Canon EF 50mm f/1.8, Front element fell off?

Well... this morning on the way out to a shoot I managed to drop my 35mm camera bag and managed to break off the front element of my 50mm f/1.8 II. (I also dented the hood on my Sigma 15-30, but that is still working perfectly)

I will post a pic in a little bit when I can get my *SLR ready.

Is there a way to fix this? I mean it is only a $100 lens to begin with and all plastic but...

Also, is there a way to maybe convert it to a macro lens of some how?

Help is much appreciated!

-Josh

It's probably trashed, and the cost to fix it by the Canon factory will be as much if not more than a new one. I believe they have a $150 minimum on lens repair, but I could be wrong.

If you get another 50mm, get the older one with the metal mount, the optics are much better.

Well... I went off to my local camera store and bought another one, for actually a good price, about $105 (also bought more film too!). But when I got home, I was fiddling with the two pieces and after studying them for a few minutes managed to piece the lens back together again.

Everything works as before now, except the Autofocus gears are a little noisier. The optics are the same and the quality, (as judged on a 2 inch screen), appears the same as the shots from the last shoot.

I will test it out the next day or so and see if it is worth returning the new one I just bought.

-Josh

Pop off, pop on... that's the plastic fantastic nifty fifty! I prefer the original 1987 metal mount version with a real focus ring, distance and DOF scales, better build quality though I have a new one too. Some days you need two...

The beauty with this plastic garbage is that you don't shed tears when it breaks. You just buy a new one. I have one myself (who hasn't?), and the optics are quite good for the price. The autofocus is completely useless in anything less that bright daylight though.