Opinion on Possible Lens Issue

Hi, I'm looking at a used 24-105. One of the photos of the lens shows chips in the area(rubber?) surrounding the lens mount. The seller said they bought it used in this condition, but the lens works fine. Has anyone seen this before? Is this something to be concerned about? Photo attached. Thanks for your help.

That area has nothing at all to do with functionality.

Although, that is a hard plastic and I would wonder how it got that way. It would take a pretty good hit to chunk that out like that. Especially the spot at about 10 o'clock in your picture. I would just make sure all else works well before buying it. It may have had a hard life.

Make sure you can return the lens if not happy.
Get it for a fair low price. A lens with physical damage is a hard sell, for the very same reason you are posting here.

saea501 wrote in post #18454735
It would take a pretty good hit to chunk that out like that. Especially the spot at about 10 o'clock in your picture. I would just make sure all else works well before buying it. It may have had a hard life.

You probably don't know the answer, but does that area at 10 o'clock provide a passage for dust etc. into the internals of the lens?

Thanks to both of you. I may go check it out in person and test it out with my camera. They are asking $250 for it. I thought it may be good for when I'm walking my dogs in the various nature preserves and take my camera with.

It is just a rubber seal to keep the weather out and has no impact on how the lens functions. Having said that they are (apparently) not difficult to replace and cheap. If all other aspects of then lens are fine then this might be a good bargaining chip to knock the price down a little.

If you do not shoot in wet conditions then it is irrelevant - but that is no reason not to use it as a bargaining chip.

MadMadge wrote in post #18454828
Thanks to both of you. I may go check it out in person and test it out with my camera. They are asking $250 for it. I thought it may be good for when I'm walking my dogs in the various nature preserves and take my camera with.

At that price buy it and be happy. You could pay twice that for a cleaner copy and get the same images.

johnf3f wrote in post #18455176
It is just a rubber seal to keep the weather out and has no impact on how the lens functions. Having said that they are (apparently) not difficult to replace and cheap. If all other aspects of then lens are fine then this might be a good bargaining chip to knock the price down a little.

If you do not shoot in wet conditions then it is irrelevant - but that is no reason not to use it as a bargaining chip.

What is the difference between keeping the effects of "weather" and "wet conditions" out and keeping dust etc. out? Especially when the lens isn't mounted.

johnf3f wrote in post #18455176
It is just a rubber seal to keep the weather out and has no impact on how the lens functions. Having said that they are (apparently) not difficult to replace and cheap. If all other aspects of then lens are fine then this might be a good bargaining chip to knock the price down a little.

If you do not shoot in wet conditions then it is irrelevant - but that is no reason not to use it as a bargaining chip.

It is not a rubber seal, it is a hard plastic ring.....at least it is on mine. And it doesn't appear to have the ability to exclude much of anything, especially water. Unless there is a rubber seal underneath.

Easy to replace? Doesn't look it to me. The top lip extends up under the zoom ring.

But, here again, if it functions properly, the price is right.

That's the weather seal, and it is a soft-ish rubber. I replaced one on a lens not too long ago because it was chipped like that. It's a $23 part from Canon.

MatthewK wrote in post #18455616
That's the weather seal, and it is a soft-ish rubber. I replaced one on a lens not too long ago because it was chipped like that. It's a $23 part from Canon.

$22 at https://www.uscamera.c​om/ya2-3463.htm

Go to https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?p=8765574 and read replies #7 and #11 on how to do the replacement. Even though the link is about a 70-200 the rear mount design is identical as is the part.

Take a JIS screwdriver (not Phillips) then unscrew the lens mount. Remove damaged sealing ring, replace with a new one, then re attach lens mount.

Part available here:

http://www.cameraspare​parts.co.uk …0l-is-usm-lens-9079-p.asp

Thank you all for your input. I went and tested the lens out and ended up buying it. It is the thin rubber seal and it didn't look as bad as in the photo. I'll look into the links above to get the part if I decide I want to replace it. Thanks again!