Accidental Lens Release

[michaelgirman]

  My 24-105L just fell off my 5D mkIII and rolled into the Seine.  The lens release button is way too sensitive and it is so easy to accidentally unlock without realizing it.  I went to twist the zoom ring and the lens rotated and dropped off.  Blogs are full of compaints of this occurance on mkii's.  

  This is definitely a design flaw.  It's not user error.  The button should be relocated or made to require more force to release  or have a detent position.  

  It's a shame that you have to gaffer tape a $2300 lens to a $2000 camera.  Be forewarned.  

[ebiggs1]

"I realised it was not zooming through the view finder but before I knew what was happening the lens fell off and out of my hand 24-70 1:2.8"

The ef 24-70mm f2.8L II ?  Hmm, because it zooms the oppisite way it screwws off a camera?

[ebiggs1]

Bob from Boston,

"The way I do hold it, with my fingers above and my thumb underneath the lens, I can't conceive of accidentally hitting the release button."

I must say, neither do I.  As many lenses that I have and the ones I have had, I haven't seen it either. I haven't owned or used every Canon camera but certainly most of them, never seen it personally.  I suppose operator error can accomplish anything, though.

[Waddizzle]

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@FoxTalbot wrote:

Never had an accidental release with a 20D over many years. Never with a 70D for over one year then 3 or 4 times within 6 months with a 100-400mm II lens. Kind of surprising when it happens and difficult to reconstruct the cause.

I am a long-time (since 1972) user of Canon SLRs and DSLRs.

This is a design flaw.

Anyone who thinks those who have this happen are somehow careless can be sure that is not so in my case.

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With the EF 100-400mm II lens, the tripod foot rests on the heel of my left palm.  Ditto for the EF 70-200mm II lens, which is nearly identical in size and weight.

With smaller lenses, which lack a tripod foot, the lower left corner of the camera sits on the heel of my left palm.  I've found that to be the best way to hold the camera, and still be able to reach the DOF button with my ring finger.

[Waddizzle]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

Bob from Boston,

"The way I do hold it, with my fingers above and my thumb underneath the lens, I can't conceive of accidentally hitting the release button."

I must say, neither do I.  As many lenses that I have and the ones I have had, I haven't seen it either. I haven't owned or used every Canon camera but certainly most of them, never seen it personally.  I suppose operator error can accomplish anything, though.

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I suspect the side of the thumb is the likely cause, when the entire hand gripd the lens body from underneath.  But, I would think that a similar risk would exist if you gripped the lens the other way, with the palm facing downward.

I know this might anger someone who's experienced an accidental lens release and a ruined lens, but pay more attention to what you're doing.  It's operator error, pure and simple.  Either you didn't lock the lens down and didn't check it, or your thumb/hand is contacting the lens release button. 

Every time I pull a camera out of my bag with a lens already attached, I check that the lens mount is secure.  I have pressed the release button before [and other buttons] simply by removing the lens from a bag.  It's easy to do when you're repositioning a camera on a tripod, too.

[RobertTheFat]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

With the EF 100-400mm II lens, the tripod foot rests on the heel of my left palm.  Ditto for the EF 70-200mm II lens, which is nearly identical in size and weight.

With smaller lenses, which lack a tripod foot, the lower left corner of the camera sits on the heel of my left palm.  I've found that to be the best way to hold the camera, and still be able to reach the DOF button with my ring finger.

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I find that I can reach the DOF button easily with the ring finger of my right hand.

[Waddizzle]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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@Waddizzle wrote:

With the EF 100-400mm II lens, the tripod foot rests on the heel of my left palm.  Ditto for the EF 70-200mm II lens, which is nearly identical in size and weight.

With smaller lenses, which lack a tripod foot, the lower left corner of the camera sits on the heel of my left palm.  I've found that to be the best way to hold the camera, and still be able to reach the DOF button with my ring finger.

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I find that I can reach the DOF button easily with the ring finger of my right hand.

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I think some of that depends upon the camera body.  The DOF preview button moves in different directions on different bodies, not to mention a being placed in a different location..

Above is the 5D Mark III.  The 7D Mark II is similar.  The button action is parallel to the lens, and pushes into the body.

Above is the 1D Mark IV.  The 6D is similar.  The button action is perpendicular to the lens, and parallel to the front of the camera body.  Your ring finger would be extending itself to actuate that button, assuming that you could reach it.  I cannot.  A finger on the left hand, reaching underneath the body is used to actuate that button.

I think you and I have had this conversation before.

[ebiggs1]

I guess if it has never happened to you, it is hard to see how it could.  But one thing for sure it didn't happen the way some are saying it did.  There has to be some input, wanted or unwanted, from the user.  Plus I don't want Canon to do anything that makes it more difficult to change lenses.  I think most/all working pros would feel the same way.  The difference between the pro needs and the hobbyist needs I guess.

[Waddizzle]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

I guess if it has never happened to you, it is hard to see how it could.  But one thing for sure it didn't happen the way some are saying it did.  There has to be some input, wanted or unwanted, from the user.  

Plus I don't want Canon to do anything that makes it more difficult to change lenses.  I think most/all working pros would feel the same way.  The difference between the pro needs and the hobbyist needs I guess.

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Actually, it has happened to me once before.  I was sitting, and the lens dropped into my lap.  Instead of assuming the camera was faulty, I assumed that I must have unknowingly pressed the release button.  Lenses do not release by themselves.  Lesson learned! 

Never crossed my mind to blame the camera.

[ebiggs1]

" Lenses do not release by themselves."

I have to agree, a wise man you are.  The best way to solve a problem is to identify the problem.

[SportsPro]

I'm not trolling or trying to be arguementative but I make my living shooting sporting events and games, from the NFL to the Olympics, and no one that I work with holds a lens with their hand on top of the lens.  
Download the 5D manual here: 
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/8/0300007348/06/eos5d-mk3-im8-en.pdf

and refer to page 43 - Holding the Camera.
Hold the camera as instructed.  Now pretend you're following a running back sprinting down field toward you.  Quickly switch the camera from landscape orientation to portrait orientation.  As the body rotates, the Lens Release Button rotates right past the meaty part of your thumb.  It's a big button.  It's got a very weak spring.  Now try it with gloves on.  The problem is exacerbated.  
With all due respect, you just can't hold a camera steady and work the zoom ring with your hand on top.  While you may have potentially solved the problem of your lenses falling off, your pictures won't be of the highest quality.

This a design problem related to the size, position and spring weakness of the Lens Release Button.  
Lots of posters here maintain the following:

1.) This has never happened to me.
2.) Therefore, this cannot happen.
As Spock would say, "This is highly illogical"