HELP!!! Just WASHED my lens with camera bag!!

[MarkP]

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One word...

 

Insurance.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

You're absolutely right! (All of my equipment is insured)

 

Mark

[gyoung]

+1 , unless its some rare collectors item, it is unlikely to be 'as good as new' again.

Its a new twist on the perrenial bag query, 'what bag for an underwater trip.........' :-!

[thighslapper]

At least its clean....

 

Ok.... seriously.... if it's insured and you have 'new for old' I'd try and get it written off and replaced with a new one.

 

At a retirement party several years ago a waitress very helpfully spilt a full glass of champagne into my old Nikon Coolpix. Gummed everything up completely. Insurance wrote it off and replaced it.

Had the dead camera completely stripped and repaired and sold it on ebay with the repair guarantee (it worked as good as new) and made a profit on the whole sorry saga....

[k_g_wolf ✝]

If it´s not insured and not a killer-lens, pricewise, I would dump it

and look for a substitute. To me, everything else appears to be a hassle.

 

 

Best of luck,

with ot without the soaked beast

GEORG

[Nicoleica]

I've heard of throwing rocks in with your jeans to get that well-worn look, but throwing in lenses with your camera bag seems a trifle OTT.

[masjah]

OK, now that it's a little while since it happened, you've (& I've) got to admit that it is a bit funny.:) And will be a good story later, (especially if the lens will be restored to like new).

 

Well, I can't offer any more constructive suggestions than the ones already given (which I could probably summarise as, send it in to Solms, pray, but be prepared for unanswered prayers).

 

But what I can offer is a bit of sympathy. If it happened to me (and there, but for the grace of .....) I would be very, very upset indeed.

 

I'm glad you can see the funny side of it - more credit to you - in your shoes I don't know that I could. Hope it all turns out well in the end.

[Xmas]

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One is supposed to check pockets for small change or other objects before laundering in front loaders...

 

I'd either take the lane to nearest repairer immediately or use it as paperweight, some of the optical glasses are not like window glass... Or you can sell it after a dismantle and reassembly...

 

If you drop camera into water remove the film immediately and then take to nearest camera repair person.

 

Noel

[sfage]

To the OP: I'm really really sorry this happened. I can be absent-minded too. I become focused upon something else, "zip off" this job so I can get on to the "real job" and forget what the hell I was doing.

 

Sorry.

 

I hope this works out for you.

[ho_co]

Call Leica and ask them.

 

Instructions for salt-water immersion are usually to give it a thorough fresh-water wash and pack it still wet, because you do NOT want it to dry out.

 

They will probably not want the lens to dry out in this case.

 

Which lens was it?

[jto555]

 

I have a vague idea I also once saw a recommendation to get as much of the water out as possible and then submerge the camera in light mineral oil or maybe kerosene.

 

 

 

[microview]

 

I have a vague idea I also once saw a recommendation to submerge the camera in light mineral oil or maybe kerosene.

 

and set fire to it?

[Sailronin]

Years ago I had a couple of friends who specialized in yachting photography. Their solution to the occasional salt water soaking was to immediately drop the lens or even the whole camera into a gallon bucket of alcohol, remove and then dry. I know that this saved at least a couple of lenses and one Mamiya C3.

I wouldn't want to bet on it but it helped them out with simple cameras (no electronics).

[leicanut2]

Sorry to hear it, good luck.

 

Jan

[Jaybob]

 

Insurance.

 

 

+a million

[IkarusJohn]

There's some argument that leaving it submerged in clean fresh water may prevent corrosion until it's serviced. I seem to remember that was the recommendation years ago for film cameras soaked in seawater.

 

This happened to my Nikon FE about 30 years ago. I took the battery out, flushed it and then put it in a bag with fresh water. Didn't help at all.

 

The best advice I got was if you drop your camera in seawater, keep walking and make an insurance claim. It's not worth bending down and picking up.

 

The good thing about a lens is that (hopefully) a wash cycle won't have damaged the critical parts - the glass, the barrel etc. It may cost a bit to fix, but I suspect it's fixable - by Leica in Solms.

[ShotCapture]

Give me a break. These stupid OP posts are about as funny as it gets. Why post these questions? Send your lens to Leica. Don't ask for advise here. Why give advise? The lens is screwed. Maybe Mark can tell him how to take it apart and do a CLA. Mark where are you?

 

Stnami I can only agree with you. Hilarious. Hey, does it rattle or wobble? Dave where are you? Maybe you can borrow a lens and run it through the cycle.

 

Edit: ShotCapture, I do have a serious question What kind of bag was it in. Can you post pictures of the bag for the forum? if, you can, this thread will go viral.

Though seemingly sarcastic, the bag answer is: a Domke bag which normally washes well.

Thanks to those who offered help or kind words.

I hope that my impression is incorrect that some here speak as though they are perfect and never make mistakes, and thus feel compelled to give perfect advice, untested and unchallenged by others or by thoughts of humility, or imperfection. I hope that my impression is distorted by the imperfections of using the internet to communicate effectively., and if I have distorted, I give my apology.

The answer from Leica was, since it was fresh water, pack the lens with a silica gel dessicant. It should cost about $200 to repair. My waranty of course is now void.(But the answer much better than I feared). I sent it off with a couple of silica gell packs from a guitar store that I already had.

[Shootist]

Give me a break. These stupid OP posts are about as funny as it gets. Why post these questions? Send your lens to Leica. Don't ask for advise here. Why give advise? The lens is screwed. Maybe Mark can tell him how to take it apart and do a CLA. Mark where are you?

 

Stnami I can only agree with you. Hilarious. Hey, does it rattle or wobble? Dave where are you? Maybe you can borrow a lens and run it through the cycle.

 

Edit: ShotCapture, I do have a serious question What kind of bag was it in. Can you post pictures of the bag for the forum? if, you can, this thread will go viral.

 

What I find hilarious is WHO washes a camera bag????? And even IF one wanted to wash a camera bag, mine are to big and I wouldn't even of thought of ever washing one, WHO wouldn't check it and remove everything in it. Did you wash your SD cards and or a couple of rolls of film.

[yanidel]

though I feel very sorry for the OP, I must admit that it was my best laugh of the day

 

Good luck!

[Mauribix]

I feel sorry for the OP, that's true.

But I'm curious too. Which lens was that before? And now?

I'd like to know for example if washing a 50lux gives you a 50cron or a 35lux.

I mean, does it shrink the focal length, or the diaphragm?

 

P.S.

My curiosity was just a break in this heavy mood I felt lately.

Everything went right for the OP, right?

That's the real good thing.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[adan]

Well, let's look at it this way - a fully mechanical lens is more likely to have survived in repairable shape than a lens with a CPU and an electric AF motor. A strip-down, regrease, and reassembly is likely (and covered under Passport if still within the warranty period).

 

Be glad Leica uses analog paint for coding, rather than a CPU chip.

 

Nikon ran an ad for the "F" in the early 70's telling the tale of a photographer in 'Nam who soaked his camera and lens jumping into a ditch to avoid a shelling. Carried it out of the jungle in a bucket of clean water, dried it in a slow oven, worked the shutter for a couple of hours, and went on shooting (although he did eventually get it a lube job).