Just dropped a lens...hard

[Ari]

I dropped a lens this afternoon.
It was, I thought, attached to my camera, which was resting on a table. When I picked up the camera, the lens went the other way, hitting the wood floor and rolling a bit.
It has a nasty-looking dent in the filter ring, but otherwise survived.
I quickly shot three sheets of film and processed them; I'm waiting for them to dry, but a quick look at the film showed a nice, sharp image.
If the film looks good, is there anything I should be worried about in the days to come?
Thanks in advance.

[Gem Singer]

Doesn't seem to be anything to worry about with the glass or the shutter.

However, kiss the future resale value goodbye.

[Brian C. Miller]

Send the lens in for repair to get the filter ring realigned. Yes, it will reduce resale value, but the lens will be fine. I bought my Pentax 75mm 645 lens repaired after damage like that, and it's always been fine.

You were planning on using the lens for the rest of your life anyways, right?

[Professional]

Ouch!

It happened to me twice but with digital, hope this will not happen to me in film as well.

[Ari]

There should be no resale; it's a 1971-ish Super-Angulon 121mm, a real jewel of a lens. Now it looks like a one-eyed Ford

[Preston]

Jeffrey Sipress, a member here, made a similar repair to a 210mm Symmar-S for me. He's a precision machinist, and knows his stuff. You might try e-mailing, or sending a PM and ask if he can help you out. He is located in CA.

--P

[Ari]

Thanks, Preston; I may eventually do that.

[Roger Thoms]

The first lens I bought had a dented filter that had been straighten. Been fine for 14 years now. So if your film test turn out good I wouldn't worry. For me it's important to be able to install filters so I'd get the ring straighten out.

I did have a lens fall out when I inadvertently moved the lens board lever when changing bellows on my Sinar. Luckily I have an Alpina and the lens landed on the monorail which is flat on top. Since then I keep a small strip of gaffers tape on each side of the board just in case.

Roger

[lenser]

Ari,

It's not completely out of the question that one of the elements or groups has been knockout of alignment even though you initial tests look okay.

To be sure, you might want to tape a newspaper to the wall, light it evenly, set up the camera so that the view is nothing but print and that the back is absolutely parallel to the wall and run a couple of test shots that way. Check the four corners of the negative with your best loupe and if all the type looks sharp, no problems.

[matthew blais]

I bought one of those filter ring/dent repair tools on ebay for about $22...works fine.