would you pay more than half the price of a lens to have it repaired? I need help :(

louise-knight

louise-knight

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Louise Knight
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Hellooo!

I posted not that long ago about my stupid 50mm 1.4 (canon) and how it's dead, can't even use it in manual focus, past it's warranty and to cut a short story shorter, it looks like it needs a replacement motor.

My question is, could you justify spending £120 to have it fixed? That's what a repairs company have quoted me (based on it actually being the motor and only the motor). I was hoping to spend no more that £100 at the very most :( Even at £120, that's more than half the price I originally paid for it in the first place..!

What would you guys do?? I'm at a loss.. part with my money and have it fixed? Or leave it locked in the cupboard of doom for the rest of it's sorry little useless life, lose all my hard earnt non-existant money and fork out more to buy a 1.8 instead..?

Alternatively, does anyone know of a cheaper place to have it fixed?? Another company that someone mentioned on the forums has quoted me over £160! Whereas in the US people were saying they had theirs fixed for like $100 which is what, £62?
 
louise-knight said:
I posted not that long ago about my stupid 50mm 1.4 (canon) and how it's dead, ......Whereas in the US people were saying they had theirs fixed for like $100 which is what, £62?
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find a friend going to the States for 3 weeks ?
 
I happened to notice a Nikon 50mm f1.4 going on ebay for just £125 the other day. I assume canon lenses will be a similar price so you could be better off buying a 'new' second hand one then try your luck at selling yours on ebay as a 'faulty for repair' lens.
 
does the repair come with warranty?
if it does i would go with the repair, if not would prob go with the ebay faulty route.
 
I've seen completely bricked (won't turn on) flashes go on ebay for £10 less than you could buy them brand new.... madness. So I'd go that route ;)
 
:agree:
If the repair then comes with a warranty, might be worth your while just grinning and baring it and paying for the repair.
Instead of going second hand and having the same thing happening 2 months down the line.
 
I'm a bit wary of selling faulty electronics on ebay now, since they introduced all those new rules it's become a scammers paradise! I sold a faulty laptop (broken screen and missing a key but working FINE) on ebay not that long ago and got into all sorts of trouble, the seller ended up sending it back missing another key, didn't work at all, he'd bought a different power adapter which was too powerful for the stupid thing.. had superglued felt to the bottom (looked like fag butts) used something to prise open the motherboard thus snapping bits, didn't even bother packaging it up to return it, just taped up the box and wrote on it.. effing idiot.. paypal refunded him the lot, and now I'm left with a totally useless, worthless laptop that paypal were fine to have back, if I fancied forking out the £80+ to ship it over to america to them.. no THANKS. - Otherwise, that would be the first thing I'd do!

The repair I believe would come with a 6 month warranty yes. From where I'm sitting, I'm either looking at losing the £220 that I paid for it in the first place then paying another £70 on a 1.8 from Kerso, or paying the £120 to get my 1.4 back and if it fails again, get a 1.8.. I barely used the 1.4 ON 1.4, it was more the 'quality' I was after when I bought it, but I wish I'd just got a 1.8 now!

Ergh it's so frustrating. I want to, but then I don't. any other views are extremely appreciated at this time, as I'm still undecided!
 
mtracerz said:
:agree:
If the repair then comes with a warranty, might be worth your while just grinning and baring it and paying for the repair.
Instead of going second hand and having the same thing happening 2 months down the line.
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I'd definitely not bother buying a second hand 1.4, just storing it upside down breaks the stupid thing and I'd never know how it'd been looked after. Not worth it in my opinion :(
 
Have a look here and see if you can pursue a claim for repairs based on inadequate durability - http://whatconsumer.co.uk/how-long-should-it-last/

I might add that the failure you describe appears to be a common one and does suggest an intrinsic flaw in the design. Ways to mitigate the problem in the future are to never apply pressure to the front of the lens. If you have the hood then always leave it attached in the "ready to shoot" position. If you don't have a hood, at least store the lens with it focused at infinity, to make it as short as possible. That will prevent stripping of the internal mechanism if pressure does get applied to the front. If it is as short as possible in the first place, it can not (so easily) be forced by pressure to go further, and will resist mechanical damage.
 
If you repair the 1.4 or buy an identical replacement you will always have doubts about it. Once bitten and all that....

Personally I would replace with something cheaper (50mm F/1,8) or better (Sigma 50mm F/1.4), depending on your budget and how much you use the lens.
 
