Scratch on lens cover - repair?

I've got a Panasonic HDC-SD60 video camera and have somehow managed to scratch the protective clear lens cover which sits behind the protective shutter and in front of the lens.

Initial investigations via Panasonic have failed to locate a spare part.

There is a nominated repair service but they want you to send the camera to them for 'thorough investigation' before they will give you a price.

I am struggling with the temptation to undo loads of little screws and take it apart, but if powered up the lens cover is accessible from the front as the protective shutter folds back.

As a quick question, does anyone know of a 'scratch filler' for glass or plastic which might reduce the effect of the scratch?

The scratch is not easily visible on video unless there is sunlight coming towards the lens.

However it is a bit limiting having to always shoot with the light behind you :-(

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David.WE.Roberts
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No idea on a filler, and polishing it is likely to make things worse (and completely remove any coating that is on there).

Would an external filter help? Does the camera have external filter thread that could be used to attach something like

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Might be easier if it works. Just an idea...

Darren

Reply to
D.M.Chapman

Unfortunately, even if you could polish out the scratch, and there are glass polishes that will do the job, you will remove the anti-reflective coating, which will give even worse glare in backlit situations.

The last post here may be discouraging or helpful, depending on your budget:-

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"I have tried lens polishing using a professional, both in cases where there was fungus etching a glass and/or scratches in the lens. I took the lenses to a professional and the results were very good. He said it was not a problem removing the scratches etc. so that the dimensions of the lenses (old tessars) was still within the original tolerances. I also recemented one doublet that had both scratches and separation and it worked out fine too."

As an aside, I won't normally consider buying a decent camera of any sort that won't let me put a UV filter on the lens, and it stays there permanently. The only other filters I need nowadays are a polariser, and maybe the occasional grey grad., as what they do can't be done in post production.

Reply to
John Williamson

A lens hood will allow you to shoot closer to the sun. A cupped hand might have to do if the camera isn't equipped with a filter mount.

Reply to
Graham.

I seem to recall a dab of black, non-reflecting, paint works. As you have noted it is only the reflection of light that causes a problem, and not the mark per se.

You should be easily able to remove the paint if that doesn't work.

Reply to
AnthonyL

To make things hopefully clearer, given that advice so far seems to be aimed at the actual lens surface of an SLR camera :-)

Has pictures of the camera.

The optics seem to be in three stages:

(1) A mechanical metal or plastic shutter which closes over the front of the lens area when the camera is powered down. This is to protect the optics when the camera is powered down.

Please note from the linked picture that the lens area is not circular as there is a small light inserted at the top.

(2) A clear glass or plastic screen which serves much the same purpose as fitting a skylight filter on the front of an SLR lens - the filter takes any mechanical damage and protects the lens.

The screen is roughly square, and is much larger than, and well in front of, the lens.

It is this screen which is scratched.

(3) the lens sits behind the protective parts described in (1) and (2)

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So I need some material which will fill in a scratch in flat glass and be more or less optically neutral.

Black paint is suggested, but I am struggling to work out how you would get light through that unless it is a very shallow film, and so more like a sunglass tint.

The article was talking about etching by a fungus, which is probably much more shallow.

As this is presumably a sacrificial item (much like the neutral filter used to protect an SLR lens) I was hoping that replacing it would be straightforward and not too expensive.

Perhaps having it re-bloomed would be enough?

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David.WE.Roberts

The way you'd use black paint is use it to fill in the scratch only. This would stop any reflections inside the scratch, so making it less obvious with a backlit scene, but may show up as a black line on all pictures, depending on how much depth of field the lens/ sensor system has and how wide the scratch is. The brighter it is and the wider the scratch, the more likely it is to show up looking almost like a hair in the gate of an old movie camera. A very narrow black line will not have any noticeable effect on the amount of light gathered by the lens, and may not be noticeable if it is out of focus enough, such as when you are shooting indoors with the lens wide open.

You apply it by painting the thinnest stripe you can along the scratch with about 75% thinners and 25% paint, and then removing all the excess with neat thinners on a soft cloth before it has chance to dry hard. This will give a black line the exact size and shape of the scratch. It's a similar process to the one I've used in the past (Admittedly with silver paint) to apply very thin window frames to model vehicle windows.

Have you spoken to the repair agents or Panasonic? If you can find a non-Panasonic repair shop, then they may not be tied to just fitting whatever the smallest part combination supplied by Panasonic is, which, knowing Panasonic, is probably the complete lens assembly, possibly attached to the sensor.

If the glass is scratched (assuming it *is* glass), then no. If the scratch is only affecting the coating, then yes.

Reply to
John Williamson

Thanks for the comprehensive reply.

Sadly the scratch is dead centre of the viewing are so a black line would probable be always visible.

However this does raise the question of clear paint.

Otherwise known as varnish.

I wonder if a very small application of thinned clear varnish would fill in the quite deep scratch (you can feel it with a finger nail)to take away the roughness which causes most of the visible reflections.

I guess I was looking for a 'lens scratch removing fluid' which is optically neutral but will fill in scratches.

I have contacted a parts supplier (the part doesn't seem to be listed) so we shall see what is available, if anything.

I was reluctant to use the Panasonic agent because I would have to send them the camera before getting any idea as to the cost of any repair.

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David.WE.Roberts

I have heard of clear nail polish being used.

I would attempt a temporary repair with a very fine felt tip pen. )I suspec t that being on the front of the lens it would have a miniscule effect on q uality. If the felt tip pen works then have at it with matt black paint and a hair from your head, really.

Reply to
fred

that being on the front of the lens it would have a miniscule effect on quality. If the felt tip pen works then have at it with matt black paint and a hair from your head, really.

It's a common enough dodge on manky old SLR lenses - works surprisingly well, too.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

pect that being on the front of the lens it would have a miniscule effect o n quality. If the felt tip pen works then have at it with matt black paint and a hair from your head, really.

I have exactly the same problem and same model of video camera. I would be glad to hear whether you managed to solve your problem using any of the met hods suggested.

Reply to
heatherjones3

Reply to
heatherjones3

Alas; we never hear of success - suddenly, the ungrateful bastards are assailed by an inability to use a keyboard. Anyway, try my method of filling in the scratch with a black felt tip pen. I can assure you, it works.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

I have the same issue with my one - I am starting to wonder if grit gets ca ught under the lens cover and thats what scratches it - and also right in t he middle of the lens. I never had any luck getting it repair either so hav e to buy a new camera. FYI tried the black pen and it just left me with bla ck marks - now worse than the scratches and unuseable

Reply to
jakki.preston

Thanks - still waiting to try the super glue trick.

Professional repair seems costly compared to a newer higher specification camera.

However I don't need a video camera enough to buy another one at the moment.

Haven't looked on eBay for a used one, though.

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David

I have the same camera with the same problem. It seems a grain of sand was caught in the mechanical shutter which closes over the front of the lens ar ea when the camera is powered down. Each time it opened or closed it scratc hed the clear outer element. The clear cover is curved and its high point i s very closer to the "protective" shutter. No a good design! I tried a fine tipped black marker for white boards (so I could wipe it off again). The black line was clearly visible in images when in wide angle. T he black line and the flaring from the original scratch become far less not icable as the camera is zoomed from wide-angle to normal and telephoto.

Reply to
paul.g.wiltshire

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