How OCD are you about gear?

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Keith
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I just took delivery of a 50mm lens, and annoyingly there is either a tiny scratch or a piece of dust of some kind on one of the inner elements. Being a prime that seems to be well sealed - for a plastic prime lens at least, I can only assume this happened during manufacture and somehow made it through QC. I cannot think of another way for dust to get in there. It doesn't affect images in any way, I've tested, but it affects my mind a bit! Am I going to be thinking on that spec every ruddy time I use the lens? Should I return it or just get on with it as it was a cheapie lens anyway and I'd probably still get my money back selling on used if I ever decide to.

Basic question here is: How fussy or OCD are you about your photo gear? can you live with a spec of dust inside a lens, especially a new one? What about scratches or marks on camera bodies? I was examining my camera earlier and was happy to [not] find any marks whatsoever, which is pleasing as it's over 7mths old now. Not a spec! And it's been around, it's been used plenty outdoors, it's been left down on grubby tables/walls on the ground in wet grass etc ... but I always clean my gear as soon as I get in the door, often clean it when it's not even in use. I see some light dust gathering and I'm out with the micro fibre cloths

Thing is, I know people who will happily work away with cracked front elements, or cameras with paint peeling off, metal showing through around the edges, camera bases looking like they were pulled along the ground tied to a car etc ... Am i being too fussy here?
 
I'm very ocd but I try not to be.

I have a tool that lets me take the front off the legacy lenses I have. I haven't needed to use it on a modern lens though so I don't know how much of a faff on it is.
 
I take reasonably good care of my, limited, gear but I'm not in the least OCD about it. My film cameras date from the 70s and do show wear and tear, but I like to think this shows 'character'. ;)

Return it if the scratch or speck of dust bothers you, but what do you want? A refund, or a replacement that might also have a tiny flaw...
 
I recently bought a lens described as excellent that had a hair inside it.
If it had been cheap because of it no problem, but it wasn't so back it went.
Reasonable enough to expect new gear to be free of defects, but cosmetic damage is to be expected on used stuff.

Personally not worried about lenses with small marks if it doesn't affect the photos, but not paying top dollar for them.
Can't say I'm very ocd with gear, don't mistreat it, but no cupboard queens either
 
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My gear gets used, not abused,but, used!

Therefore, it is prone to wear and tear which can incur marks etc on the kit.

OCD or not, I jus don't get this trying to keep everything minty attitude that some folk have......not just with photography equipment but with any object be it vehicles, clothing, furniture.
 
Return it if the scratch or speck of dust bothers you, but what do you want? A refund, or a replacement that might also have a tiny flaw...


Good point! It would be a replacement, but then it means packing up and posting it back, waiting another week and then the next one might have a spec in there too! I think I'll try get over it :D

It's a Canon 50mm 1.8 STM btw, brand new from HDEW so was only £85, though I did have to pay $10 postage - so £95 - hardly breaking the bank here, but it's still brand new. I think I'm already pretty much past it now, I've been staring at it long enough :ROFLMAO:

I could send it back and ask fr credit as there's other lenses on there I may buy later on, this was just to mess about with as I have an AF adapter for it. The lens is working fine besides.

I recently bought a lens described as excellent that had a hair inside it.
If it had been cheap because of it no problem, but it wasn't so back it went.
Reasonable enough to expect new gear to be free of defects, but cosmetic damage is to be expected on used stuff.

Personally not worried about lenses with small marks if it doesn't affect the photos, but not paying top dollar for them.
Can't say I'm very ocd with gear, don't mistreat it, but no cupboard queens either

If it was used it wouldn't bother me in the slightest, I've had much dustier lenses, but I knew before buying - maybe it was just the unexpected nature of discovering it.

OCD or not, I jus don't get this trying to keep everything minty attitude that some folk have......not just with photography equipment but with any object be it vehicles, clothing, furniture.

I don't go out of my way to keep things 'minty' [I hate that expression, like we see on used sites all the time "Minty ... 'only' 2yrs old" ... ] I just like cleaning gear maybe - and as I am always selling stuff on when I get bored with it, makes sense to keep things in good nick. I'm not a bit like this with ANYTHING else :D
 
Entirely depends on how much I paid for it ;)

If it's new then I'd send it back.
 