I would always pay as long as the repair-price is less than a mint 2nd-hand version of the same lens.
Otherwise the economics don't add up...
 
tdodd said:
Have a look here and see if you can pursue a claim for repairs based on inadequate durability - http://whatconsumer.co.uk/how-long-should-it-last/

I might add that the failure you describe appears to be a common one and does suggest an intrinsic flaw in the design. Ways to mitigate the problem in the future are to never apply pressure to the front of the lens. If you have the hood then always leave it attached in the "ready to shoot" position. If you don't have a hood, at least store the lens with it focused at infinity, to make it as short as possible. That will prevent stripping of the internal mechanism if pressure does get applied to the front. If it is as short as possible in the first place, it can not (so easily) be forced by pressure to go further, and will resist mechanical damage.
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Thanks for the link. I've been advised to write to canon but I wouldn't even know the first thing to write.

I'm slightly irritated that it was only after my lens broke that I read up on the (literally) hundreds of complaints on this lens, all seemingly the same problem. However, when I was researching to purchase the lens, none of it came up.. only when I googled "canon 50mm 1.4 faulty" or similar.

It upsets me because if canon had issued either a lenshood, or even a recommendation for a lenshood to cover their backsides in situations like these then I'd just accept it and just get on with it, but I can't help but feel a little bit cheated that I had no warning, especially as it's such a common problem with these lenses. I always treat my kit with care and look where it's got me. gahhhh!

Just to rub it in a bit more, I have a friend who knocked his 1.8 off a table and it split in two parts. He picked it up, snapped it back together and it works fine..! Yet I go out shooting with my 1.4 one day and this happens.. grrrrr!!!
 
Arkady said:
I would always pay as long as the repair-price is less than a mint 2nd-hand version of the same lens.
Otherwise the economics don't add up...
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I asked my local camera shop (who have sent it off to check the quote is correct) what I'd get for it from them once it was fixed, they said £130.. so I'd have spent £220 on it new, £120 getting it fixed and make back £130, thus being £210 out of pocket with no lens.. (I think I'm right.. can't. do. math.)! No thank you!

If I were to send some sort of letter/email to canon, would they even bother do you think?

And no, it's not insured. because I'm stupid :(
 
That's another reason to get the f1.8 nifty in my opinion. Yes it's plasticy and if dropped is likely to explode ;) but I see it as a disposable lens at the price. I've been using and abusing one for years and if it broke, I'd just replace it.
 
I have seen instructions somewhere on the net for an attempted self-repair, but it may not be for the faint-hearted. Maybe a search will dig them up.

Found them - http://www.fotomozaic.ro/artikel.php?idstory=225&s=1.

There are other instructions, simpler, but more brutal, which involve (IIRC) giving the innards of the lens a rather robust twist while holding the barrel in the other hand. This should (hopefully) reseat the bits of the mechanism that can get unseated in the first place. I saw the instructions on a Flickr group somewhere. Of course, it would be wise to make sure the twist was in the right direction. It would be best to find the instructions. :)

Instructions in this thread on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon_50mm/discuss/72157603775874649/. Here's a quote on what to do....

Phew... I had exactly this problem just today and was beginning to panic. I shoot almost everything with this lens; it dominates my life atm. The thought of having to send it away from repair was daunting. I was focusing on my daughter as she ran around the kitchen and the lens made a bit of a squeak and the AF just stopped. Manual ok. I left it for a few hours, turned on and off, cleaned contacts - nothing.

But this advice from LemonSunrise cured it:

If the AF staggers or stops working, just make sure to twist the lens clockwise all the way "in" – hard – then it will be fine. I used to have this problem but no longer.

And now it's back. *huge sigh of relief*

I'm actually a little worried about my panic. One of my kids falls over and comes crying because they've hurt their knee, I'm calm and collected (and concerned, obviously). But the loss of this piece of glass? Conniptions!
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USUAL WARNINGS APPLY - DO AT YOUR OWN RISK, NOTHING TO DO WITH ME IF IT GOES WRONG, ETC..
 
If you decide to follow up on the item not being suitable for purpose, then your claim should be made to the retailer not the manufacturer.

If I was you, I would follow this line and point out that there is ample evidence (quote your source) of many other people suffering the same problem. Quote that you believe that represents "prima facie" evidence. If prima facie evidence exists, then the responsibility is transferred from you to prove your case, to them to prove otherwise. Not sure I explained that too well but worth trying.

I would also take the opportunity to copy Canon into the correspondence.

