Dropped lens

[S_J_P]

Last night I managed to send my 60D and Ef-s 15-85 for a short flight from the tabletop onto the floor.

The lens now has a kink in it where the focus ring resides, with the right-side of the focus ring binding against the zoom-ring and the left-side has a wide gap. If I compress the lens on the left-side everything realigns but then springs back out once compression is released. The IQ has suffered considerably with the left-side severely distorted and poorly focused and the corners completely blackened.

I guess I've managed to make myself a tilt/shift lens!

My question is, is it worth my whilst taking the bayonet mount off too see whether I can "clip" anything back into place, or should I bite the bullet and send it off for repair? If the latter, any suggestions on where (and more importantly, where not to send it!)

[J H Foto]

Re: Dropped lens

Oops.......................

[MX5]

Re: Dropped lens

First port of call ... Canon Elstree.

Depending upon cost it may be worth letting your insurance company know.

[Nathaniel]

Re: Dropped lens

Very sorry to hear the bad news. As a firm believer in the saying "penny wise and found foolish" I'd send the lens to Canon for repair etc. The 15-85mm lens is a very good lens, and an expensive one at that. Hope the 60d is OK? As a general rule I always sling the camera around my neck to change lenses, removing the battery, memory card etc and this has saved me serious damage to my equipment many times. It is also the first advice given in the EOS forum camera camera insurance guide.

[Muscat]

Re: Dropped lens

Another vote for Canon at Elstree. It may pay you to give them a call and if possible drive it round to their office with the camera so that they can look at both items to confirm the camera is indeed OK.

Canon U.K. Ltd, CCI service centre, Unit 130, Centennial Park, Centennial Avenue, Elstree, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 3SE.
Tel. 0844 369 0100
ccl.servicecentre@cuk.canon.co.uk

[S_J_P]

Dropped lens

Oops indeed!

Because I'm a tinkerer I've taken the bayonet mount, AF/IS switch and cowl off, and have discovered the screw securing the PCB inside had come adrift and was jamming-up the mechanism. I've reaffixed it and put it all back together, the IQ's much improved and the lens is much less kinked now, but I fear a trip to Canon is on the cards for it!

[J H Foto]

Re: Dropped lens

Oops indeed!

Because I'm a tinkerer I've taken the bayonet mount, AF/IS switch and cowl off, and have discovered the screw securing the PCB inside had come adrift and was jamming-up the mechanism. I've reaffixed it and put it all back together, the IQ's much improved and the lens is much less kinked now, but I fear a trip to Canon is on the cards for it!

I am sorry for the Oops comment, damage to our gear must be a real bitch. At least we now have Canons details I have filed it, you never know. I hope you get sorted soon........

[S_J_P]

Dropped lens

Bodger, No need to apologise! I said Oops too (or words to that effect ;-)

Nat, I appreciate your comment about the strap, I tend to use my camera strapless almost all of the time and in this instance it was in my rucksack but I hadn't zipped up the hatch! I shall be a lot more careful in future, and will be using my strap a lot more too.

Thanks all for Elstree's contact details, their repair prices don't seem too extortionate so ill get the lens sent off next week.

[chodeva]

Re: Dropped lens

Sorry to steal your thunder here... i dropped my cheapo 50mm 1.8 on monday and looked fairly damaged... i managed to put it "together" again but it makes real worrying noise when auto-focussing. would the image quality have been impaired and what would cause that. i dont seem to be getting the same high IQ as before

[Nathaniel]

Re: Dropped lens

I am sorry to note that you too,Donald,has a "dropped lens" problem. Maybe what I say might not be of any use to you but here goes. whenever I change my lens I put the camera around my neck with it's strap of course and change lenses over my bed- if I am at home. If in a hotel, over my hotel bed. If I am in my car, I change my lens from within my car boot- which is course well flanelled with an old blanket. Additionally, I use two camera bodies with appropriate lenses to minimise the changing of lenses for more than one reason- such as convenience,prevention of dirt and grit getting into the sensor etc etc. In whatever situation I might be in, the camera does hang around my neck, even inside the boot of my car. Maybe I am over cautious but I always believe that prevention is better than the cure.

Hope this helps.

[Muscat]

Re: Dropped lens

Sorry to steal your thunder here... i dropped my cheapo 50mm 1.8 on monday and looked fairly damaged... i managed to put it "together" again but it makes real worrying noise when auto-focussing. would the image quality have been impaired and what would cause that. i dont seem to be getting the same high IQ as before

If yuo have put the lens back together there could easily be miss-alignment of one or more of the optics or the USM motor function.

[Woolley]

Re: Dropped lens

Bodger, No need to apologise! I said Oops too (or words to that effect ;-)

tilt/shift lens!

I'm imagining something like that, only without the l or the f...!

If it's not easily sorted with the first thing you do probably not worth taking a risk on trying to sort it yourself. Who knows what long term problems you could be storing up.

[Opifex]

Re: Dropped lens

Many years ago I dropped a lens and damaged the filter making it impossible to remove it. I told my household insurance and they paid the full cost of a replacement lens with no problem. It was a long time ago so I'm afraid I can't remember which company it was.

[secondintime]

Re: Dropped lens

It is I am sure all our worst fears, sorry to hear about the fall/drop, accident. Do you have insurance? I took out the insurance we get with the magazine, £5k worth of gear insured for about £100 a year, which is quite reasonable I thought. May be worth checking with your home and contents. Like you I'd be tempted to have a tinker, I would however be cautious not to cause more damage, and void any sort cover I may have.

[ChristopherM]

Re: Dropped lens

It could have been worse...

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/915450-...-at-german-zoo

I'd love to see the insurance claim on that one