I keep and protect my stuff as much as is possible, but they are tools so I accept they will get some marks with use. It's just harder to do when stuff is new isn't it?

Because of this, I find it a lot easier to accept 'knocks' etc. if I've bought stuff secondhand - so I try and do that as much as possible.

If I bought something new and it wasn't 100% I'd send it back. There's no need for it - they need to improve their QC. Damaged or non-perfect items should be sold as seconds.
 
I'll hit them up with an email see what they have to say, I'm not paying postage on a brand new lens twice!
 
if you have to return a faulty item then you can expect full refund inc. your postage costs both ways.

Just emailed them there, after inspecting it again by better light it looks more like a tiny scratch, it looks almost yellow in colour strangely [light reflecting through it?] - it's a little worse than I first though and is immediately obvious when you look through the front element. It's thin and long about 1.5mm, which is why i don't think it's any kind of dust

Looking again in even better light it's actually worse than I made out, I noticed it in a dim kitchen first off, but by bright window light it's blatantly obvious.

Close up of it here: I don't think I need to point it out
lens scratch.jpg
 
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Like a lot of others I would send it back as it's new.
I would also insist they paid for return postage cost as well.
Lenses like the Canon 100-400L IS mk1 are well known for internal dust but it doesn't generally affect image IQ.
I made the mistake of buying a Canon 600D body via Ebay and not checking it out for a few weeks due to lack of lenses.
When I finally checked it out I was shocked to see the viewfinder was covered in dust and hairs.
I took out the focus screen, cleaned it then decided to sell it on at a slight loss.
I decided that I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of going through Ebay to return it.
What surprised me was the idiot owner actually selling it in that condition.
 
It depends on what I paid and how it was described. I bought a camera before and the shutter button was quite spongey.

I was entitled to send it back but it was a very good price and I found it did the job so kept it.

If it was the going rate then I would be fussy about it.
 
A friend of mine has a mantra of "its a tool, not a jewel" and by that he knows that during using a camera, despite taking sensible precautions, that equipment will get marked during its life, and the odd battle scar is inevitable, as are paint rubs and 'brassing'.

However, if you've just paid for a brand new lens, then you should reasonably expect it to be clean inside.

Could it be a hair?
 
It depends on what I paid and how it was described. I bought a camera before and the shutter button was quite spongey.

I was entitled to send it back but it was a very good price and I found it did the job so kept it.

If it was the going rate then I would be fussy about it.

See the image above, it's actually worse than I first thought
 
A friend of mine has a mantra of "its a tool, not a jewel" and by that he knows that during using a camera, despite taking sensible precautions, that equipment will get marked during its life, and the odd battle scar is inevitable, as are paint rubs and 'brassing'.

However, if you've just paid for a brand new lens, then you should reasonably expect it to be clean inside.

Could it be a hair?

It's almost yellow in colour, it's definitely not a hair looks more like an etch
 
It's almost yellow in colour, it's definitely not a hair looks more like an etch

It's not going to affect your images, but it will affect your resale value so on that basis I would send it back if you bought it new.
 
Good point! It would be a replacement, but then it means packing up and posting it back, waiting another week and then the next one might have a spec in there too! I think I'll try get over it :D

It's a Canon 50mm 1.8 STM btw, brand new from HDEW so was only £85, though I did have to pay $10 postage - so £95 - hardly breaking the bank here, but it's still brand new. I think I'm already pretty much past it now, I've been staring at it long enough :ROFLMAO:

I could send it back and ask fr credit as there's other lenses on there I may buy later on, this was just to mess about with as I have an AF adapter for it. The lens is working fine besides.



If it was used it wouldn't bother me in the slightest, I've had much dustier lenses, but I knew before buying - maybe it was just the unexpected nature of discovering it.



I don't go out of my way to keep things 'minty' [I hate that expression, like we see on used sites all the time "Minty ... 'only' 2yrs old" ... ] I just like cleaning gear maybe - and as I am always selling stuff on when I get bored with it, makes sense to keep things in good nick. I'm not a bit like this with ANYTHING else :D
Are you a Canon shooter now?
 