Good luck,
Ken
 
What you have previously spent on the lens is irrelevant. Your options are:

  1. New 50 1.8 £70
  2. Repaired 50 1.4 £120 (+currently unknown additional cost if motor not the only problem - this is unlikely though right?)
  3. Mint second hand 50 1.4 £200 (that's a guess, I'm a Nikon guy)

Would you be at a disadvantage by getting the 1.8? Is there much difference in sharpness between the two? Do you like wide apertures and the 1.8 needs stopping down more than the 1.4 to get good sharpness?
 
louise-knight said:
I asked my local camera shop (who have sent it off to check the quote is correct) what I'd get for it from them once it was fixed, they said £130.. so I'd have spent £220 on it new, £120 getting it fixed and make back £130, thus being £210 out of pocket with no lens.. (I think I'm right.. can't. do. math.)! No thank you!

If I were to send some sort of letter/email to canon, would they even bother do you think?

And no, it's not insured. because I'm stupid :(
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I meant if I could buy a second-hand one for (as in your case) less than £120, I'd just bin it or get the shop to make an offer on it unrepaired - it won't cost them £120 to repair it after all - that's just what they're going to charge you...
They'll be selling yours for at least £150 (even though you only get £130) - so a second-hand lens is still more expensive than getting yours repaired.
Repair it.
Once.
 
for me I would say yes I would get it fixed, its worth nothing as it is and cant be used, at least by spending the money you will have a great little lens again
 
tdodd said:
I have seen instructions somewhere on the net for an attempted self-repair, but it may not be for the faint-hearted. Maybe a search will dig them up.

Found them - http://www.fotomozaic.ro/artikel.php?idstory=225&s=1.

There are other instructions, simpler, but more brutal, which involve (IIRC) giving the innards of the lens a rather robust twist while holding the barrel in the other hand. This should (hopefully) reseat the bits of the mechanism that can get unseated in the first place. I saw the instructions on a Flickr group somewhere. Of course, it would be wise to make sure the twist was in the right direction. It would be best to find the instructions. :)

Instructions in this thread on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon_50mm/discuss/72157603775874649/. Here's a quote on what to do....



USUAL WARNINGS APPLY - DO AT YOUR OWN RISK, NOTHING TO DO WITH ME IF IT GOES WRONG, ETC..
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Aah yes, you can see my moaning in that flickr group too if you scroll down near the bottom :P I did see the 'self fix' guid thingumy, but there's no way I want to take it apart, I'll make a mess and end up putting it back together backwards or something :(

Nikon Ken said:
If you decide to follow up on the item not being suitable for purpose, then your claim should be made to the retailer not the manufacturer.

If I was you, I would follow this line and point out that there is ample evidence (quote your source) of many other people suffering the same problem. Quote that you believe that represents "prima facie" evidence. If prima facie evidence exists, then the responsibility is transferred from you to prove your case, to them to prove otherwise. Not sure I explained that too well but worth trying.

I would also take the opportunity to copy Canon into the correspondence.

Good luck,
Ken
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I don't even know the first thing I'd do in regards to this.. is there anywhere where I could find a template letter? :/

AlexW said:
What you have previously spent on the lens is irrelevant. Your options are:

  1. New 50 1.8 £70
  2. Repaired 50 1.4 £120 (+currently unknown additional cost if motor not the only problem - this is unlikely though right?)
  3. Mint second hand 50 1.4 £200 (that's a guess, I'm a Nikon guy)

Would you be at a disadvantage by getting the 1.8? Is there much difference in sharpness between the two? Do you like wide apertures and the 1.8 needs stopping down more than the 1.4 to get good sharpness?
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technically irrelevant perhaps. But when you barely earn enough as it is, I can't help but think about it!

I did however realise this, and on the same basis of thinking about money already spent.. because prices have gone up so much in the past year or so, even with my £220 new price and £120 repair price, that's only £20 on top of my local camera shops new price. I know that's a NEW price, and a lot more than prices I can find online, BUT.. It does make me feel a little better as I'd have a new motor & 6 month warranty on top of that.. hmmmmm..

I have been thinking a lot about the possibility of getting the 1.8, but I chose the 1.4 over it in the first place and I don't think I'd be happy with the picture quality after having the 1.4.

Unlikely to have other problems, but if the final quote is more, then It's a no-go I think!

Arkady said:
I meant if I could buy a second-hand one for (as in your case) less than £120, I'd just bin it or get the shop to make an offer on it unrepaired - it won't cost them £120 to repair it after all - that's just what they're going to charge you...
They'll be selling yours for at least £150 (even though you only get £130) - so a second-hand lens is still more expensive than getting yours repaired.
Repair it.
Once.
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Repair, Once. Got it, so far I think this is the route I'll take. I THINK!

looking on fleabay now at completed listings for 2nd hand 1.4's, they're going for between £200 & £250! hmm repair is now definitely looking better for me! OOOHHHH and faulty 1.4's aren't doing too well on fleabay either.. :)
 
I would fight for a free repair or replacement in that case.
Statutory right cover above and beyond manufacturers warrenty and basically state, something should last for a reasonable amount of time all things considered.
 
