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.  

[Julius]

Thanks for posting your issue in our Forum.  We suggest you send your camera and lens to be checked by Canon to make sure everything is working properly.  You can start this process by CLICKING HERE and following the instructions on the form.

[schmegg]

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@michaelgirman wrote:

  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.  

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Unfortunately, your warning arrived too late for me.

Just three days before your post I had the same thing happen.

The 5D3 was mounted on a 100-400L which was attached to a Black Rapid strap via the lens's tripod mount. As I was walking along a bitumen road at a motorsport event, I had the very unpleasant experience of being overtaken by my 5D3 body as it bounced down the road - detached from the lens.

I can only imagine that the lens release button was bumped by my hip which released the lens - the rest, as they say, is history.

This has never happened with my 7D, which has been carried in the same manner by me at many events over the past three and a half years.

I feel the lens release button on the 5D3 is overly large and too easy to access and depress - allowing accidentas like this to occur. I agree with your sentiments and hope that Canon consider this in the future. There is no doubt that this button is larger and easier to access than the one on the 7D and this is probably the main reason why this has occurred to us both.

As a footnote, my 5D3, apart from some nasty scrapes into the mag alloy, works perfectly. But I was very lucky! (if having your 5D3 bounce down the road in front of you could, in any way, be considered "lucky"!)

[HDCamTeam]

Sad to know your bad experience and 100% agree with you.

We never understood WHY the lens release button is so BIG in most Canon DSLRs. There is no reason to make it so big and easy to press.

We're allways concerned about accidenal pressing it, and take lot of care to avoid it, which is stressing and distracting.

Canon should make it smaller and implement a SECURE LOCK...

[JoeDavid]

Sounds to me like you aren't making sure the lens mount click locks when attaching the lens in the first place.  I've owned various Canon bodies and lenses since the EOS film line was introduced back in the mid 80's and have never had a body come off whether hiking with it slung over a shoulder or being carried by the tripod...

[digital]

Me neither. I guess it coud happen but that release takes a but of pressure to push in and it is somewhat hiddin.   

[schmegg]

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@JoeDavid wrote:

Sounds to me like you aren't making sure the lens mount click locks when attaching the lens in the first place.  I've owned various Canon bodies and lenses since the EOS film line was introduced back in the mid 80's and have never had a body come off whether hiking with it slung over a shoulder or being carried by the tripod...

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I can see how you might think that, but I can assure you that I always make sure the lens is locked in place. In this case the camera had been mounted on this lens for about 4 hours. I truly doubt it would have lasted that long, nor would I have not noticed it being loose during that period as I was using it all the time.

I've been shooting Canon cameras since I started with my AE-1 (not the P version) over 35 years ago, and, like you, I've never had this happen before either.

I've also never had a Canon camera with such a large and prominent lens release button.

If you have a 5D3 - then just watch it a bit. I know I will from now on! I doubt I'll be lucky enough to pick it up out of the dust and have it work perfectly again next time!

Or - igonre me. Your call. 

I just felt compelled to add my voice here, as what happened to me is not good and I just think it would be good if Canon considers this in the future. My feeling is that the LR button has grown a little bit too easy to use. It really should be something that can't be done accidentally.

Believe me, I'm not bashing the camera - it's a great body for sure. Though I do wish it didn't have all those gouges in the mag alloy that it does now.

[ebiggs1]

I also started in the 'early' days with a A1 and a F1n. Then you know, the lens release is on the lens rather than the body. It has to be purposely pushed to release the lens.

But I think it just an unfortunate accident that you suffered the unintentional release. I have been playing around with my 5D Mk II and it is still a considerable process to release the lens.

Hopefully it will never/not happen to you or any of us, again!

But I think I will keep a more close attention that I really don't at the moment.

[michaelgirman]

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@JoeDavid wrote:

Sounds to me like you aren't making sure the lens mount click locks when attaching the lens in the first place.  I've owned various Canon bodies and lenses since the EOS film line was introduced back in the mid 80's and have never had a body come off whether hiking with it slung over a shoulder or being carried by the tripod...

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Joe - I'm 65 years-old.  My first Canon was an FTB 35mm.  The old lenses were breachlock mounts which had a locking on the lens that needed to be rotated to lock the lens to the camera.  I've owned FTB's, A1's, F1's, 20D's, 50D's and a 5D.  I never, ever had a lens come loose until the 5D mkiii..

On the new 5D's, I know that I've locked the lens because the lens won't exchange data with the body if it's not seated.

I have noticed the lens come unlocked when I've got the camera up to my eye and I'm swtiching between portrait and landscapes orientations.  I hold camera/lens the same way as I did in the early 1970's.  I'm saying the button is too big and too sensitive.  It unlocks way too easily.  

The problem isn't with the way I hold the camera or that I don't check to see that the lens is locked.  The problem is a design flaw with that lens release button.  I've had the camera back to factory service and they say it's ok.

Be forewarned.  

mg

[HDCamTeam]

I personally double check the lens is mounted correctly, obviously hearing the click.

But the button is too large for the purpose. There is no reason to be that way and has no secure lock. It's a matter of common sense design.

There are some other potential big issues in current Canon DSLR design (like the wheel on the battery grip which is made of plastic instead of metal), but that's a different problem.

We all hope Canon takes this into account and improves the design, since it's very easy and imoprtant.

They have implemented a Secure Lock for the rear wheel on the 5D Mark III, why not implementing  similar lock on an even more important thing like Lens Mount?

Sometimes there are inconsistent design decisions...