Its gotta go back, and it's nothing to do with being OCD, which incidentally is a serious psychological complaint. I expect new items to be blemish free, and that clearly isn't
 
Its gotta go back, and it's nothing to do with being OCD, which incidentally is a serious psychological complaint. I expect new items to be blemish free, and that clearly isn't


My Daughter has actual OCD as a side effect of her cerebral palsy, I know what it is, and you know what, it's ok to use the term lightly too ;)

Are you a Canon shooter now?

I'm just a shooter mate, I'm nobody's bitch :D I'm actually adapting these Canon lenses to a Panasonic body :D
 
I look after my gear, but not obsessively. Very little is new, most has been bought used. I would be a bit annoyed if I scratched my back lcd or top lcd, I would be p***ed off if I cracked either of them.
My camera vf has a speck of something in it, but it's not enough to send it away to have it removed, it doesn't bother me that much.
I'm a little obsessive when I'm changing lens. I take the lens off, camera facing down, then straight away put a rear lens cap on the lens before attaching the other lens to the camera. All done with my back to any prevailing wind.
I also don't (any more) put my camera down on the ground without a lens attached, the last time I did a tiny bug got in. I could see it walking around the vf for a few days, then I guess it died, as I never saw it again.
 
I would give Hdew a call I’m pretty sure they will exchange it and possibly arrange collection of the one you have now.
That way you will at least have peace of mind :)
But as said else where I won’t affect the image ,
But it will affect your peace of mind.
 
I was willing to let it slide if it was just a piece of dust as it first looked when I checked in poor lighting, but as you can see above in the image of it I posted, it's not just dust, it looks more like it's etched in [I do have the benefit of seeing it at various angles of course]

I don't mind scratched up or dusty gear that's been well used, but this is brand new out the box, the lens was seal wrapped in plastic so I know it wasn't just a demo model either. Very surprising from Canon, cheap lens or not, it's probably one of their biggest sellers. I've emailed them but only did so just before 6 so didn't really expect a reply tonight. I had emailed them this morn for the tracking number [as I ordered it last Friday and it hadn't arrived here by last night] and they responded within the hour with the track number. SO I do expect a response early Monday morn.
 
I look after them obviously, but they are tools to be used not to be sat in glass cabinets - therefore I don't mind too much if my kit gains the odd tiny scratch etc. My D750 is the worst looking bit of kit I have!
 
I look after them obviously, but they are tools to be used not to be sat in glass cabinets - therefore I don't mind too much if my kit gains the odd tiny scratch etc. My D750 is the worst looking bit of kit I have!

But, would you have bought it in the same condition?
 
Do Canon guarantee that their lenses have no marks between the elements? Should they? Such marks, regardless of what they are, have no effect on the image. If the lens performs to the required standard, you have no complaint.
 
Do Canon guarantee that their lenses have no marks between the elements? Should they? Such marks, regardless of what they are, have no effect on the image. If the lens performs to the required standard, you have no complaint.
I bet retailers love you!
 
Do Canon guarantee that their lenses have no marks between the elements? Should they? Such marks, regardless of what they are, have no effect on the image. If the lens performs to the required standard, you have no complaint.

SO if you bought a £2000+ lens that had a scratch on one of the elements you'd say nothing and just get on with it? I highly doubt that, so why would you expect me to? The price is irrelevant. Yes, you should expect spotless with a brand new lens, this is atrocious QC tbh.

HDEW still haven't responded, maybe they don't work Saturday?
 
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Do Canon guarantee that their lenses have no marks between the elements? Should they? Such marks, regardless of what they are, have no effect on the image. If the lens performs to the required standard, you have no complaint.

Would you accept a brand new car with a scratch down side?
After all, if it performs to the required standard, you have no complaint.
 
