Damaged Super Symmar

[Richard Wasserman]

I need a shoulder to cry on! I was out photographing this morning when a guy on a bicycle who was going too fast ran into my tripod and knocked it over. My Sinar Norma didn't fare too badly, but the 110mm Super Symmar took the brunt of the fall. The front rim is badly dented and the glass is scratched. Does this sound repairable, or is it going to be a new lens? I will call my insurance agent tomorrow, I'm sure this will be covered by my policy, so it could be worse. This of course is my most used lens and I will miss it while this mess is being resolved.

BTW, the man on the bike stopped and even called the police who filled out a report, but could not assign blame so I am on my own with the damage. Thanks, I feel better now.

Richard

 

[Paul Sorensen]

Why could they not assign blame? I am pretty much of the understanding that if a vehicle, which includes a bicycle, runs into stationary object, the operator of the vehicle is at fault. (I am a former insurance agent, so don't take my opinion too seriously )

I would suggest that you try to get the bicyclist to make a claim for the damage on their homeowner's insurance under their liability coverage. I would not be surprised, in fact I would almost be sure, that the damage will be covered there rather than your own insurance. Of course, your insurance company will likely figure this out as well and file a subrugation claim against the other company after paying you.

Good luck,

Paul.

 

[rbarker]

Sniff, sniff. Sorry to hear of your loss, Richard. While you might explore repair options with Schneider, I suspect the most logical path is replacement.

 

[John Cook]

Around 1970, Hasselblad introduced their gigantic 40mm wide-angle lens. Everyone was absolutely salivating just to get a look at one.

On a job interview with the great Hollywood advertising photographer, Peter James Samerjian, I was excited to see that he had one of the first such lenses in the country, sitting on his desk.

I almost passed out when he casually put out his cigarette on the face of this lens!

Seeing my reaction, he explained that his assistant had dropped the lens, which somehow rendered it unusable. So rather than discarding it, he had decided that it would make a dandy ashtray for his desk.

The man had style.

 

[ChuckP]

Richard,

Sorry to hear about this. Maybe you can rent something to use if the replacement paperwork takes a long time. You have to keep the good work going. See you next time.

Chuck Pere

 

[mikeb_z5]

If you have homeowners insurance I would give them a call. When I got my policy I specifically asked about damage or theft of my camera equipment.

Good Luck,

Mike

 

[Richard Wasserman]

I spoke to my insurance company today and all is well. They will be paying for a new lens. My homeowners policy is for replacement value, so I will be getting a new lens and can put this unfortunate incident behind me. Thanks to everyone for their sympathy and good suggestions.

Richard

 

[MikeS]

Ever the bottom feeder, what are you going to do with the damaged lens? Do you have to send it to the insurance company, or can you sell it?

-Mike

 

[Jorge]

Mike is right, if it is a super symmar XL it is still worth a pretty penny even with the bent filter ring and scratches in the glass. Scratches in the front element are not too much of a big deal, they can be filled with a black sharpie and they are almost as good as new. The bent ring can be straighten out by someone like SK grimes. Once again as I said if it is the XL version, I think the lesn is still worth anything from $300 to $500.....if you dont have to retun it to the insurance co, you might think about selling it.

Of course, for your new lens a nice Heliopan or B+W UV filter is recommended.. (BTW all of mine have them)

 

[Donald Qualls]

Ever the bottom feeder, what are you going to do with the damaged lens? Do you have to send it to the insurance company, or can you sell it?

Insurance companies, ever alert to both fraud and loss reduction, will *always* take physically present items they pay to replace, except total-loss vehicles (they usually give you a choice on those, with a small dollar difference in the settlement depending on your preference). The same is true for items recovered by police after a theft settlement has been made -- the item is the property of the insurer after they have paid off.

 

[Alexander Grillon]

Now it is too late to answer you, but I think that a good service can polish your lens and clean up your scratches,,,

 

[Richard Wasserman]

Well, I spoke to my insurance company today and they are sending me a check for a replacement lens-it almost feels like my birthday! There was no mention of what I was to do with the damaged lens, so maybe I will be able to sell it. (Mike you need to get to the back of the line) I will receive all the paperwork in a few days and will know more then.

Richard

 

[MikeS]

If they're just sending you a check, with no mention of what to do with the old lens, then you might want to look into getting the old one fixed. If the scratch isn't too bad, I'm sure SK Grimes could fix the bent rim, and possibly fill the scratch so you'd never notice it. Probably a whole lot cheaper than getting a replacement lens, then just pocket the difference!

-Mike

PS As a low level bottom feeder, I couldn't afford that lens unless it went for less than $100.00 which I doubt!