[Konvas] Advice on Rare 14mm/1.5 Lens - Repair or Return?

[H. W. Stone]

 I'm not sure why you "need" fast lenses instead of standard-- I admit to going to faster stock to keep the DOF within a scene uniform for editing, and only shooting wide open at night at infinity for a skyline shot in the past twenty five or thirty years-- but I'm going to ask a basic question.? Did you actually SHOOT tests with the lens?? Several of the Soviet coatings look as splotchy as can be, and made me flinch, but delivered perfect images.? If I were in this spot, and I shot the tests, AND it really, really needed the new coatings, I would recoat it simply because of the difficulties in replacing it later.


 
But first, before you ever send a lens to anyone for anything except a stuck focusing ring, jammed iris, or a live cockroach crawling around inside the lens-- that kind of thing-- always shoot tests.

As for the seller not offering money toward repair?? That sounds logical, and I would expect a "refund return" or a "return there for repair" offer, but not to send you money.? After all, the seller did not notice the problem, and isn't really sure about how real it is.

I have gotten seriously defective items, promises, and wound up eating the loss, but in this case, even with the cost of recoating you're still not going to find two more next week.


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Morgan Schmidt <morgan at visionsmadereal.net>
To: cinema at konvas.org
Sent: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:17 am
Subject: [Konvas] Advice on Rare 14mm/1.5 Lens - Repair or Return?









Greetings,?
?

I recently purchased a rare fast Ekran 14mm/1.5 with the intention of completing a set of lenses I use on my Red -- Since I only have the standard speed 18, and have not managed to shake a superspeed 18 from the bushes, I need a fast wide, and this lens seemed an ok buy at $2000.?
?

Except, according to Paul Duclos, the coatings inside the lens are seriously degraded, 4 elements will need to be re-coated;  the cost of the job in the US would be 1500-2000!  This to me seems vastly over the value of the lens, and I might just return it to the seller for a refund, since she did not notice the problems or include in her description.  (She seems unwilling to offer any money towards repair)?
?

Here are photos from the auction:?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=390010684780?
?


Question 1:  Is anyone aware of a company in Russia who would do a job like this, do it well, and charge less?  My friend Chris suggested Hartblei or Olex...?
?

Question 2:  In your opinion, have I paid close to the value of the lens, such that it would be silly to go down the route of such a costly repair; or is it so unusual that I would be silly not to??
?

Thanks in advance for the advice.?
?

Cheers,?

morgan Schmidt?

morgan at visionsmadereal.net?

dp/la?
?


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