HELP!!!

So I am absolutely sick to my stomach. I got access today to a site I have been wanting to get to for years (road was typicall gated, today it was open for the fourth). I had not much more than gotten out of the truck with my gear when I decided I needed a different lens. I removed my 70-200 F1.4 to put on a 50mm. That is when I screwed up, I don't know what I was thinking but I put the 70-200 down on a rock wall lens first, no cap, no hood. I did not even notice until I went to pick the lens up and heard a horrific noise. Looked at the lens and I have about a 3/8" long scratch parrell to the edge of the lens about 1/2" in from the edge of the lens. I took a few quick shots one at 70mm and one at 140mm. I stood around a few more minutes but had lost all interest in photos. Packed the gear and headed home. I looked at the images I took on the screen and do not see evidence of the scratch. Question is does the lens use all of the outer glass when capturing an image? Could I have gotten lucky enough that the scratch is outside of the line of site? Either way I will probably send it for repairs but I am interested in thoughts, besides don't be such an idiot! :o:o

Small scratches really shouldn't show up. Maybe if you closed the aperture down to it's smallest aperture it may be well defined. I don't know. You might have gotten lucky. I've seen people use lenses with long scratches going across the entire front element and still get great images without seeing the scratch.

Oh, and next time... don't be such an idiot!

JK

Wide open the scratch won't show up. At longer exposures with smaller apertures it will start to show up, or if light hits it at an oblique angle it could give you some weird flare. If I'm not mistaken the front elements on those lenses are essentially just protective elements and shouldn't be too much to get replaced. Don't take my word for it though.

I certainly know the feeling about causing harm to a lens. I dropped my 24-105 L lens and my heart sank to my stomach before it hit the ground. It's truly a heartbreaking experience when something bad happens to them.

I have it in my head that the size of the sensor would make a difference - a smaller (i.e. crop) sensor would only use the middle part of the lens. Anyone?

70-200 f/1.4?? And, yeah, cap it!! Also consider getting a personal article insurance policy for your gear, just in case.

Run it through some tests, odds are you probably ok, can you post a pic of the lens?

Read this.

If it's the f4 non-IS, I don't know if I would even bother paying to get the front element replaced. It may bring resale value down, though. I've heard of an old trick where you fill the scratch with ink.

It is the #1.4 IS version. I am usually so careful. Using it on a T2i so a 1.6 sensor. I will run in through some tests tomorrow as well as posting a picture of it.

A 1.4 70-200 ?? I want one

Just say f4 (or f/4)

It's written out as 1:4, but if you say "1.4" it sounds like f/1.4

It's not as confusing with this lens, but it might be if you talk about other lenses like that.

I was going to ask when they made a 1.4 version of that lens.

Scratches on the front element of a lens have suprisingly little effect. The most common thing would be some additional flare and using the lens hood would help prevent that (and certainly would have protected the lens from your poor handling of it).

An old trick was to put black ink in the scratch... such as india ink or with a Sharpie. That keeps it from causing flare and there is only very minor loss of image detail unless there a whole lot of scratches all over. In fact, there are "black mesh" and "black splatter" filters that are used for portraiture, they reduce fine detail to "erase" minor facial flaws such as wrinkles, pores, etc. You never see the filter at all.

You can get that repaired.

Bill, there was a thread on here some time ago where (I think it was Lens Rentals) put bits of sticky note on the front element as a test. The results were surprising...try it.. put a 1/4" diameter piece of sticky note on the front element and take a pic.....the result will surprise you.

The repair will probably cost more than the loss in value at sale time and the scratch will have no effect on your images (fill it with ink if you like).

Its a bugger that it happened and I'm sorry to hear it.

Well I figured I would put it through its paces tonight. All set up for fireworks, good location, tripod, lens, hood, remote release and........ a torrential thunderstorm 5 minutes before the start . At least I was able to keep the gear dry!

You know if it were morning I may think seriously about going back to bed!