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Super telephoto exterior 'touch-up'

Started 3 months ago | Discussions
USCRx New Member • Posts: 19
Super telephoto exterior 'touch-up'

I own a Canon EF 500mm f/4 IS L USM lens, and love it. Over the years, it has acquired some scratches, marks, etc. on the exterior (see photo). Any suggestions on cleaning these up? Does Canon make 'touch-up' paint for the lens? Is there a product that would clean this up? Thanks!

WindwardHaole Senior Member • Posts: 1,550
Re: Super telephoto exterior 'touch-up'

Canon would likely be the best source for appropriate touch-up paint.

BirdShooter7 Veteran Member • Posts: 9,134
Re: Super telephoto exterior 'touch-up'
1

I don’t know about touch-up paint, but over the past 20 years I’ve chipped and scratched plenty of paint off of my EF 500mm f/4L IS USM and recently decided to spray paint it. I carefully cleaned the lens and then masked everything I didn’t want paint on with blue tape then sprayed it with Krylon paint then painted over that with a clear matte epoxy paint.

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Chesapeake Imagery
Chesapeake Imagery Contributing Member • Posts: 605
Re: Super telephoto exterior 'touch-up'
1

I assume that is the Version One of that lens? Does Lens Coat or similar make a neoprene cover for it? That might be a better approach. I've never tried to repaint a lens, but I suspect that unless you take the finish off then redo it, you will just change from little black flecks to little white splotches.

Although I would say, IMHO, and bearing in mind different strokes for different folks, unless you are building a lens collection for display purposes, should you really care? By that I mean are you going out in the field for a fashion show or are you trying to get good images? A few scratches will not have any bearing on the quality of your images. Put another way, an auto mechanic generally isn't concerned about scratches on his wrenches as long as the car gets repaired properly.

 Chesapeake Imagery's gear list:Chesapeake Imagery's gear list
Canon EOS R5
nonproshooterdad Senior Member • Posts: 1,106
Re: Super telephoto exterior 'touch-up'

Better finish makes you feel better, especially when you want to keep the lens. But you pay less for an imperfect lens, sometimes you have to accept the imperfections. To get a perfect lens, you pay more, money or patience.

Spitfire IX New Member • Posts: 1
Re: Super telephoto exterior 'touch-up'
1

Hi

I own a Canon EF 500mm f/4 IS L USM lens to and i used this paint and it workt very well.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-L-Series-Lens-Touch-Up-Paint-/354486513353?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c1

 Spitfire IX's gear list:Spitfire IX's gear list
Canon EOS 5DS R Canon EF 500mm f/4.0L IS USM Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Canon Extender EF 1.4x III Canon EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM +2 more
OP USCRx New Member • Posts: 19
Re: Super telephoto exterior 'touch-up'

Thanks so much! The only problem is that this paint is not available in the U. S.

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