I need a schematic or tech repair ( or assembly) diagram for xl1s 16x ISll lens.
Mine got mold inside due to very minor moisture damage.
Canon repair (Irvine) sent it back and said it
cannot be repaired ! that's a $1500 dollar bummer.
all parts and electronics function , but the lens deep inside clouds up when shooting in very bright conditions (blurred splotched areas on video).
Canon says they don't have a repair schematic or assembly diagram .
Does anyone out there have access to an assembly diagram? Help!
Wayne Zebzda

Wayne,
If Canon can't fix the lens, I guarantee that you can't fix it, either. (With or without diagrams.) Lenses are not as simple as they may seem, particularly those with servos and image stabilizers such as this one.

It sounds like a loss.

Ouch!
wz.

can the mold be killed with uv light without dissasembly?
any scientists out there...with a diagram for assembly?
just a diagram ...
aloha,
wz.

It's usually not mold, it's fungus. Once it starts there is no stopping it. Usually minor water damage does not effect lenses to this extent. I suspect that the water damage, combined with the humid environment you live in, has proved fatal. It would be impossible for you to disassemble the lens and align it properly when you attempt to reassemble it. The task requires expensive calibration equipment and is not something you can eyeball. Specialized tools are usually required too.

Additionally, even if you could completely kill the fungus and keep it from spreading (something that uv light is unlikely to do) it will still have left a residue (a film of the microscopic carcasses) on your interior lens surfaces.

Since you have nothing to lose at this point, here is what you might try, although I do not believe that the results will prove satisfactory. This is just an off-the-hip stab at the problem.

Place the lens in a completely air-tight, rigid container with an open cup, or small tray, of chlorine bleach for several days. DO NOT place the lens in the bleach! Just make sure that the bleach is in the container with the lens. Chlorine is a gas which will gradually escape from the water in which it's suspended. The chlorine gas should gradually penetrate the lens' interior and, being a powerful oxidant, may reach a concentration high enough to kill the fungus or mold.

Remove the bleach from the container and replace it with a generous amount of desiccant beads or calcium chloride. You should be able to buy desiccant cheaply from a chemical supply house. Reseal the case to complete air-tightness with the lens and desiccant and let it stand for a week. The desiccant will absorb any residual moisture from the lens, eliminating a primary nutrient for any further organic growth inside the lens.

This is a logical process, but I have no idea of its effectiveness nor of it's ability to restore your lens to any usable state. But, as I say, it doesn't look like you've anything to lose by tring it.

Good luck.

You can get used ones in the $600 range, mostly from people that ditch it to switch to one of the manual lenses.

Canon natiopnal parts outlet did have service manuals for the original lens, may have one for the new lens, for a price of course. Not sure that it will help much though.

You should be able to find the ISII lens for around $1200 new from a dealer.

Thank you all for your imput !
If by some miracle the problem gets solved, I'll
keep you all posted.
aloha,
wz.

Wayne...

Should you be in the market for a used lens let me know. I'm in Honolulu. Waipio, actually.

I might upgrade later this year as I have two XL1's and have two ISII lenses. I should have purchased the XL1s with a manual lens but figured I would use the same accessories with the newer lens (I have a Century WA adapter that I use a lot). Wasn't sure what the difference was between the newer and older stock lenses.

As it was, there's not all that much of a difference. The manual lens would have been a better choice for the second camera.

Dean Sensui
Base Two Productions

thanks Dean, I'll keep that in mind.

warrenty expired Alex...
wz

The mold damaged lens is definitly Out to Lunch.
So...
Who has an ISll lens they want to part with (as Dylan Couper mentioned)?
Aloha,
wz.

Maybe Ken's idea (chlorine) will work and in order to avoid the visibility of spots (risidue or unthreated fungi) try to avoif small apertures by using ND and/or high shutter speeds in bright conditions. Remember however that high shutter speed can introduce some artifacts and also, even if the spots are gone by using a large aperture the fungi film will still introduce extra glare, but maybe less annoying than the spots.

Hi Andre,
I tried the bleach but the fungi/residue is still there.
anyone got a used ISll lens to sell ?
wz.

Ken Tanaka might still have a 14x manual lens for sale, if you don't have your heart set on the stock IS lens.

Yes, actually I do. Details are at this thread (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7709).

Hi Wayne...

The 14x manual is a good option.

But if you absolutely positively have to get an ISII lens, I'm still thinking about getting a 16x manual lens.

There's an XL1s shooter in Molokai who has a 16x and he swears by it.

If you're out in Honolulu and would like to check out the ISII lens I have in person, drop me a line.

Dean Sensui
Base Two Productions