Faulty connection CANON EF 28-300 3.5/5.6L IS

[Emcy]

Hello,

I've bought a used CANON EF 28-300 3.5/5.6L IS mentioned as "like new", and I have a 6D Mark2.

After only 3 times, I got this message : 
"Err 01. Communications between the camera and lens is faulty. Clean the lens contact."

Impossible to use the lens anymore.

I've never ever experienced that with any of my lenses.

I still have 3 days to return it for a full refund, but what do you think: if I clean the lens, is there a risk that it starts again (and I will have lost my money), or is it ok to clean it, and I will be good afterward?

The new one is way more expensive. But I love this lens, super convenient when I can't carry several lenses.

Thank you!

[shadowsports · Accepted solution]

Greetings,

Mounting and unmounting a lens usually cleans the contacts.  They would have to be excessively dirty to keep the lens from communicating with the body.  The contacts themselves are rarely an issue unless they are physically damaged.  

I know you love this lens but I would return it as it's just going to be a problem for you in the future.

[Emcy]

Thank you @shadowsports.
That's what I was afraid of...
If a reputable camera store sold it as "like new," it should have been thoroughly cleaned. So it seems something else must be going on.
So sad, but I cannot lose that much money

[LeeP · Accepted solution]

If YOU clean it and it does not work, the seller can claim YOU messed it up.

If it arrived not right, it's not right.

Return it.

Don't let GAS (gear-acquisition syndrome) get in the way of it not being right in the first place.

I wanted a Nikon F and it took two years, but I got a pristine one for a ridiculously low price.

Notify the seller that you are returning it because it is not as advertised and then be prompt in shipping it off.

[Emcy]

Very true, thank you for your advice

[shadowsports]

Exactly @LeeP 🙂

@Emcy

There will always be another lens, and another deal.  👍

[Emcy]

Thank you!

[ebiggs1]

"... it should have been thoroughly cleaned."

They may have cleaned lens itself but I doubt seriously that they cleaned the lens contacts. The fact that Rick pointed out, "Mounting and unmounting a lens usually cleans the contacts.  ...The contacts themselves are rarely an issue ..." means that the problem is likely inside the lens. This makes me in favor of returning it.

[Cindirelly]

I have the same situation exactly and I hope you returned yours. I bought the lens used in "excellent" condition from a reputable online used equipment dealer (KEH), purchasing it specifically for travel. I sampled it a fair amount before departing on my trip a couple of months later and it seemed fine. During my international trip, it popped up with exactly the same error code and became unusable. I did everything others suggested here, but to no avail. It was just before this trip that the 90-day warranty expired, so even though I'd hardly used it at all, I was out of luck. I sent it to a well-regarded camera repair facility in Minnesota, and they called me after inspecting the lens to tell me I was *completely* out of luck. Apparently, Canon's early iteration of this lens was constructed in a way that makes it just about impossible for repairs to be made. The technician said he'd tried unsuccessfully before, and he was fairly certain Canon wasn't servicing that version of the lens anymore either. The lens has been redesigned, he said, in a way that makes repairs possible on newer versions of the lens. I'm here at this forum trying to find out WHEN Canon did that update, because I'm considering another used version of this lens. Gah. For this lens in particular, it is SO IMPORTANT to date the lens using a date code or serial number so you don't get screwed over like I did.