Write to the retailer stating when you purchased and when it started going wrong, which from what you have said was when it was 13 month's old.

Point out that you would expect a lens costing this much to last much longer. Point out that the lens has been well looked after and has not been the subject of abuse. Give details of the amount of use you have made.

Next refer to the diagnosis you have received - basically that the motor is knackered. Refer to the number of cases of others who have experienced the same problem. Point out that this is a evidence that there is prima facie case to be answered by them that the lens was not fit for the purpose it was intended and that you seek recompense from them. It is wise to suggest that you will be happy for the lens to be repaired or replaced.

Give them a time limit to reply (14 days would be reasonable) and then add "before I seek further advise on this matter".

If you need any further assistance (quickly add that I am no expert), feel frees to pm me.

Ken
 
woah thanks for that.. does anyone have any idea how I'd approach the seller in regards to the EU legislation? The lens is at my local camera shop now and being picked up on wednesday for the quote (if it hasn't already gone, last wednesday was icy and the repairs man couldnt get to the shop!), if it's been opened up by the repairs company, will this make the EU legislation invalid? If so, I will run there tomorrow to save it just in case!!
Ooh goodness this is too tense..!
 
Nikon Ken said:
Write to the retailer stating when you purchased and when it started going wrong, which from what you have said was when it was 13 month's old.

Point out that you would expect a lens costing this much to last much longer. Point out that the lens has been well looked after and has not been the subject of abuse. Give details of the amount of use you have made.

Next refer to the diagnosis you have received - basically that the motor is knackered. Refer to the number of cases of others who have experienced the same problem. Point out that this is a evidence that there is prima facie case to be answered by them that the lens was not fit for the purpose it was intended and that you seek recompense from them. It is wise to suggest that you will be happy for the lens to be repaired or replaced.

Give them a time limit to reply (14 days would be reasonable) and then add "before I seek further advise on this matter".

If you need any further assistance (quickly add that I am no expert), feel frees to pm me.

Ken
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Thank you for that, I will be forwarding the info onto the marge (my mum!) who works in law.. family law.. but still, she'll know more than I do!

Thanks so much for bringing this up! :)
 
http://whatconsumer.co.uk/how-long-should-it-last/


Durability is another recent addition to the definition of quality. How long should a dishwasher or a vacuum cleaner or a printer last? This is a very common source of complaint and one which manufacturers were always quick to turn back on the consumer, requiring them to provide proof that the item did not conform to contract specification from the start, or implying an element of misuse or neglect. Thanks to the new European Regulations, UK law now offers greater protection for consumers against products which develop faults within the first 6 months. The assumption is now that if it breaks down within this time period it cannot have conformed to the contract specification when purchased and you have the right to an automatic repair or replacement. Having said this, items which should last several years can still break down after this six month period. If the retailer or manufacturer’s warranty has run out, the shop is often quick to say there is nothing they can do before attempting to sell you an extended warranty. This is misleading. If you buy something which should last 7 years but breaks down after a year and a day, you can still claim it was of poor quality in reference to the durability aspect. In this respect it will help to know how long items such as washing machines or printers should last. You can get this information relevant trade association
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Read the link provided on EU legislation and this looks to be a grey area and may just muddy the waters.

You have a case under the Sale of Goods Act and that's is where I would focus attention.

You say the lens is at your local camera shop. Is that where you purchased it? If not, I would retrieve quckly. I would get letter to retailer before allowing the lens to be opened up. You need to give them the control of what is done.

Looks like your Mum should be a great help with this one = that's what parents are for, or so my kids (they'll kill me for that, ages 33, 30,27) tell me.

If you need any help, just shout.

Ken
 
Nikon Ken said:
Read the link provided on EU legislation and this looks to be a grey area and may just muddy the waters.

You have a case under the Sale of Goods Act and that's is where I would focus attention.

You say the lens is at your local camera shop. Is that where you purchased it? If not, I would retrieve quckly. I would get letter to retailer before allowing the lens to be opened up. You need to give them the control of what is done.

Looks like your Mum should be a great help with this one = that's what parents are for, or so my kids (they'll kill me for that, ages 33, 30,27) tell me.

If you need any help, just shout.

Ken
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no I didn't buy it from the shop it's at now.. ooh god I really hope the repair man hasn't been to pick it up yet! I'll call the shop first thing tomorrow to ask them to hold it!! If it's gone, I'm DOOMED!
 
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