ex1 front glass replacement?

[Kristian Kettner]

I was stupid enough to not put on a protection lens while shooting from a car. So my lens got scratched :-(

Am I totally off if it is this part that needs to be replaced?

https://servicesplus.us.sony.biz/sony-parts.aspx
Part number: 328762601

So my stupidity only cost my 53 bucks and a "little" for the repair guy ?
Or do the entire lens need to be replaced?

[Zenes Petrusin]

This is only lans cap, if you has scratched front glass you need new complete fujinon lens, becouse front glass is glued. I dont know if sony has parts from fujinon lens or has only complete package from fujinon.

[Jonathan Massey]

That is not the part. it is only the cap I think. From my experience with sony repair they are gonna replace the whole lens ( I think it's cheaper for them as they just have so many spare model parts and to rebuild a lens you really need a high quality technician). They don't fix what is broken they just replace the whole piece of the camera that is not working.

[Zenes Petrusin]

yes of course, change fujinon lens isnt for home user, technician must complete demount EX1

[Andy Shipsides]

Well it's not a Sony part, it's a Fujinon part. So when you send it to Sony for most anything (including a scratched front element) they replace the whole lens with a new one from Fujinon. At least this was the case when the camera first came out.

You can try to speak to Fujinon about it, but I haven't had luck in the past. In the US they don't seem to do any work on the lens.

I think your best bet is to send it into Sony and see what they can do, just be prepared for a big bill.

[Kristian Kettner]

hmmm looked like I did a 1200$ expensive lesson.

Won't do that again!

Thanks for the help.

[Jonathan Massey]

yep. it's really frustrating when your gear gets damaged for something that you think could have perhaps been prevented or at least minimized.
Especially with expensive gear it's always worth to put some extra cash into protection. you might not always need it but it's enough that it happens once to make you wish you had invested in stuff that don't help the shot looking better but keep the piece intact.
Not only does protection keep the camera in better condition but it also helps giving you the peace of mind.
I guess the most essential protection you could use is a lens protection. the glass as you sadly figured out is fragile and easily can get damaged.
An extra base plate is also a good investment to protect the camera.
if you ever film in rainy conditions then a rain cover is a must. any water and the camera can die.
A body armor for the camera is also important (like the one that is made by porta brace, but if you have any sewing skills you can make one yourself). Especially filming in places where there might be a lot of dust, sand, dirt or where the camera might get bumps or someone might accidentally spill a drink (while filming in a bar or a concert for example).
some of the stuff is a bit pricey but it is a whole lot cheaper than bringing it to repair.

[Alister Chapman]

The front lens element is not glued in. The front elements on both my EX1 and EX3 both came a little loose after my Arctic trip. A slight tweak of the securing ring an they were both fine again.

[Vincent Oliver]

I have a spare front element for the EX3, drop me an email and we can sort something out.

[Atilio Menendez]

If its just the front element you might be in luck! It could be much worse. Last month a friend of mine managed to completely shatter every single element on my ex1. The repair cost about 1600 EUR parts and labor. The camera came back repaired BUT with a quite stiff focusing ring which lost focus when I zoomed in an out, so I had to send the camera back. Am still waiting. Oh boy. Here is a gory picture. Please make sure no kids are around.

[John De Rienzo]

OUCH! That hurts......

[Vincent Oliver]

Ouch!!

My EX3 hit the ground and the lens snapped in two, but none of the elements were broken. I managed to get a new lens on my insurance,