Missing lense cap, does that make any sense?

MiniMan

MiniMan

Well-known member
Hi guys, again.

I have got another offer of a DVX100E for a reasonable price, but there is one tiny (?) problem here; The seller said the lens cap is missing. I dont know how long it has been missing, but this means that he is now storing the camera without the lens cap on. Now I read somewhere in the past, that you shall not store the camera without the lens cap on, because it could damage the CCDs. Is this true? Should I not buy that camera, or where can I buy a lens cap?
 
It won't damage the CCDs. But the lens can get dirty...or worse.

You can get replacement caps from Panasonic, or get a 72mm press-on cap for the 72mm UV filter that you, of course, will buy at a camera shop.

Dan
 
Just check the lens carefully before buying, under some source of light reflected on the surface of the lens to highlight imperfections (also sunlight but without reflecting direct sunlight into your eyes otherwise you get blind and you can't see imperfections anymore :)). the diffused light from the sky will be enough.

you want it to look scratch free, no dust or fungus inside. also watch closely for the coating which may be irregular or damaged.
Some supertiny scratches (the kind of 'cleaning' scratches) won't affect image quality though. and you can't use what you see in the LCD to judge if lens problems are visible or not.
this kind of probs show up on a tv, when you are shooting at dark areas but some light is still hitting the lens. that's the worst situation for dirty or damaged lenses.

Andrea
 
Thanks for the help guys :thumbsup:

Now, can anyone direct me to somewhere I can buy a lens cap and an UV filter? I know they sell it around everywhere, but prices are very different...

But in the worst case, how much would it cost to clean/replace the lens?
 
I would not buy a camera that had been used without a lens cap and without a protective filter. Filter more important of the two IMHO, both is ideal. This is clearly someone who did not take care of their equipment. Likely it will have other problems as well, even if you can't see any scratches on the lens.
 
This is clearly someone who did not take care of their equipment
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This actually makes sense. But you actually have this kind of doubts when you buy from comebody you didnt' know. Maybe the original owner just kept filter and cap for his new dvx100a or something like that, or maybe the dealer passed them (it) to another camera..
if this is ebay, i wouldnt buy such an item from ebay in any case.

Anyway it's obvious that when you buy expensive used equipment, if not getting warranty, before buying you will perform an accurate test on it.. If pressing the 'eject' button MiniMan will see a family of bugs getting out, it's probably a sign... :)

But in the worst case, how much would it cost to clean/replace the lens?
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in the worst case you have to replace all the optics block. probably as much as what you are paying for the camera.
I got UV filter at bhphotovideo.com

Andrea
 
Check EVS for a UV filter. Although I have seen B&H has 72mm screw on lense caps. I have heard the b+w multi coated UV filters are awsome, a little pricy, but worth it I have heard.
 
I am not buying this from eBay, but from a professional music video producer over here in Norway. He has made many of our most popular music videos, but is selling his camera because he is mostly shooting on film now. Which makes me belive that the guy knows what he is doing... I have not made any sort of deal with him, but on August 8, I will have the opportunity to have a look at it, and maybe buy it.
 
Yes, the most popular MC UV filter we have been selling is the B+W 65070147:
http://www.evsonline.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=65070147 $45.95


Miniman make sure you not only do a simple visual inspection of the camera but also record some footage and play it back on a large screen TV. :) When you are not seeing things live, but pre-recorded, you are much more likely to spot a defect, because you are not also looking at the scene with the naked eye. A dark room with a TV screen will show it all. You will see if there is a tiny crack inside the lens near the center, which causes a grey spot when you shoot objects close to the lens. We just had someone return one of our rental cameras with that damage on it, and luckily we spotted before he walked out of the lobby. :shocked: You can just barely see it visually, but on a 50" plasma it is clear as day. The camera is thus unusable and needs $1200 in repairs. :undecided
 
Well there comes one of the problems; I am currently on my holidays in northern Norway, and on the trip home I stop by at the city where the guy who is selling it lives. But the thing is that I only have 2-3 hours to look at it, and recording and watching footage might not be possible...

The guy said that he lost the lens cap recently, and it has not been gone for a long while.

Now luckily, my uncle here works at a camera repair shop, and he is going to get a lens cap for me, so I can put that on at once I pick up the camera.

But I don't have access to any large screen TV (I'm not american;) ), and my footage probably wont ble played on any large screen, ever. Could I then live with small crack(s) on the lens? If I just zoom in instead of using macro? At least that's what my uncle said.
 
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