Scheelings
Well-known
Leica 90mm APO with a dust sized scratch. Does anyone have any experience with Leica repairing the lens or having a front element replaced?
Repair front element scratch.
- Thread starter Scheelings
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 6
- Views 1K
Kai-san
Filmwaster
Why repair? It's not in the focus zone and will never show up on your pics, especially if it's that small. To make absolutely sure that you do not get any reflections, use a hood. And put a UV filter on the lens so you won't get more scratches. 🙂
Beemermark
Veteran
As Kai-san said, it will makes no difference. If you think it does use a black magic marker to fill it in (stop possible reflections).
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
If it a sort of investment and you don't want it to effect the re-sale value then i understand you point. From a functional point of view it will not affect the lens performance.
I use this Nikkor 28 /f.28 and always get great results.
Some samples:
I use this Nikkor 28 /f.28 and always get great results.
Some samples:
lonemantis
Well-known
I would expect to spend at least $1000 if you send it to Leica to replace the element. Leica cannot "repair" the scratch any other way. There are very expensive services that polish and re-coat lenses, but they're meant for cinema optics that are already worth around $50k, so the cost is relative there.
If that's worth it to you, then sure, but I don't think you'll make it back in resale value. Like everyone else has said, it will not affect image quality, especially being that small and on the front.
If that's worth it to you, then sure, but I don't think you'll make it back in resale value. Like everyone else has said, it will not affect image quality, especially being that small and on the front.
peterm1
Veteran
I understand too well, how photographers with a favorite camera or lens can be aggrieved when it acquires a scratch or a dent even when its a minor scratch or dent and inconsequential in terms of performance. I have been through it many times myself.
In your case I can assure you of two things. Your upset will fade over time and continued use of the lens which will desensitize you to its injury. A front element scratch as you describe it (dust size) will have effectively zero impact on images. That is the good news. The bad news is that if you cannot wait until you do get over it, there is no way to "fix" a scratch as such, though, as at least 1 other poster says you can use a black marker to fill it and stop reflections - if you can see them in images. Which I doubt in your case.
When this stuff happens to me these days I try to remind myself of a BUddhist saying that everything dies, everything becomes broken. The way to happiness is to accept this reality and consider it as already broken or damaged even before that happens. That way, if it eventually does happen, you will be less aggrieved - and if it does not you are ahead of the game. It kinda works by stopping this stuff from messing with your head.
Steve M.
Veteran
Even as an investment you would probably never get your money back. Investing in photography is a sub optimal idea anyway. Just leave it be. Like many of us here, I've owned lenses with big, and I mean big, scratches on the front elements, and it had zero effect on the shots. Haze, fungus or delamination is another story :[
Similar threads
