Fixing (expensive) old lenses

[pentaxkat]

I've seen quite a nice lens for sale cheap (well cheap for what is normally costs). However it is cheap because it has a missing lens element and no aperture control (must be jammed or something) i.e. its completely useless! I am suspecting it is not worth it as it will cost a shed load to repair but if I could repair it at least the lens would have a high resale value.

Am currently based in Canada. Does anyone know if there are lens repair places that could get stock of an old A* lens element? Is it likely to cost the moon (I suspect yes)? How easy is it to get aperture mechanism replaced/repaired?

NB Its not a lens on ebay :-)

[little laker]

If you can find 2 lenses and make them into one it might be worth it, but when they have to start replacing elements they might not even be able to find the parts.

A few members have taken their own 50mm primes apart and repaired them themselves. From what I can tell most older Pentax primes are using a similar design.
I wouldn't tackle a Zoom lens.

Gentec can repair Sigma lenses, and theres a good chance they'll fix others as well.
They're the Sigma importers for Canada.

Here's their web site.
Gentec-International

[pentaxkat]

and I don't think I'd want to take apart a long telephoto A* lens either...

would definately be a professional job and not cheap, just wanted to know if any A* elements were still available and how expensive it would be...I'm suspecting 'very' if not 'impossible'.

[FotoPete]

if you still have the broken lens element, I've heard people going to their local glasses prescription place to get a replacement.

[Tom Lusk]

I doubt it would be possible to find a lens element for an A* lens, unless someone has a junker of the same lens, and, somehow, you are able to track it down...

It'd probably be a waste of time to deal with any Canadian sources. Why not try Japan?