Advice about scratches on lens
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?
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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.
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Thanks very much.
Dan
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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
perroneford@ptfphoto.com
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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