Dropped EF 50/1.8 from Shoulder Height...Broken...Hopeless?

<p>After many faithful years of service, I fear my nifty fifty has suffered a mortal wound. I dropped it from should high onto some rocks today. The back element set (that sits behind the aperture blades) broke loose. It is easy to tell how it is supposed to be situated/mounted, though. Would it be possible/advisable to glue it back in place? I know that many will say: just replace it; it's <em>only</em> $100. And while I appreciate that sentiment, that's still more than I can just arbitrarily spend. Besides the 50/1.8 is too light to make a serviceable paperweight.</p>

<p>Even if you get the back element in place, what about the other elements? How will you ensure that they are still aligned?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I just figure I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.</p>

<p>Heck you have nothing to lose. Just make sure it is secure and can't fall off again into your mirror box. I am sure there are a couple of 50 f1.8 strip down articles on the net too.</p>

<p>Indeed there's nothing to stop you from trying whatever fix you want, so go for it. If the other elements are not aligned then you'll be right back to needing to buy a replacement (used market/ebay/craigslist) and the cost to you would have only been your time.</p>

<p>http://www.ejarm.com/photo/ef5018iidis/</p>

<p>http://www.micro-tools.net/pdf/Canon/EF%2050%201.8%20II.pdf</p>

<p>These two links show you the dismantling and reassembly of the EF 50 II and a parts catalog.</p>

<p>They are generally repairable. If some lugs have broken off it's usually possible to use epoxy glue to put them back together. Cyanoacrylate glue should be avoided; it has poor shock resistance and gives off a vapour which condenses on the lens elements.</p>

<p>Whether the performance will be any good after you've fixed it is another matter.</p>

<p>Henry</p>

<p>nm</p>

<p>Maybe you could post pics of the damage? We all love to see the occasional carnage...</p>

 

<p>+1 for Henry's caution about cyanoacrylate.</p>

<p>AGAIN!</p>

<p>Proof positive that the EF 50mm f/1.8 is a worthless piece of crap.~<br>

*<br>

Why can't Canon make a decent $100 lens?</p>

<p>Any other Canon lens would no doubt survive a much longer drop. Heck, the Zeiss 50mm double gauss design would probably be able to do its own re-entry from orbit without shielding!<br>

_______<br>

*note to the naive: ".~" is the new emoticon for heavy irony and sarcasm.</p>

<p><em>"Any other Canon lens would no doubt survive a much longer drop."</em> </p>

<p>If only it were true JDM :-b</p>

<div></div>

<p>Scott.</p>

<p>Awwww......<br>

[explicative deleted] :(</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Any other Canon lens would no doubt survive a much longer drop. Heck, the Zeiss 50mm double gauss design would probably be able to do its own re-entry from orbit without shielding!</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Well, there were that infamous Rebel something'nuther and 18-55 (IS?) that survived a 3000 ft freefall when they became detached from a skydiver's helmet. THAT was pretty impressive.</p>

<p>OP: You might be able to do the repair, but be careful that nothing is going to come apart in the mirror box, because something loose in there could cause quite a lot of expensive damage.</p>

<p>Scott: Ah, gee... That... er... draws air under vacuum. Send it to Canon. You might be surprised how cheap the repair is. Or sell it on Ebay for more than you paid for it. People bid crazy amounts of money there for broken L glass.</p>

<p>Sarah,</p>

<p>I had it fixed by Canon when I did it, several years ago, it cost $145 as a fixed price lens repair. It was only a few months old but it is still working daily.</p>

<p>Sarah, it wasn't attached to the camera at the time, thankfully.</p>

<p>And pictures will be coming along shortly, for those of you sick folks who like to indulge in the gore.</p>

<p>Not a bad repair price. :)</p>

<p>Well, here's the carcass.</p>

<p><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dFGSt8EAvy8/TnFRlsy_OhI/AAAAAAAAGHo/eHTLivuXGCA/s1600/2011_09_14_JR_LX3_004pn.jpg" alt="" width="520" height="325" /></p>

<p><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6TOGGIQWEQQ/TnFRmAOkddI/AAAAAAAAGHs/68f_TXjp5kM/s1600/2011_09_14_JR_LX3_005pn.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I3oG32DuKxo/TnFSP-T2ndI/AAAAAAAAGHw/rthL42RjR8w/s1600/2011_09_14_JR_LX3_001pn.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GuNNqPtGl5A/TnFS0SBPrPI/AAAAAAAAGH0/O8RZm1BB77M/s1600/2011_09_14_JR_LX3_003pn.jpg" alt="" width="520" height="361" /></p>

<p>It may be a couple days before I'm able to attempt any repairs, but I will be sure to post the results, unlikely as any success may be.</p>

<p>Actually, although it hurts to see any of these damaged, even the plastic fantastic, it's sort of neat to see the insides. Thanks for showing us.</p>

<p>Good luck with it.</p>

<p>Sarah, the focusing broke on my EF 35mm f/2 and the repair from a Canon-approved shop was only $80, so it's always good to check.</p>

<p>This thread made me want to cry a little. It's sad to see one our "babies" get injured. I hope you are able to repair it by hand. I am curious what the outcome will be!</p>

<p>Brief Update: After putting the lens back together, it turns out the interior elements are misaligned. More details and photos are available on my <a href="http://www.richterphotoblog.com/2011/09/disaster-nearly-averted-quasi.html">blog</a>.</p>

<p>Jeremy,</p>

<p>Your 100% crop of corner sharpness at f1.8 is about all I would expect from that lens wide open. The thing to look for in misalignment issues is uneven corners, if one is noticeably sharper, or less sharp, than the others, if all four are even, or close to even, your lens is fine and you can rest assured you have done a good job.</p>

<p><a href="http://thedigitalpicture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=105&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=105&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=6">This link </a>might help for your comparisons.</p>

<p>Scott, you appear to have invalidated my only logical reason for buying a new lens. This may be one of the few times I'm ungrateful for additional information. Thanks for the link; I had never noticed the shortcomings of this lens when wide-open before.</p>

<p>Sorry about that Jeremy :-)</p>

<p>Funnily enough the broken 16-35 I showed above does have a slight alignment issue, the right side is much softer than the left side but that is due to subsequent wear and tear. It will be going in as soon as I can spare it and I am close enough to a repair facility. It is amazing how bad most lenses are in the corners when wide open, even my 100 macro is nothing to write home about when used at max aperture, stopped down a little and it is scary sharp.</p>

<p>Take care and well done on the repair, of course if you insist on buying a new lens you can always sell the one you have now repaired and tested with a clear conscience!</p>