Cracked Lens = Dead Lens?

AlphaMale

Hi Guys,

Quick/Dumb question. If the glass in a lens gets cracked, is the lens instantly garbage or is it salvageable? Even if it is, would it be worth the cost of getting it fixed compared to replaced?

New to SLRs, just wondering.

Thanks.

pathfinder

You have not specified which lens you are discussing.

Cheaper consumer lenses are probably not worth repairing as the cost of repair will be near the price of a new lens. We live in a consumer society and do not fix much of anything any more but just replace it.

But for Pro quality lenses, like Canon's L telephotos, it is worth sending the lens to Canon Factory Service for replacement of the front element.

I know the front element on the L telephotos is designed to be replaced if necessary. It is not cheap, but it is less than a new L telephoto ( which come in multiples of thousands of dollars ):cry