A Lens Problem?

[Farider]

Here is something odd. Went out for a walk today and took the R6 with my RF 24-240mm lens, (principally to see a pub/restaurant on the seafront that was burnt down today but that's another story).

I went to take a photo and found that the camera was in manual focus mode as clearly shown by the MF indicator in the view finder. It was impossible to select AF, that option was just not there on the menu option and this lens does not have a MF/AF switch. Tried both the menus and the Q button, same result. Switch off and on, nope, remove battery, same again. How about P, TV & AV (I always use FV)? The same. Tried C1 (setup for 40 frames/sec), now the AF returned and was working normally. Switch back to FV and it was straight back to MF only again.

My initial thought was that I had had the RF 100mm on the camera, and that does have a MF/AF switch, so perhaps it was something to do with changing the lens without moving it back to AF first. When I got home I found that the RF 100mm was actually already on AF, so I tried it on the camera and AF worked perfectly normally and switched back and forth between the modes; tried my RF 35mm and again AF was fine. Put the 24-240 on and the camera was straight back to fixed MF.

So it looks like that it's the lens that's at fault somehow, I'll be in touch with LCE in the morning and will most probably have to go to see them and take it from there. I need the lens ASAP.

I'll let you know what transpires.

Ian

[NathCarr91]

Certainly a strange one Ian. As far as my technology knowledge goes you've tried everything I would have done, including the big one of switching it off and on again that's supposed to solve everything!

Hope you get somewhere with this issue soon, I'm not too clued up on the new R series and RF lenses but does it need a software update to fix any 'bugs' in the system?

[antoeknee]

From the tests you've done it does seem to point to a lens issue. Only way forward would to try another copy of same lens or your lens on another R6.

[Trev B]

I would agree with Ant, perhaps local camera shop to try a same Len’s. I did this some years back just to prove an issue I had with. Lens.

[Farider]

I contacted the camera shop and they said that they had never see a single issue with RF gear but bring it in and they would check it.

They did indeed find the problem, it was the person holding the camera! Me! I felt a right fool. However it did take two of them looking at it and some investigation and swapping camera bodies before the penny dropped. There are three places where the AF/MF function can been seen in the menus and i had missed/ forgotten the important third where it can actually be changed. On the R6 you only can change AF/MF in menu AF/1/Focus Mode, the other two (AF operation & Q button) just display the mode.

The camera was fine with the 100mm and 35mm because both of them have dedicated AF/MF switches that were set to AF and therefore overrode the menu option

It was a bit embarrassing but at least all is working fine and I don’t have to get a repair done.

Ian

[antoeknee]

I contacted the camera shop and they said that they had never see a single issue with RF gear but bring it in and they would check it.

They did indeed find the problem, it was the person holding the camera! Me! I felt a right fool. However it did take two of them looking at it and some investigation and swapping camera bodies before the penny dropped. There are three places where the AF/MF function can been seen in the menus and i had missed/ forgotten the important third where it can actually be changed. On the R6 you only can change AF/MF in menu AF/1/Focus Mode, the other two (AF operation & Q button) just display the mode.

The camera was fine with the 100mm and 35mm because both of them have dedicated AF/MF switches that were set to AF and therefore overrode the menu option

It was a bit embarrassing but at least all is working fine and I don’t have to get a repair done.

Ian

All too easy to miss something with so many options. At least you have a resolution.

[El Sid]

I contacted the camera shop and they said that they had never see a single issue with RF gear but bring it in and they would check it.

They did indeed find the problem, it was the person holding the camera! Me! I felt a right fool. However it did take two of them looking at it and some investigation and swapping camera bodies before the penny dropped. There are three places where the AF/MF function can been seen in the menus and i had missed/ forgotten the important third where it can actually be changed. On the R6 you only can change AF/MF in menu AF/1/Focus Mode, the other two (AF operation & Q button) just display the mode.

The camera was fine with the 100mm and 35mm because both of them have dedicated AF/MF switches that were set to AF and therefore overrode the menu option

It was a bit embarrassing but at least all is working fine and I don’t have to get a repair done.

Ian

Doesn't sound like your fault but poor design on Canon's part. A fundamental control such as AF/MF should be easy to find and change, eg a button on the lens, not hidden away on some obscure menu page, furthermore if they must put it in the menu system it should be possible to change it wherever it appears...

Sadly this seems another example of the determination of OEMs to automate the functionality out of everything!...