leenso52 wrote:
Hi everyone. Love this forum. I've commented but never asked for help. (intimidated??!!) But now I need it desperately! Last night I did the unthinkable.
I stupidly knocked over my new tripod which had my camera attached over onto my ceramic tile floor in my kitchen. Good news, my tripod was not damaged and it appears neither was my Nikon D5200. Yes, beginner's. I've had it five years. My floor was cracked. But much worse, my AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm
f/3.5-6.3G ED VR lens cracked around the rim of the outside glass. As far as I can tell the lens still functions, focuses, and camera still took a few test shots. It did not shatter, just some of the glass around the rim. I can't tell if this scratched the inner glass, does not seem so.
I went to the Nikon site and started the process of sending for repair. Obviously my five year warranty does not cover stupidity. But the estimate is $375! I paid $699.00 at Hunts in Melrose two plus years ago, trading in my two kit lenses. Now I only have my Nikkor 50mm lens and am going on vacation in less than 3 weeks. Money is definitely an issue as I am retired and presently not working at all. If I could afford it I would have upgraded my camera by now, bought a few desired lens (into birding now!) etc. But my photography means the world to me!
Do I send for repair or look into buying a used one? Refurbished? What would you do, in MY shoes? No snarky remarks if you can help it, like "I would have taken better care of my equipment!" I'm sure you all would! Was most regrettable. I had been photographing birds at my feeder, outside my kitchen window on and off all day. Was done for the night and should have put away. Instead I just moved the set up out of my way. So I thought. This on the same day I "broke" my grass trimmer AND chain saw!
Thanks ever so much! I need to decide quick. BTW, the process included me paying the $375 up front so it is on my charge card already. Am getting ready to send but await your feedback.
Hi everyone. Love this forum. I've commented but ... (
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Replacing the lens is the simplest option, if you can afford to do so. However, if nothing else is broken in the lens, then it is still usable -- if you are
willing to accept some some slightly blurry spots in your image and want to go to the trouble. The damaged modern lens is still a better lens than
any lens that existed in 1930 (and better than any zoom lens that existed in 1980).
1. Carefully clean both sides of the element a lint free cloth and camera lens cleaner or 90% isopropyl alcohol.
3. Using a black indelibler magic marker, blacken all the broken parts (this is to prevent them creating a distored
image and scattering light. (This isn't as good as making a mask, but it's a lot easier.)
4. Blow it off with air (using a squeeze ball) and immediately re-install it, touching only the edges.
At that point, you can try a few shots and decide if you want to keep the lens. For best results:
* Shoot at smaller aperatures (bigger f-numbers)--since the damage is on the edge
* Use a lens hood
* Avoid letting the sun shine directly on the lens--it will flare very badly
The lens will have lost some contrast--which on very contrasty days may actually be a good thing. :-)
No lens is perfect, and many good photographs have been taken with lenses that had major shortcomings.
Think about it this way: there are many damaged paintings hanging in the Louvre.
That said, I must admit: I would replace the lens, because knowing it is damaged would always bother me--
even if I couldn't easily tell which photos were taken with it, My hang up, I guess.