I was sure a CLA was a waste of money on old lenses. Now I'm a believer.

I picked up a beat up Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 at a flea market in Portland for $15. The glass looked clean but the focus ring felt like it had sand in it. I hemmed and hawed for a month before sending it to a guy in Seattle who specializes in FD lenses. He charged me $85 for a full clean and lube, and I honestly thought I threw that money away. When I got it back, the focus was smooth as butter and my test shots showed zero haze. Now I budget for a CLA on any lens older than 30 years before I even shoot it. Has anyone else had a lens come back from a clean that surprised them?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_thompson6718d ago

Honestly that's the thing about older gear, right? We treat our cars with regular oil changes and tune-ups but somehow expect a 40 year old mechanical lens to just keep cranking forever. I had a similar wake-up call with an old Pentax Takumar that felt like it had gravel in the threads, got it serviced and the guy even replaced some dried-out grease, now it feels better than my plastic kit lens from 2018. It's funny how a little maintenance can make you appreciate the build quality of older stuff compared to the disposable mindset we have now.

amy_foster5618d ago

Gravel in the threads" - lol that's usually just dirt, not dried grease!