How To Fix a Scratched Camera Lens | Simple Guide

iNTRODUCTION

Are you a photographer? If yes you might know the most significant fear or instead let us call into a nightmare of a photographer. It is, of course, damaging your lens. Why is it not breaking or damaging your camera? Mostly because a camera does not damage or break that easily, unless you decide to toss it out from a top floor of a building.

While the cameras are built strong enough to even escape such great falls with just minor or mild damages on the body, the lenses of these cameras are not built so. Also, a lens can sometimes be a lot costlier than the camera itself.

For example, a good quality fisheye lens, though it is not used popularly, costs around $1000, which is almost as much as the cost of the camera.

So imagine damaging your lens that costs as much as the camera! I guess that is how people will learn how costly chasing their passion is. Another problem with these lenses being damaged is that you will not be able to repair it that quick.

Without making you wait any longer, let us start listing out the methods that could be used to remove such scratches on your lenses.

Rubbing Alcohol method

This method is the easiest of all methods, but it is not recommended because if not handled in the right way, alcohol may damage the lens permanently. The process is pretty simple and straightforward.

All you have to do is to clean the lens with a digital camera lens cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth and then dry it off.

Wait! Can it not be that easy right? You should not apply the digital camera cleaning lens directly to the lens. Instead, you should be needing a 3.5 percent solution of rubbing alcohol to carry out the process.

Now we can easily say that this solution will be diluted and hence we need to mix it with 20 parts of water. So make a ratio such that for 20 parts of water there is 1 part of running alcohol solution.
Now that our cleaning mixture is ready to take a brand new microfiber cloth and take a dip in the solution you just made.
Using the microfiber cloth with a solution on it, give the scratches on your lens a gentle rub. Make sure the motion you follow is extremely gentle. Otherwise, you might end up damaging it more.
If the scratch slowly disappears, then the method has begun to work. Once all the scratches are completely disappeared, use another new microfiber cloth to dry and blot the lens.

fix a scratched camera lens USING repair kit

This one is a method that the manufacturers themselves prefer. However, the results are never a guarantee. If you are not careful enough, you might end up wasting money on the kit and also giving your favorite lens more scratches.

But another fact that makes it relieving is that these kits will not cost you more than $50 but is effective against scratches on any surfaces. Before you blindly choose the first one available on the internet or any store near you, I would advise you to do a quick research and spend some time on finding how effective is the repair lit you intend to buy. This way, it does not end up wasting your hard-earned money and time.

As a precaution, try the scratch repair kit on any old lens that you no longer use or the lens of your smartphone's camera. Following this as a precautionary step is a healthy practice so that you don't end up damaging your lens more. After all, these lenses are a photographer's dearest possession.

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fix scratched camera lens USING Vaseline

This method is almost as same as the first method using the rubbing alcohol solution. You have to use the digital camera lens cleaning solution along with a clean microfiber cloth to clean the camera lens and to make the scratch on it disappear.

However, you will not be able to use the digital camera cleaning solution directly to the lens, so you have to follow the following steps:

Take some Vaseline and place a pinch of it on your fingertips.
Now, fill the scratch on your lens with the Vaseline on your hand. Make sure you handle the lens in the most gentle way possible.
Now pick up a new and clean microfiber cloth and rub off the Vaseline even gently.
If the method is a success, then the Vaseline rubs itself off, and the scratch might have become a bit thinner than earlier.
You have to repeat the following steps a few more times depending on the size and intensity of the scratch to remove the scratch completely.

fix a scratched camera lens using Pencil eraser

This one is probably the cheapest method for removing the scratch from your camera's lens, of all the methods that are discussed above. All you are going to need for this method of removing scratch is an eraser.

When I say, an eraser does not even imagine for a second about using the one that is already in your home. Do it only if you are planning to make things worse! Of course, anyone of us won't be, I guess! So buy a new clean and unused eraser just for the sake of using it in this process.

You have to follow the rest of the steps are prescribed in the earlier methods.

After applying the digital camera lens cleaning solution on your camera lens. (of course not directly, apply using a clean, unused microfiber cloth).
Gently rub the new eraser on scratch. Please do not apply pressure at all, rub as gently and lightly as possible over the scratch in the length of it. Make sure the movement is slow and gentle.
After rubbing for a few minutes, you might notice that the scratch has begun to disappear slowly. Once it is completely disappeared, take a new microfiber cloth and dry off the lens completely.

CONCLUSION

These are some of the tested and proved ways that you can use to remove the scratch from your lens. If you look closely at each method involves a high amount of risk, and you can end up scratching the whole lens, which is undesirable.

If you are in no position to change the lens or buy a new one and the manufacturer's warranty does not apply to the scratch on the lens, only then resort to one of these ways, only as a last step. We all know how undesirable and irritating is a blemish on your lens. So hope this helps you solve the scratch problem up to an extent.

Take up all the necessary precautions and keep your lens clean and safe so that you do not face the issue in the future. Happy and safe photography!!

Xavier

I'm Xavier. I am a professional writer and blogger. It all started when I fell in love with my camera, which was presented to me when I was ten as a birthday gift. Since then, I wanted to become a cinematographer and also succeeded in that. So I am here researching and reviewing the filmmaking gadgets and giving out my top gadgets from the market.I hope you find my review articles interesting and helpful.

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