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.  

[schmegg]

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TCampbell wrote:

But my point is, if that design defect was 100% responsible for the problem and nothing else contributes to the problem, then lenses should be falling off all the time.  But the issue does seem to be quite rare.  This points to other contributing factors.  

Absolutely. In my case it has only occurred when using my black rapid strap. This has all already been discussed.

I do find it "interesting" (from a human sociology perspective) that threads like this one point to a product defect almost exclusively without owning up to any other contributing factor -- such as operator error.

I've never claimed that there was no other contributing factor other than the design of the lens release button. Simply that the lens release button design, I believe, is a contributing factor and that I'd like this to be considered in future designs.

Do you REALLY believe there's ZERO operator error involved here?  I mean... c'mon... not even a little tiny bit?

Nope. You are misrepresenting what I have been trying to say. I may not have been as clear as I should have, but I hope it's clear now.

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[Waddizzle]

I'm not sure which Black Rapid strap you have been using, but I think the RS Sport Extreme, or whatever it is called, has an optional gizmo that allows you to connect both the camera body and the lens to the strap, as a protection against accidental releases.

[schmegg]

Cheers mate. I'll look into it. I also like your idea of the holster too - so these should put my mind at ease a bit.

PS. I'm using the RS Sport (but not the Extreme).

[TCampbell]

Instead of using the Black Rapid bolt, I use an Arca-Swiss plate (actually I use the Arca-Swiss style plate made by Really Right Stuff which is countoured to match the bottom of my battery grip models).  Using that setup, there's pretty much no chance that the plate can twist and come loose.  

Meanwhile, on the Black Rapid strap, I use an AcraTech "Swift Clamp".  This provides the Arca-Swiss style clamp (with a locking lever) to clamp onto my mounting plate, but it provides the ring to snap onto the strap.  

Not only is it far more secure... it offers the main benefit of being able to un-clamp the camera from the strap and clamp it onto my tripod.  That was actually the main reason I bought it.  A "quick release plate" isn't very "quick" if you have to use a tool to remove it and replace it with the camera strap bolt... then remove the bolt and re-attach the QR plate to use a tripod.  

I think the AcraTech Swift-Clamp set me back $150, but it's very high quality and, in my opinion, well worth it for how much easier it is to move the camera around.

[John_SD]

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@schmegg wrote:

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@TCampbell wrote:

Do you REALLY believe there's ZERO operator error involved here?  I mean... c'mon... not even a little tiny bit?

Nope. You are misrepresenting what I have been trying to say. I may not have been as clear as I should have, but I hope it's clear now.

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I haven't read through every single post on this topic, but even my T6 takes some effort to detach the lens, which is good. I am convinced that most of these "Canon must re-engineer the lens release!" posts are coming from users who either all thumbs when it comes to proper camera-handling technique or are easily distracted and not paying attention to what they're doing. So the best thing you can do is to take the camera to a good repair shop or send it in to Canon, in the off-chance that the spring needs replacement. In the meantime it wouldn't hurt to review some videos on proper camera handling technique. 

[Ron2]

After spending thousands on a camera I dont know too many people who will man handle their equipment. And if they do they will not only drop lenses they will drop and dammage all there camera equipment

The penalty for not having good camera holding technique has and always will be not perfect pictures, the penalty should never and has never been (until now) a lens may fall off

Cannon has made bigger, less protected and softer push lens release buttons in recent times and in and in the same recent times people who have never accidentally released a lens in their life before have now accidentally released a lens

[Waddizzle]

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@Ron2 wrote:

After spending thousands on a camera I dont know too many people who will man handle their equipment. And if they do they will not only drop lenses they will drop and dammage all there camera equipment

The penalty for not having good camera holding technique has and always will be not perfect pictures, the penalty should never and has never been (until now) a lens may fall off

Cannon has made bigger, less protected and softer push lens release buttons in recent times and in and in the same recent times people who have never accidentally released a lens in their life before have now accidentally released a lens

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Since you seem to be fully aware of the "problem", then accidental lens release shouldn't be a problem for you.

[Ron2]

This is not about me or you, its bigger than that

[Ron2]

There is a design flaw which Canon need to address

[John_SD]

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@Ron2 wrote:
There is a design flaw which Canon need to address

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A design flaw? 

How did you prove it? What's your sample size and failure rate?