When I first made this thread I thought it was just a dust spec, it wasn't as blatantly obvious as I show in that image. It was a dull, dark rainy day that later got a lot brighter and that's when the mark became much more obvious as window light passing through it really emphasised it. I don't think that is acceptable as a brand new product. If someone advertised it used and highlighted this mark, I'd have no issues using it. You would of course haggle on the price, and you're likely to get a good deal as I know many won't buy it because of this spec. This lens has lost value from the off because of it, if I was to sell it on down the line then I will have to show this image and explain that it was there from the beginning, some won't believe that and others wont care but will offer you £25 for it take or leave. If I end up keeping it for years it won't matter of course, but this is brand new from the box we're talking here. I don't think I'm being too picky about it, it just had me thinking on that front - am I too fussy about gear in general? do I really care about cosmetic only marks? I guess the answer is yes - but only when it comes to brand new. For used gear it'll depend on the price, I'd happily use an old knackered vintage lens [though I won't buy any with fungus or haze] so long as the images from it were good and the price was right.

Let's say this lens was advertised on the site with the scratch shown, but was reduced to £60 because of it. I might be tempted, knowing it doesn't affect anything and I am the only person who will ever notice it. If it is indeed an etch in the element than it can cause problems in harsh sunlight, it could cause flare or glare when the light reflects off of it, I haven't tested that yet because the weather has been pants lately, I see the sun is out today so might just do that
 
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Would you accept a brand new car with a scratch down side?
After all, if it performs to the required standard, you have no complaint.
No the same at all. The paint on the car exterior is an integral part of the corrosion resistance. If there was a scratch on the inside of the sump, I would not care.
 
No the same at all. The paint on the car exterior is an integral part of the corrosion resistance. If there was a scratch on the inside of the sump, I would not care.

The same could be said for various products, I used the car as an extreme and I knew you would come that response.
My point being is that it's the purchaser choice how to resolve it.
There is a video on you tube following the production of a Canon lens being manufactured, it's worth a watch as it shows their fault tolerance.
 
No the same at all. The paint on the car exterior is an integral part of the corrosion resistance. If there was a scratch on the inside of the sump, I would not care.

I would say that the glass elements in a lens are the most important aspect, I mean, the glass IS the lens ... a scratch on an element may or may not interfere with images, like I said earlier in harsh sunlight it may well reflect light and cause flaring - I shouldn't have to wait on the sun to shine to test it out to see if it'll be ok. I was ready to accept a dust spot, but not a scratch which this appears to be. Your answer is No, you wouldn't buy a car with a scratch on it, doesn't matter the reason.
 
I am very OCD, my mate is always on at me about it. I tell him that my gear wasn't cheap and it has to last. My 7D, which is now an old camera by camera standards is currently sat here on my desk with a cloth over it, to stop dust. My 5Div is in its bag, it only comes out when I'm using it and the bag is always stored in a cupboard.

When I go out, I count the spaces in my bag, then whatever lenses I'm carrying, so I don't leave one behind. I check and double check this, as well as when I put the bag back in the car, I have a gear check too, tripod etc. This part might be common sense as it's all too easy to leave your bag behind for example, with maybe £8k's worth of gear in it. It's all done with military precision. :LOL:

Then, when I pull away, I check the ground and area where the car was parked, just to make sure. I also do this where I was standing out in the field when I put my gear away.

I don't actually clean my gear that often though, it's all looked after and besides, I wouldn't want to be polishing aany of the symbols off my gear. ;):ROFLMAO:
 
Depends really, if it’s new then I’d expect it to be brand new, but I’m not a huge stickler for any wear if a camera/lens is working properly. I even bought this F2 just because it was cheap and I love the patina:

43C750F9-EE1C-4287-9700-6FD0AE45EF61.jpeg
 
I was examining my camera earlier and was happy to [not] find any marks whatsoever, which is pleasing as it's over 7mths old now. Not a spec! And it's been around, it's been used plenty outdoors

Take an out of focus shot at f/22 against a plain white background and tell us again if you have no spec's...

On a slightly more serious note, I used to very OCD about the cleanliness of my gear. A slight dust mote on the focusing screen, or visible dust bunnies on images at apertures so narrow that I never use them and I used to go into a frenzy trying to eradicate them. However, that is not the road to peace of mind as you might win the dust battle but you'll be forever fighting the war.

Now I take a much more relaxed approach, there's a few tiny specs in the viewfinder that cause me no ill as they don't appear on shots and I now only reach for the sensor cleaning kit if there spots visible at f/11 as I don't shoot narrower than that very often.
 
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