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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
How to lube a Canon 400 2.8 IS collar
Jeff Mills, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 1:19 AM on 10.30.07 |
->> Like most everyone I'm guessing, my 400 2.8 IS collar really isn't the well engineered item you'd expect on a $6500 lens. Its just not balanced right because when I put a 1.4x or 2x TC on the lens, suddenly the lens turns much easier as its no longer front heavy.
Anyways, I was reading another thread on replacing bearings on a 400 2.8, not realizing it wouldn't apply to my lens since its the IS version.
I took off the little plate that says "canon 400..." expecting to find a little window to the bearings as the thread said, but all I saw was the bare metal of the lens collar.
Okay I thought, maybe I can get at this via the lens foot, so I searched til I could find a 3mm allen wrench (why is it you always have those things laying all over the house and in every bag until you actually need one ?) and took off the bottom of the foot.
There was a little plate holding in a spring and the ball bearings for the click stops but no way to access anything else.
Not wanting to be defeated, I eyed the 6 small screws on the housing just under the filter drawer. Perhaps removing those will let me get at something I thought.
Common sense prevailed for a moment thinking maybe I shouldn't go taking apart a $6500 lens but it quickly passed.
Off those screws came and as I suspected there was the collar sitting over the inner lens body. No other visible screws so how could this come off now I thought ?
Simply pull it up and off just like taking the collar off a 70-200 2.8 or any other lens. Make sure not to lose the little bb like click stop bearing as it will fall out when you do this.
If your lens was anything like mine, it would of sounded rather rough and scratchy when you spun the collar, perhaps a given spot really would make it stick. Sure enough it was quite dry and dusty in there. Not really ideal for expecting a 11lbs of metal on metal to spin smoothly.
I though a lubricant was in order and I went out to the garage and considered a few products. I settled on a high pressure moly/graphite lithium based lubricant. This stuff is typically sold at auto parts stores and is used on suspension parts, packing bearings etc.
I lubed up the collar, slipped it back on, spun it around and around making sure the lube was well spread and wiping up any excess.
Nice and smooth it glided around the lens body.
Then you simply put the outter housing back on, drop the bearing in the hole in the lens foot, put the little spring and plate on, tighter the 4 allen screws back down and your in business.
My lens now rotates much smoother with no rough scratchy sections.
Sad to say that no, it is not as smooth as a non IS lens. Thats the trade off you've go to make if you want to save about 3 lbs of weight and/or have IS.
In conclusion a very easy DIY project that will take about 10 minutes. All you need is a 3mm allen wrench and a small phillips head screwer, some lubricant and to be able to silence the voice in your head that says "its a $6500 lens, leave it alone"
Don't come complaining to me if you mess something up either. I'll simply tell you that your crazy taking apart your $6500 lens. |
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