Sent a $500 lens out for repair, got back a box of parts

Last month in Portland I had a 70-200mm with a smashed rear element, and I chose a local shop over the manufacturer's service center because they quoted $220 flat. They took 11 days and sent it back with the zoom ring stiff and a note saying the barrel needed replacing. Has anyone else had better luck with mail-in service on beat-up zoom lenses, or should I just start doing this kind of work myself?

1 comments

1 Comment

the_felix12d ago

Wait, is it really that common for shops to send back a lens in worse shape than it went in? I used to always defend local repair places, figured they were just working with what they had. But this story of yours is making me rethink that, honestly. I sent a beat up 24-105mm into a national mail-in place last year, got it back with a squeaky focus ring, and I just accepted it because I was afraid to complain. Now I’m wondering if I should have pushed back or just cracked it open myself and watched a few tutorials. The stiff zoom ring after a repair is a huge red flag, that’s not a barrel issue, that’s a lube or alignment problem they should’ve caught. Maybe the real lesson here is that “flat rate” quotes are just the hook, and the fine print always protects them, not you.