Hot take: Repairing lenses in the field is almost never worth it

Last month I got a call from a buddy who shoots weddings, his 24-70 took a tumble off a tripod at a park in Austin. He wanted me to come to him, fix it on site between ceremonies. I told him no, bring it to the shop. Look, I get the appeal of saving time, but dust and humidity are killers for lens internals. I opened that thing in my clean room and found a hair and what looked like pollen stuck between two elements. If I'd tried that in a parking lot or under a tent, it would have been a disaster. He was pissed for an hour but after I told him I charged $160 for the cleanup instead of $350 for a full replacement he calmed down. Has anyone else had a client push back on bringing gear in?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason49915d ago

Solid story, hate when clients don't get why field repairs are a bad idea.

perry.jessica14d ago

I get where you’re coming from, but I actually see it a bit differently. Sometimes a quick fix in the field can keep things running long enough to get the client through a busy weekend, and they appreciate that a lot. If you set clear expectations upfront like "this is a temporary patch, not a permanent solution," most clients get it. Field repairs aren’t ideal, but they can build trust when you explain the risks honestly. I’ve had clients become way more reasonable about scheduling proper repairs after I’ve saved them once with a field fix.