XSi technical questions

So i have had my XSi for couple of months now and I started noticing a few weird technical things, which I am not sure about.
With my kit lens 18-55 every once in a while when i look through the viewfinder while I am panning (left to right 90 degrees for example) i can see that what i see through it shakes rather violently. it is more than what i normally see when the AF motor kicks in. In this whole process i do NOT hold the shutter button at all. just panning. It almost seems that something is reacting to the inertia of the movement. but it doesn't happen too often.

Yesterday i was using my 50mm prime and tried using the A-DEP setting (dont to that often) and tried to focus on the ground. no problem there. but then i tried to focus horizontally on a target (tree) and the lens motor seemed to go in a fritz. started making a rather loud noise, like it was going into overdrive. Never focused, so i released the button and refocused and this time it worked. Could not reproduce the issue again though

so my question is: are these once-in-a-blue-moon anomalies or are they indication of hardware failure? if so, is it the body, lenses or both?
thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ronin2307

So i have had my XSi for couple of months now and I started noticing a few weird technical things, which I am not sure about.
With my kit lens 18-55 every once in a while when i look through the viewfinder while I am panning (left to right 90 degrees for example) i can see that what i see through it shakes rather violently. it is more than what i normally see when the AF motor kicks in. In this whole process i do NOT hold the shutter button at all. just panning. It almost seems that something is reacting to the inertia of the movement. but it doesn't happen too often.

Yesterday i was using my 50mm prime and tried using the A-DEP setting (dont to that often) and tried to focus on the ground. no problem there. but then i tried to focus horizontally on a target (tree) and the lens motor seemed to go in a fritz. started making a rather loud noise, like it was going into overdrive. Never focused, so i released the button and refocused and this time it worked. Could not reproduce the issue again though

so my question is: are these once-in-a-blue-moon anomalies or are they indication of hardware failure? if so, is it the body, lenses or both?
thanks

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Well, just some guesses - coming from Canon XTi and different lenses. It sounds to me like the first (panning) situation is due to the IS and not the "motor" per se' - sometimes the IS does react quite loudly depending on what it "thinks" it is supposed to do. It may have been trying to stablize the camera while you were panning (moving) during the process. Just a guess like I said. After a while you get used to some of the "anomalies" like the IS noisier at times, etc.

As for the 2nd situation, I would just chalk it up to an "anomaly" this time - and just see if it does it again. Maybe someone else will chime in with more intelligent input. I do know that there are times when dslr's do weird things for whatever reason.

Liz

Liz, i heard a similar explanation to my first q on a different forum, but i am not sure i follow. would IS kick in even if the shutter button is not pressed? I guess i was under the impression that it only kicks in when a picture is about to be taken, meaning shutter is half pressed.

I believe the IS is constantly working as long as it's switched on.

that may explain it then...well, gonna order the 70-300mm IS lens today so i guess i will have something to compare.
thx

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ronin2307

that may explain it then...well, gonna order the 70-300mm IS lens today so i guess i will have something to compare.
thx

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When I owned the XTi this was one of my favorite lenses. Very sharp even at the long end - excellent color.

Samples: both straight out of camera - no post processing

Liz

70mm

http://mariaimage.smugmug.com/Other/...9_xEYiX-XL.jpg

300mm

http://mariaimage.smugmug.com/Other/...3_qbZXp-XL.jpg

yeah, i heard a lot of good things about it. i figured it would be a better investment over the 55-250

Ronin

I edited the above - the 2nd pic is now 300mm (I posted same pic in error the first time).

You and I were posting at same time.

thought so :) looked awfully alike and no EXIF data to confirm my suspicion.