GLC Posted May 30, 2011 Share #1 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) so i have obtained a few small scratches on the front element of my 50mm summilux asph. not a big deal i understand but am curious if anyone has had any experience in resurfacing the front element of this lens... Â thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 30, 2011 Posted May 30, 2011 Hi GLC, Take a look here 50 Summilux Asph Resurfacing. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
budrichard Posted May 30, 2011 Share #2 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Do the scratches result in any objective noticeable loss of resolution and contrast? If not, use as is. Linear defects do not image linearly and will not image as artifacts.-Dick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 30, 2011 Share #3 Â Posted May 30, 2011 If at all doable, I guess recoating the front element would not be much different in price from replacing the front element. As those scratches will not impact the image quality at all, I would suggest using it as it is, unless you can get an insurance to pick up the -hefty- bill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLC Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share #4 Â Posted May 30, 2011 yes, from all ive read it should make not much of a difference but boy is it irking me, the lens is not even a month old. i have a 12 year old 35mm summilux asph that developed some minor scratches only a couple of years. it went through years of abuse before one appeared. Â reckon i will just wait out the 3 year passport and send it in at the tail end and hope they'll be nice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted May 30, 2011 Share #5 Â Posted May 30, 2011 As those scratches will not impact the image quality at all... Â Just curious, then, what will cause image degradation. For instance, does cleaning the front element (from tiny dust, etc) make any difference? How is this different from lots of scratches close together? I would think that the whole optical chain from front of lens to back would matter, even if marginally, but apparently not based on your comment. Â Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted May 30, 2011 Share #6 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Minor scratches in the coating will let some rays through at an incorrect angle and increase flare. In other words, a little bit of non-image-forming light will decrease contrast slightly. Â The more scratches, the less contrast. Takes a lot of them to become noticeable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted May 30, 2011 Share #7 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) As I surmised, but different than "not at all." Â Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted May 30, 2011 Share #8 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Use as is and learn to be more careful. Â Certainly it can be recoated. If the scratches are deeper than coating, the glass must be reground which changes the specifications, then recoated. Â When you price this all and consider you may have changed the front element to some degree, replacing the entire front element is cost effective. Â Clean properly by removing debris first with blower or CLEAN brush, then a CLEAN tissue . The lens tissue from Zeiss sold at Wallmart in the eyeglass dept works better than anything. 50 one time use moistened in a hermetically sealed envelope is $3 from 50 Or just use the Spray Zeiss liquid on a lens tissue. B&H supplied. Â A dirty cloth on a debris coated glass is asking for trouble. Â So is over cleaning. Â Store with shade for protection in a compartment so it can not fly around or use a cap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 30, 2011 Share #9 Â Posted May 30, 2011 The problem is that it is a rather complicated multicoating to a higher tolerance than it used to be. Only Leica can do it for this lens, and removing-recoating - easier to get a new front element - expensive in any case. But I saw something about a passport? That might cover this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-hawinkler Posted May 30, 2011 Share #10 Â Posted May 30, 2011 GLC, Â You could ask John Van Stelten at Focal Points Inc. whether he could polish and re-coat that particular lens at what price. It's probably worth an email. He is located near Denver, CO. Â He did an older lens for me for a couple hundred dollars. Â Good luck, K-H. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted May 30, 2011 Share #11 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Destroy your guaranty on a one-month old lens with third-party coating? And take the edge of the performance at the same time? Older lenses have very much simpler coatings that can be done by technicians - on complicated modern designs it is a different story - read up Erwin Puts in his new book. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Valdemar Posted May 30, 2011 Share #12 Â Posted May 30, 2011 You'd have to be insane to do anything to it. Â If you send it out to Van Stelten you should be committed to the madhouse and injected with Thorazine. Â Â Read this: Â http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2008/10/front-element-scratches Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-hawinkler Posted May 30, 2011 Share #13 Â Posted May 30, 2011 Great images. I always wanted my images to look like that. When do you tell us what you really think? Â You have a point though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgray Posted May 31, 2011 Share #14 Â Posted May 31, 2011 You might write to Leica and ask them how much it costs to have the front element of this particularly lens replaced. It might be more reasonable than you think. Or not Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdtaylor Posted May 31, 2011 Share #15 Â Posted May 31, 2011 My 90 APO ASPH was dropped (not by me) and very seriously scratched/chipped the front element. In the right light, it definitely showed up. Â Had Leica NJ fix it, which entailed replacing the front element. Cost ran $610, and took about three weeks. Don't know how the cost of the front element of a 50 ASPH costs relative to my lens, but it might give you an idea. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLC Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share #16 Â Posted June 1, 2011 thanks all. i feel better now. seems that the passport will cover it and ill just wait out the next three years. this makes the price of admission to ownership a little bit better.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted June 1, 2011 Share #17  Posted June 1, 2011 Hi  Lots of scratches only alter performance as a % of the area of the scratches, a finger print degrades the image to a much greater degree, because of the >>% in area.  A UV filter is an investment, clean it if you must but it is simpler to use a hood to keep fat fingers away, and a air blower for dust, never clean the lens or filter surface. Cleaning scratches, leaving it dirty is ok, cleaning bad, dirty good.  Dust has no effect to speak of, leave it...  The UV filter and hood are investments if you drop the cameas and it lands lens down.  Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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