Removing a small lens scratch?

[MiniMan]

There is a very small scratch on my lens that has been annoying my ass off for quite a while. Is it possible to do something to remove the scratch? And if yes, how expensive?

 

[Stephen Williams]

Hi,

Usually you have to replace the element, not cheap.

Stephen

 

[drpaluga]

you didnt have a protective filter?

 

[MiniMan]

It happened the day before my filter arrived in the mail... But it was a stupid mistake by me. Anywho, the scratch can't be seen, but sometimes the light reflects it, and creates a small spot, very annoying, but most others never notice.

 

[Sad Max]

There are super-fine grit pastes and products out there for polishing glass, but if you polish out the scratch, you will also have polished off whatever coatings (achromatic etc) were factory-applied to the glass during manufacture. Which might be worse than an occasionally-visible divot in the image...plus all the handling involved sounds like an opportunity to drop/bang/bump/goopify/f*ck up something else.

I wonder if there are any software tools useful for removing or softening that kind of artifact, in post...

 

[j]

I've seen these for as low as $10:

http://4-asseenontv.stores.yahoo.net/eylenscratre.html

It may as mentioned above remove the AR coating on the lens, but if the scratch renders the lens unusuable, what could be the harm...

-j

 

[SadMax]

Not sure about ordering lens-care materials from people who don't know how to correctly spell 'lens'...

 

[Chief]

If it were me, I would take it to a camera shop and see what they could tell you, before I buffed it or anything else.

 

[vortex677]

Tak it to a shop i had a similar problem and i made the lense even worse using that crap. Its not cheap it will cost you but it will be worth it.