Should it be sent to service once there is fungus?

[gyfelton]

Hi guys,
as shown in the following post, the lens I am selling got fungus....
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=380177
However, I don't send it to service b4 I sell it cos i once heard that the image quality will be worse after servicing as the whole optical system will be compromised once you remove many lens elements and assemble it back later.
Can any expereienced one tell me whether it is ture or not?
thx

 

[raghu]

Hi,

If the servicing is done by competent people there should be no problem with the optics. Do you see the fungus only on the front element or in the inner elements also. On the front element is it inside or outside. If its just the front element then you can get it cleaned at any camera service centre. They would just have to open the front element and clean it, so there's no issue of misalignment of elements etc. If its on the outside you can infact try to clean it yourself. If you see fungus in the inner elements too then the lens has to be taken apart for clenaing which is probably done better at the canon service centre.

raghu

 

[giantcanopy]

However, I don't send it to service b4 I sell it cos i once heard that the image quality will be worse after servicing as the whole optical system will be compromised once you remove many lens elements and assemble it back later.

The respective service centres shld be able to handle it if u r worried about blotched jobs.

Better get it fixed early before the fungus gets etched onto the glass and irreversibly destroying the element.

Ryan

 

[Octarine]

However, I don't send it to service b4 I sell it cos i once heard that the image quality will be worse after servicing as the whole optical system will be compromised once you remove many lens elements and assemble it back later.

I'd put this under "urban myth" or so. If there were any truth in it then we would hear about hundreds of cases where lenses malfunction after being serviced. If the work is done in a professional way the lens will be fine afterwards.

 

[unseenshadows]

It shouldn't be a problem sending it to CSC for cleaning. Don't need to be overly-paranoid about mis-alignment of lens optics etc. That lens needs cleaning.

 

[alternatve]

Hi guys,
as shown in the following post, the lens I am selling got fungus....
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=380177
However, I don't send it to service b4 I sell it cos i once heard that the image quality will be worse after servicing as the whole optical system will be compromised once you remove many lens elements and assemble it back later.
Can any expereienced one tell me whether it is ture or not?
thx

Fungus does spread easily to your other lenses and eats away at the coating of your lens, irreversibly destroying the coating. So yes, get it clean and do it soon/now.

I think you might be worrying too much. Why do you think Canon, who made the lens in the first place would screw up putting the parts back together, unless the lens is a very old (20-30+ years) copy. Plus, I believe you can return and demand for a refit if you feel the lens is put together poorly.

All the best for the repair.

Samuel

 

[gyfelton]

Thanks a lot Raghu,Ryan,Octarine,unseenshadows and Samuel
I appreciate above comments~~~
(I think I am rather pessimistic about the whole servicing thing....)
Maybe i can do take some test photo b4 servicing and do a comparison with the photos taken after the servicing~~~Sound like a good idea...

 

[sloth]

No, don't send for service.

Must wait till the fungus grows over the whole glass, creating a beautiful work of art.

Then sell on ebay, start bid at $0.99, sure can

JUST KIDDING!!!!!

On a more serious note, send immediately. If you do not have the electronic dry box, invest in one, it might be cheaper than servicing even.

There is an old myth that says "lenses are so complex that if you ever take them apart you will never get them back together". Then how did they get them together in the first place?

This is however somewhat true if you botch the job or you don't know the exact assembly/disassembly sequence. I wouldn't trust myself to take apart a lens, I wouldn't know how to put it back. However Canon's service center is very very good, and they have access to all the info they need. I once had a 17-85 serviced and put back together and that lens has been tremendously sharp for a number of years already...funny thing is that it seems much better performing than most of the 'review' copies on the Internet :thumbsup:

 

[fatigue]

The cleaning of this lens is very easy. Only a few parts to dismantle.
Atmost, it will take 10mins to clean this lens.
The servicing cost is cheaper than buying an ordinary filter


Everything is straight-forward so you don't have to worry about misalignment

I posted an instruction before on how to open such kind of lens:

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=372444

It's almost similar. The only difference is that your lens is easier to clean.
You don't even need a spanner to open up the lens.
There's only a sticker in the front part that covers the screws