options I’m looking in to, Judy – placed between the seat and the bottom of the console. There are other options too.
And you’re absolutely right – “darn” wasn’t quite my favorite word to describe this issue. I HATE soft images…
Ron, Dave passed his 2011 Toyota Camry on to me when he got his Subaru for mountain back roads (he had put 120K miles on the Camry in 4 years) and his shocks are totally gone. So I think your theory is spot-on.
Love your blog.
Betty
Hi Betty, and thanks for that info.
Actually, the shocks on my pickup are fine (it was in the shop yesterday for a checkup). What I need to do is “shock absorb” my center console.
I hope Dave is having fun in Yellowstone (and still keeping warm!).