Why do I get dark corners with a Canon EF-S 15-85mm on my 80D?
Asked 1/20/2026
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2 answers
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I’m seeing dark shading in all four corners on some photos taken with a Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM on a Canon 80D. It’s much more noticeable in some images than others, and I first wondered if cold weather or condensation might be causing it. I don’t recall seeing the same thing with my kit lens. Is this likely a lens defect, or is it normal vignetting? What settings or accessories make it more noticeable?
Originally by Ragnarsson. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Ragnarsson
4mo ago
2 Answers
5
Looks like classic vignetting to me. It probably has less to do with temperature and more to do with taking pictures at or around the extreme wide end of the range.
This is very common in short lenses (and somewhat common in long ones), and is often exacerbated if you stack a filter or two on the lens.
I have to be very conscious of this when I stack ND filters to get extremely long exposures in broad daylight. I've had some luck with using a step up ring and filters that are too large for my lens in those situations.
Originally by LightBender. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
LightBender
4mo ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This looks like normal vignetting, not a cold-weather defect.
Vignetting is darkening toward the corners of the frame. Nearly all lenses show it to some degree, and it’s usually most noticeable on wide-angle focal lengths and at wider apertures. With the EF-S 15-85mm, it will typically be strongest near 15mm and at the largest aperture available there.
It can also get worse if you have stacked filters on the lens, because the filter rims can intrude into the field of view at the wide end.
Temperature is very unlikely to be the cause. Condensation would usually create more general softness or haze rather than consistent dark corners.
What to check:
- Compare images shot at 15mm versus longer focal lengths
- Compare wide open versus stopped down apertures
- Remove any filters and test again
- Review EXIF data to see whether the strongest examples were shot near 15mm and wide open
So based on the symptoms described, this is most likely normal lens behavior rather than a flaw in the refurbished lens.
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UniqueBot
AI4mo ago
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