Problems with 12-60... Can it be fixed?

[patrocal]

Well my trusty 12-60 that has been doing 80% of my Wedding shooting is out of commission.

I was in a hurry and when putting the hood on forced it a little too much and the rim broke off... I found some super glue and glued the rim back and the hood and had to glue the hood on too because it had become so hard to put it on and off that the rim would pop out again. Anyway the hood being on all the time is OK. However, I guess the weather sealing was disturbed because now the top glass in fogged.. ON THE INSIDE!!

It still works fine but it will flare and have glare spots when there is back light so it's unreliable and I am using the 14-54 to replace it. Needless to say the difference is noticeable so I really want the 12-60 back...

Can anything be done (can Olympus repair?) or should I pick another one?

Thanks

 

[Torsten Hoff]

The fog is probably fumes from the super glue. I would expect it to be on the outside, but even then I don't see how you'll get if off the glass without damaging the coating or the lens itself.

 

[Art_P]

Superglue is a big no-no around lenses!
The fog you see may well be condensed glue vapor...

Don't know if it can be cleaned or if the affected elements would have to be replaced.

Maybe someone else has a more optimistic opinion?
--
Art P
Select images may be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sigvarius/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cecropia_grove/

 

[patrocal]

well i would think it just have to be wiped but there is no way to open it...i think its only on the top element on the inside.

 

[Bootstrap]

nt

Bill Turner

 

[hanoman]

It's often very difficult to take of the lens hood. I'm afraid I will once damage my 12-60 as well

 

[Art_P]

I almost never take the hood off.

But I did rub the connection w a soft pencil to make those rare occasions easier.

When the hood is off, make sure you brush out any dirt or grit that could bind, and be sure you don't squeeze the hood (and deform it) while removing/replacing the hood.
--
Art P
Select images may be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sigvarius/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cecropia_grove/

 

[Bruce Clarke]

Probably best to get it repaired properly, but sounds like you've made a mess of it with superglue. The front element is quite easy to remove, so if not worth repairing, you could try that and hope the fogging is not permanent.

Bruce
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruce-clarke/
Flickriver - view large on black as a stream:
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/bruce-clarke/

 

[Gregm61]

I never use the hood anymore for this very reason. This is not the first time I have seen a similar incident.

 

[DrummerBL]

take a fingernail file (like very fine sandpaper) and filed on a few spots of lens hood. Now it goes on smoothly, but stays put. I'm very happy with it.

Bruce Lehman

 

[Gary Blake]

Art is probably right about the glue fumes.

Super glue is actually used in fingerprint recovery applications. The fumes are attracted to and will bond to any moisture, grease, dust etc at a microscopic level. (ie there doesn't have to be much, may not even be visible to the naked eye).

The process is used in a sealed environment so you may have re-created the ideal environment for the fumes to attach themselves to the interior of your lens element.

If this is the case the front element will need to be replaced.

It still may be able to be repaired but will have to be sent in for an estimate.

Gary

 

[Pikme]

I did the pencil coating and that worked for a while, but it always went back to being difficult.

Then I dropped the lens and broke the hood. Bought another hood (about $20 from Olympus) and the new one works perfectly.

--
Roberto M.

 

[g0wex]

I was having the same problems with my lens hood, getting harder and harder to put on and take off, I just applied the tiniest smear of Vaseline on the inside of the hood groove with my finger tip and it has been fine since.

Steve
--



UK Olympus Safari Group Member
UK Photo Safari Group Events : http://www.ukphotosafari.org

http://www.stephenelliottphotography.co.uk

 

[patrocal]

It just came back from Olympus, all fixed and cleaned... $300 They also fixed one of my FL-50R that exploded for only $110 and then quoted me $140 to fix slightly wobbly head of the FL-1 Power Grip, go figure.

 

[dingenus]

patrocal wrote:
and then quoted me $140 to fix slightly wobbly head of the FL-1 Power Grip

This is about half the newprice?
It is a new or partly new one?

 

[patrocal]

Yeah I know I told them to return it without the repair. I wasn't using it with batteries because I think it was the reason for my 2 FL-50s exploding.