topic Re: EF-S 18-55mm lens has sand inside after falling into lake in EF & RF Lenses

EF-S 18-55mm lens has sand inside after falling into lake

SinclairLA — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:44:10 GMT

Hi!
Unfortunately, I dropped my EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II in the lake😬. I put some small desiccants inside the lense and it dried out great. Unfortunately, there is some sand inside the lense and it’s affecting my ability to focus correctly. I tried to submit a repair on the canon website and it said the lense isn’t one they do repairs on. I clicked on the option to find a place that does repairs and it gave me Virginia, even though I’m in MN.
The camera was a gift and I love it but I’m not able to afford a new lense right now. Any ideas on what to do?

Re: Camera lenses needs help

jrhoffman75 — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 13:52:45 GMT

@SinclairLA wrote:

Hi!
Unfortunately, I dropped my EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II in the lake😬. I put some small desiccants inside the lense and it dried out great. Unfortunately, there is some sand inside the lense and it’s affecting my ability to focus correctly. I tried to submit a repair on the canon website and it said the lense isn’t one they do repairs on. I clicked on the option to find a place that does repairs and it gave me Virginia, even though I’m in MN.
The camera was a gift and I love it but I’m not able to afford a new lense right now. Any ideas on what to do?

You can buy a used lens from MPB or Keh for approximately $80. Even if you could find a repair place I doubt you would be paying less than $80 for the process (shipping and repair).

Re: Camera lenses needs help

shadowsports — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:20:37 GMT

Greetings,

Regardless of how dry or clean you think your lens is. A lens that has been submerged in a lake is not something I would mount on my camera. 🫣. I suggest you discontinue use immediately.

Re: Camera lenses needs help

SinclairLA — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:25:36 GMT

I already have 😵. Could it have damaged my camera??

Re: Camera lenses needs help

normadel — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:19:45 GMT

Do you have another lens to try? Can you borrow one?

Re: Camera lenses needs help

shadowsports — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:30:14 GMT

Greetings,

You're probably fine but that lens is done. It's now a souvenir. 😉. Replace it as my colleague John (jrhoffman75) suggested.

Re: EF-S 18-55mm lens has sand inside after falling into lake

ebiggs1 — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:23:16 GMT

"I put some small desiccants inside the lense and it dried out great. "

I have never, in 50+ years seen that to work. It may appear to have worked but I really doubt it had any effect or completely dried out all the water. A warm, not hot, heating pad and several weeks works best. Water and lenses do not mix well.

Re: EF-S 18-55mm lens has sand inside after falling into lake

normadel — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 20:40:32 GMT

Simply drying a lens, camera, whatever does not clean up after or fix any damage that may have been caused by the water. Short-circuits, corrosion, etc.

Re: EF-S 18-55mm lens has sand inside after falling into lake

ebiggs1 — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:33:16 GMT

Agreed but neither do silica gel packs dry a lens out. They simply don't work. If you had a substantial amount of silica gel and put the lens in an air tight package or container perhaps they would work but not in open air. That was the extent of my reply.