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

[SinclairLA]

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?

[jrhoffman75]

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@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?

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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).

[shadowsports]

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.

[SinclairLA]

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

[normadel]

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

[shadowsports]

Greetings, 

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

[ebiggs1]

"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.

[normadel]

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. 

[ebiggs1]

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.