Mark on Lens

[iandrews]

I've just received my Sigma 70 - 300 from Onestop-Digital (ordered last Monday about mid-day, and it was waiting for me at work this morning). However there seems to be a mark on the front of the lens. It looks like a liquid mark, but it's on the inside of the glass not the out, so there is nothing I can do about it.

I have taken a few test shots, zoomed in and then out at F4 / F5.6 and then the same again at about F22, and I can't say that I notice it.

Here's a photo of it. I have to say that the light has caught it here, so it looks wors than it is:



This is prabably what it looks like to the eye:




Any advice? Do you think OneStop would class it as faulty and replace it.

Ian.

[Brammers]

You've bought new, so it shouldn't be there.

On the other hand, it's a LOT of hassle to send it back to Hong Kong, and that mark really isn't going to do anything to the image quality. A couple of tests that you can do - take a post it note, rip the corner off, stick that to your lens and see if you can see it. You'll be amazed how large it has to be before it becomes visible.

Secondly, this is my 70-300 before I sold it:



The images were soft. Nothing more.

Up to you

[Yandros]

Your call, but you'll never notice it. I've taken shots though wire cages by putting the lens hood against the mesh, and even that's invisible.

[Puli]

Have to agreed that you will not notice it.

I had my Nikon kit lens all of a day when I dropped it!

Got a "small spot" very much looking like yours. but its never come out in the Photos so I have never done anything about it.

Hope this helps

Paul

[iandrews]

Thanks for the advice guys. I got a small bit of paper, about 3 - 4 mm square, and put it on the lens where the spot was. I didn't actually take any photos, but I looked through the view finder and zoomed in and out, and changed the aperture, and I can't say I noticed it. I then put it right in the middle of the lens, and did the same. This time there were times when I could just see a kind of blur in the middle of the frame, but as you say, it was surprising how you couldn't see what I would have thought would have been quite visible.

Brammers, Is that just the filter on the front that's broken, how is the front of the lens, and how did that happen. I've just brought a UV filter to put on the front to help protect it.

Ian.

[Brammers]

Yeah, that's a UV - I dropped the lens. Despite that I'm not a fan of UVs - I find they often flare and ghost. Would rather have had the hood mounted - after that the filter thread was knackered anyway.