Last week-end, while using my year-old Canon 40D, I encountered several Error 01 and the screen displays “Communications between the camera and the screen is faulty. Clean the lens contacts.”
I thought my camera got broken and I remembered last week the camera bag dropped after going thru the airport X-Ray scanner in Singapore. I switched lenses from the default Canon EF 17-88mm to the wide angle EF-S 10-22mm and it worked flawlessly so it must be in the lens.
I Googled about it and found tons of similar problems:
- Battery problems — needs to add battery grip as IS uses more power to operate. This doesn’t make sense since the 17-85mm has IS but have been using it for more than a year. I was also using a battery grip with two fully-charged original batteries in it.
- Lens contacts need cleaning. Took a pencil eraser and cleaned the contacts in the lens (the gold-plated part inside) to no avail. I did the same with camera body. Both contacts look like they’re in pristine condition with no hints of oxidation or whatever.
- IS motor problem. Tried turning off IS and set the lens to manual and still the same. Then, I discovered that when the lens is half to fully extended, it works fine but when set at about 17mm to 35mm, the problem occurs.
- Loose screws. Check the entire lens and all the tiny screws in it but everything is intact.
I’ve exhausted all possible solutions and quick fixes so all I can do now is send it to Canon’s Service Center. This is on top of that Speedlite EX430 flash I had sent for repairs 3 weeks ago (chipped shoe mount).
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I know! I just can’t get it fixed!
so sad right now :(
Canon should say sorry for this crap 17-85mm lens.
Based on the huge number of people with the same problem “err 1”, I see that it is not a problem of bad handling or care but a crap built lens.
Shame on you Canon!!! God bless Nikon cause I am really thinking changing to Nikon and selling my gears on ebay to a poor non-informed guy.
Shame on you Canon and learn: Keep up with the low quality material and you will see your marketshare gone!
2 years later.. the same exact problem starting to happen to me..
I was covering a car race just now..
I thought probably the lens was very hot as I stand under the sun for quite long..
So i went under a shade, charge my batter pack for a while.. then the lens working fine..
then again the problem occur.. this time.. It didn’t go until now :(
so sad rite now
hi i can repair your lenses..error 01 is faulty flex on the aperture. here mr contact number: 092764*****
Same issues as most on here, error 01 no matter what settings, even though it’s auto focusing, but works fine without a memory card, so not really an issue with communication between lens & camera or dirty contacts
ALSO MY CANNON EFS17-85 CAME UP WITH EEROR 01- I GOT A NEW A NEW RIBBON CABLE AND A FRIEND PUT IN. IT TOOK HIM A WHILE THO.
IT WORKS OK NOW. MY CAMERA IS A CANNON 450D.
I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER CANNON LENS. I HAVE NOW BOUGHT A TAMRON 18-270 WHICH IS AN EXCELLENT LENSE, FAR BETTER THEN THE EFS17-85.
Getting the same problem on my EOS 1000D. I have not found any answer that resolve this problem.
got the same lens and the same problem…
got the same problem on my barely year old canon 50D. asked the service center and they want to charge me a fortune.
well, better jump into a nikon……….
Rang Canon yesterday and they have a record of when it was last fixed, which was 2007. The motor in the lens died. They have told me to send it back into them to have a look at. I need it in the next couple of weeks so that is going to be a problem. My problem is now do I send it into them and not have it when I need it. Or do I keep it for now, as at the moment it still works between 35-85 mm and then send it into them after I have finished doing what I need to do?
They are say atm there is a 14 working day turnaround but that is usually longer than what they say.
Upon looking at the problem closer the problem atm is only occuring between 17-35 and is working fine between 35-85. From memory this is what happened last time and then it just stopped working altogether. Will ring Canon today and see what they say.