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Fixing my lens

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Krevlin

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So I was on a month long trip and ended up dropping my Tokina 16-50mm f/2.8 and now it's blurred.

I am not the original owner of the lens but when I bought it he gave me the original sales receipt.

At first I was like cool I can still send it in but when reading the warranty card it specifically states:

<b>This warranty does not cover non-manufacturing problems including, but not limited to:
1) Damage caused by misuse, accident, or careless handling
2) Damage caused by water, fungus or other foreign substances
3) Damage caused by tampering, repair or attempt to repair by any unauthorized repair service or individual</b>

So my question should I send it anyways and hope for free repair or just buy a new lens? Or is there any other place that could fix it for me?

Posted 2 years ago #
PB PM

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You could still send it in to be fixed, you'd just have to pay for the repairs.

Posted 2 years ago #
TaoTeJared

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+1

Tokina is slower but they usually overhaul everything to almost new. I had one take 3 weeks and only cost $150.

Posted 2 years ago #
Krevlin

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TaoTeJared said:
+1

Tokina is slower but they usually overhaul everything to almost new. I had one take 3 weeks and only cost $150.

But what was the problem with yours?

I have a feeling mine has to do with the aperture blades.

Posted 2 years ago #
Mike Gunter

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krevlingoodspeed said:
But what was the problem with yours?

I have a feeling mine has to do with the aperture blades.

Hi,

Even then, they will be able to repair it.

I _think_ they disassemble and reassemble the lens to specifications, so if that is the case, you should be good as new.

My best,

Mike

Posted 2 years ago #
jerl

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I had a similar issue with my Tokina 11-16- a few months after dropping it, I noticed an alignment problem (only half the image was even reasonably sharp). It took a few months of regular usage before the problem became obvious. I found the servie to be acceptable- you just email them, they'll tell you to send it in, and then they will give you an estimate. For me, they took a few weeks, and for much of the time, I had no idea what was going on- for a while, I wasn't even sure they got by reply to their estimage. But they did eventually come through and they repaired my lens, which has been performing admirably since.

That is, until I dropped it again last week.

Posted 2 years ago #
TaoTeJared

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krevlingoodspeed said:
But what was the problem with yours?

I have a feeling mine has to do with the aperture blades.

Blades shifted as did the focus. Dropped from about 10 FT.

Experience was the same as Jerl - you shouldn't expect to hear anything for a while but they will fix it and it will be as good as new.

Posted 2 years ago #
Krevlin

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See I ended up buying a 50mm f/1.4 AIS as it was the only lens I could afford and find in the country and it has really restarted my ONLY BUY NIKON mentality.

I am in love with the color rendition and everything about the 50mm f/1.4 but it is simply not wide enough and MF is simply not fast enough to use as a walk around lens and Christ I can't find a 35mm f/1.8 G or f/2D anywhere that isn't marked up as hell.

Basically I fell out of love with this lens and if I have to send it in and get it repaired it might cost more than I can sell it for.

I am basically gunning to get the 17-55mm DX f/2.8.

So does anyone think if I send it in with the warranty card they will fix it free of charge? It literally does not show any signs of anything wrong with it until you take a picture and I wonder if it could naturally do that over time (lens was purchased in 2009) to make it plausible that it was a manufacturing bug instead of me dropping it.

Posted 2 years ago #
TaoTeJared

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Doubtful. Plausible doesn't exist. Either is, or isn't. Only time I heard of someone dropping a lens and getting it fixed is if it happened within the first few days. The Warranty requires the receipt of purchase from a authorized dealer as well. Something tells me the people who fix lenses for a living are going to know the difference between a manufacturing bug and not one. A CLA alone will cost you around $100 with shipping in the US. Fixing the Tokina would be $1,000 cheaper than getting a 17-55mm.

Wait a sec... how many lenses have you dropped!?! Tokina 16-50mm f/2.8 & a Nikon 50mm 1.4? Are you just trying to go cheap and buy broken lenses off of ebay? ;)

Posted 2 years ago #
Mike Gunter

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Hi,

Dropping lenses?

Welcome to my life. They will want some proof (probably). Fixing isn't going to be heinous.

I have a boatload of lenses from a lifetime of work and collecting (and what didn't get stolen). So one or two go to the shop every year or so. It can be as cheap as $80 or as high as $150. Kind of depends upon the damage. Nothing has ever been 'broken', but some things were 'stiff'.

I've got a 17-55mm Nikon that is likely going in the shop - it's a little touchy on focus and grinds a bit. I did a little of the fine tune, but the grind thing is bothering me. A back and forth from Nikon support suggests that is normal.

I giving it a work out over the next few days, but we'll see.

Good luck and my best,

Mike

Posted 2 years ago #
Krevlin

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TaoTeJared said:
Doubtful. Plausible doesn't exist. Either is, or isn't. Only time I heard of someone dropping a lens and getting it fixed is if it happened within the first few days. The Warranty requires the receipt of purchase from a authorized dealer as well. Something tells me the people who fix lenses for a living are going to know the difference between a manufacturing bug and not one. A CLA alone will cost you around $100 with shipping in the US. Fixing the Tokina would be $1,000 cheaper than getting a 17-55mm.

Wait a sec... how many lenses have you dropped!?! Tokina 16-50mm f/2.8 & a Nikon 50mm 1.4? Are you just trying to go cheap and buy broken lenses off of ebay? ;)

I have the original sales receipt that the original purchaser had from the B&H.

And I don't normally drop lens but this one got away from me.

And the 50mm f/1.4 works perfectly fine but I had to buy it in a little camera shop because they almost only sell Canon where I was and this was the only thing I could find and afford.

Posted 2 years ago #

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Fixing my lens

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