Leica Elmarit-M 90 mm f/2.8 6-bit coded lens

[hmarkweidman]

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I managed to accidentally scratch the front element of my*Leica Elmarit-M 90 mm f/2.8 6-bit coded lens, Serial #3521137. *I contacted Leica and they no longer have that lens element available for replacement. *Below is a photo of the lens & scratch. Does anyone have any suggestions for repairing this scratch? Perhaps buy an identical lens with a pristine front element and swap the front glass?*Any suggestions or thoughts you have will be appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

 

Mark Weidman

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[marknorton]

That's unfortunate. First thing to check is whether the scratch affects the images - try at different apertures and, for example, shooting into the light which might cause scatter off the scratch. There have been examples of shots from lenses much more extensively damaged which show very little evidence.

 

As for whether it's worth buying another lens and swapping over the front lens elements, I don't know.

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[sblitz]

if you are going to buy another lens, why swap? just use the other lens. i would kurland camera in nyc and ask if they can suggest a solution. good guys there.

[hmarkweidman]

I did some test shots, including into the sun, and the scratch does not appear to effect the image quality, but it is tough to know for sure. I will also check into Kurland Camera in NY and see if they have suggestions.

[tele_player]

One suggestion I've seen is to fill in the scratch with a black permanent marker, reducing possible effect of the scratch when shooting into the light.

 

Google 'sharpie scratched lens' to read about this.

[pgk]

One suggestion I've seen is to fill in the scratch with a black permanent marker, reducing possible effect of the scratch when shooting into the light.

 

Google 'sharpie scratched lens' to read about this.

I've tried it - this solution works just fine!

[philipus]

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Is the Elmarit-M a condemned lens? Mine has this mark - and a matching dent on the hood. Clearly the lens was dropped at some point. The mark is not long, but really quite deep actually. This meant I got the lens for a good price (from a reputable dealer). I was initially nervous that my images would be affected but so far, after a year and a half of pretty constant use, it has never given me a flare. I haven't even filled in the mark with a black marker but might do so at some point. I bought it to have a 90mm lens to try out the focal length but when I saw the images were unaffected I decided to keep it.

 

 

At least the Elmarit-M tends to be pretty easy to find at dealers so if you do wish to replace it you probably need not search for long. And you could even sell the one you have for a good deal to offset the cost of the new (someone as dumb as I probably will buy it; and be very happy with it ).

 

Cheers

Philip

[algrove]

If you decide you need another 90/2.8 Elmarit-M, PM me as I know where there is one that was 6 bit coded by Leica NJ last year and has a Customer Service Test Certificate from them stating that the lens was tested and inspected by Leica factory trained technicians and was found to meet all factory standards.

[Shac]

Mark - you could also contact John at Focal Point to see if he could recoat it. He did a great job on a rigid cron of mine

Welcome to Focal Point - Lens Repair and Lens Cleaning

[hmarkweidman]

Thank you for the suggestion - I will definitely contact Focal Point today - I never heard of them, though they are located here in Colorado.

 

Mark Weidman

[algrove]

Mark, Sent a PM about 2 weeks ago with no reply your end.