Scuffed lens

[John_SD]

I am an outdoor photographer and I am hard on gear. I don't baby my equipment or clean my camera and lens after each shooting day. There is visible dust collecting along the outside of the EVF window. My lenses and camera body are not in pristine condition, often showing light grit in the ridges and knurls of the various rings and dials. I clean my gear maybe once or twice a year. I tell myself that I must change my ways, but so far I haven't. I suppose it is a testament to Canon build quality that it can take this kind of abuse and still function flawlessly. 

Yesterday, I took a tumble, the first time in years, as I was taking photos in the backcountry. I was doing some light boulder scrambling and came across a spider, which I was shooting. I slipped and fell forward and scuffed the front of my lens. I practice cowboy medicine -- clean the wound with water, rub some dirt in it, and keep on shooting. The scuff is visible, about the size of your index fingernail, and it doesn't come out with light buffing. Oddly enough, I see no sign of the scuff in my images after the damage. Is it worth taking it in for polishing, or just forget about it? Fortunately, this was the cheap kit lens, which retails for around $400. It's about 3 years old. 

Here are some photos after the scuff, which is well off center, and about 1/2" from the right edge as I face the lens. 

[Nitro54]

The RF 100-400 takes really nice pictures, just don't expect any wide angle out of it.

[ebiggs1]

I have nothing against the 85mm. I have an 85mm and I like it very much. But I have 12 lenses in my bag. My suggestion for you is to get a FL that is out of what you already have as a better way to go than buying something that you do already have. But this only goes until you get a sufficient FL range coverage for what you like to shoot. However, if you feel the 85mm would enhance what you shoot now, I am all in for you. 

[John_SD]

"...I have 12 lenses in my bag."

Plus I see 2 older cameras in your tag line. Have you thought of selling some of your lesser-used gear, and making a move to mirrorless. I would imagine you would enjoy it far more than you might think. And by selling off some older gear, you'd have a good chunk of cash to put toward an R6 II or greater, if you had a mind to. I think you would really enjoy mirrorless. I am going to sell some non-camera junk over the next several months to help defray the cost of an R6 II purchase. I hope to get it around the Holidays. That's when I got my RP kit from B&H at a good Holiday sale price. (PS: I love to hijack my own threads.)

[ebiggs1]

I have sold many lenses since I retired some 20 years ago. I started a "hobby" buying lenses, playing with them and testing them and then selling them on. I pretty much hate the reviews you see and read on the ole inner web so I wanted to know myself. Yes a few reviews are good but most are not. I suspect I had over a hundred but I has since lost track and don't remember all of them until somebody mentions one. Then the "ah yes" moment light bulb goes off in my brain. It was a very good time and and very good deal for both me and the person that bought to 'used' lens. All original packing and paper work with a mint lens. I usually sold them at half price. I did, for a while, keep the ones I thought were exceptional. I still have another dozen or so I do need to sell off.

If I were to buy a mirrorless it would be the R3. I have had all the 1 series up to my current 1DX. I am getting up there in years and have sowed down a bit. What I have will do everything I want so far.

BTW, you might ask if there was anything that really stood out in all the lenses and testing? Yes, one big thing, Canon does make the best lenses as a general rule across the line. Number two, Canon has the best customer support in the industry. Some other manufacturers it is poor to non-existent. I would put another major contender we all know in the less than satisfactory category if you are wondering.

[John_SD]

"If I were to buy a mirrorless it would be the R3. I have had all the 1 series up to my current 1DX. I am getting up there in years and have sowed down a bit. What I have will do everything I want so far."

Well, I had a similar discussion along those lines with Bob from Boston, God rest his soul. I still miss his commentary. Anyway, he mentioned once that he would have liked to have gotten a Mark II of some camera (I forget which one), but felt he was getting too old. I disagreed with that notion then, and I disagree with it today. I shared with him my firm belief that it is important to always have something to look forward to in life, regardless of your age. You say you are getting up there in years. That is the perfect reason why you should sell your DSLR brick and heavy old lenses and get a smaller, lighter, pro-level mirrorless like the R3 and a good RF lens or two. Lighten your load. Plus, I think old guys are perfectly cut out for two genres, which both require patience. Street photography, which you could do by sitting at the table or bench and taking photos of passers-by. Or bird photography, which requires infinite patience, as you may have to sit in the blind or in the woods for hours on end waiting for some birds to perch on a limb. No doubt you would also be able to shoot other wildlife as it passes in range. These are just a few examples. But I can see many advantages to lightening your load by going mirrorless. And I think you would enjoy it immensely. 

[ebiggs1]

I appreciate your thoughts but you realize I spent 40 years in photography. I did event photography from Hallmark.

I have done so many weddings I can't remember them all. Senior photos and posters and Yearbook. Thousands! When we went on vacation I took my camera gear, of course, and spent all that time basically taking photos. From hummingbirds to elk, from desserts to blizzards.

My routine now is still my 1DX with the big Siggy Sport 150-600mm on it an my 1D MK IV with the Siggy 120-300mm f2.8 Sport on it. So heavy gear is no problem my friend. Sometimes both at the same time!  I guess its all what you get used to. I see folks say they can't handle a big lens like the Sigma C 150-600mm and I think really. I mean really?  It so light! But everybody is different.

I get a bigger thrill and contentment from teaching but that, too, soon will pass as mirrorless takes over.