Advice about scratches on lens

paddler4paddler4 Registered Users Posts: 976 Major grins
edited December 27, 2012 in Cameras
Somehow, I managed to get a few surface scratches and abrasions on the front element of my EF 70-200 f/4 IS. I have never had a scratched front element in decades of shooting, perhaps because I usually use filters for protection. So, I have no experience. Because of reflections, I have not yet gotten a photo that clearly shows them, unfortunately. How big a deal flaws like this on the front element? Has anyone had experience having the front element repaired or replaced?

thanks
http://dkoretz.smugmug.com/

Comments

  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,156 moderator
    edited December 25, 2012
    A scratched front element rarely causes a visible problem with images. If it's really bad you may get some "dispersion" from the scratches, especially in strong back lighting and contra lighting.

    In olden days they used to fill grinding scratches and the occasional exposed bubble by using a squeegy/squeegee and some black ink. Once the ink dried, the surface defects were essentially "fixed" and not relevant.

    Yes, you can get the front element replaced, and it's always much less than a lens replacement. If you send the lens in to a Canon repair facility, they will give you an estimate before any repairs. Your only sure expense is the cost of shipping and insurance.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • paddler4paddler4 Registered Users Posts: 976 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2012
    Ziggy,

    Thanks very much.

    Dan
    http://dkoretz.smugmug.com/
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited December 25, 2012
    I got a scratch on my 24-105L and it definitely showed up in my shots. If I snapped a shot of the sky as if I was checking for sensor dust, it was pretty obvious. I sent it in to Canon and the charge was $300 to replace the front element, or $200 with a CPS membership.
    Moderator of Landscapes forum
    Link to my Smugmug site
  • paddler4paddler4 Registered Users Posts: 976 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2012
    Kdog,

    Thanks. I should have thought of trying that. I just did test shots at f/25, using both a monitor image and a clear blue sky, and found no signs of the scratches (but dust bunnies again!). Maybe the scratches I have are less extreme than yours.

    Dan
    http://dkoretz.smugmug.com/
  • perronefordperroneford Registered Users Posts: 550 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2012
    And this is why I keep a protective filter on the front of my glass. The cost is a bother, but being without the lens for weeks could be a REAL problem. Hopefully, you get a resolution you are satisfied with.
    www.ptfphoto.com
    perroneford@ptfphoto.com
  • JovesJoves Registered Users Posts: 200 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2012
    They may show up when you have light hitting them at oblique angles, and that is a maybe. In reality it takes a good gouge to show up on the image plane from a front element. Fact is you can have a lens with cracks straight through the front element and not see it as long as the light does not hit it. The Lens Rental Blog has a demonstration of that.
    I shoot therefore Iam.
    http://joves.smugmug.com/
  • paddler4paddler4 Registered Users Posts: 976 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2012
    perroneford--

    I'm with you on that. I had kept filters on my lenses literally for decades. I recently started removing them when I had reason to (e.g., night photography with lights in front of the camera), but I was leaving them off more than I will in the future.

    Just a shame that this happened to my most expensive lens!

    Dan
    http://dkoretz.smugmug.com/
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