I killed my kit lens :(

oscarBravo · 10-09-2009 11:00am #1

Well, OK, it's not dead, but it ain't happy.

The 18-55 that came with my EOS 1000D got very, very wet on my Denmark trip - think water pouring out of it. I left it in a warm, dry place until it seemed to be completely dry and had no sign of condensation anywhere - but the autofocus doesn't work.

The aperture works fine (I've no way of knowing whether IS still works), and I can use it quite happily in MF mode, but I miss the sheer convenience of AF, and it's a handy little lens to have.

Is it feasible to get it repaired? The quote I got in Denmark sounded like about what I'd pay for a used one on eBay, so I suspect the answer is no.

Fajitas! · 10-09-2009 11:19am

I'd say you'd pick up one on eBay for the same as a repair, I think they're about 60-100 quid?

CabanSail · 10-09-2009 11:19am

I sold one of those lenses a couple of weeks ago at the DCC Auction. IIRC it went for €30, one of the Canon users may recall as I shifted a fair bit of stuff that night.

smelltheglove · 10-09-2009 11:25am

I think when it comes to kit lenses you may as well just invest in a new one. I had a kit lens and the bit that connectd to the camera broke, just a tiny bit, but the repair shop just told me I was better off getting a new one. You may get a used one in Conns cheap enough if not on adverts here.

Sleepy · 10-09-2009 12:14pm

I've seen the 18-55 IS go for less than €50 on ebay lots of times. Complete glut of them for sale on the second hand market so you'll definitely pick up one cheaper than a repair. Be cheeky with your bids and you could pick a new one up for twenty euros or so...

Or you could use this as an opportunity to upgrade to the 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM if you've some spare cash (unlikely in this climate I know!)

oscarBravo · 10-09-2009 12:29pm

Cool, I'll have a look over eBay, so.

Matter of interest, what's the chances of being able to repair it myself once I've got a new one? There's no point trying to sell it, so the worst-case scenario is to go from a dysfunctional lens to a completely banjaxed one...

Ghost Train · 10-09-2009 12:46pm

It's the electrical bits in the lens so repairing might be tricky or impossible

opened a simple manual lens recently and even that got very messy

Fajitas! · 10-09-2009 12:51pm

oscarBravo wrote: »

Cool, I'll have a look over eBay, so.

Matter of interest, what's the chances of being able to repair it myself once I've got a new one? There's no point trying to sell it, so the worst-case scenario is to go from a dysfunctional lens to a completely banjaxed one...

There ain't much hope at all really, it's most likely going to be an electronic fault rather than a physical one, and if it's dry already and still not working, well... you know yourself!

You could just open it and see how a lens works. Or you could buy a stainless steel mug from a shop, gut the lens, mount the cup in, and have yourself a kit lens coffee mug.

If you're taking it apart, remember to keep the mount of it - If you were bored in the future, you could always try make your own lenses, pinhole, soft focus or zone plate.

CabanSail · 10-09-2009 1:26pm

I pulled apart my Nikon Kit Lens from the D70S. It was an 18-70 zoom. It was not worth repair & after I had a look it was not good for anything. I replaced it with the 18-200 VR lens.

Rather than get another Kit Lens why not put the money towards something a bit better?

I could not believe how plasticy & cheap the Canon Kit Lens felt.

oscarBravo · 10-09-2009 2:39pm

I definitely would like something better, but funding's a bit of an issue at the moment.

I killed my kit lens :(

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