minor scratch on new'ish lens... should i bother worrying about it?

[theregoesjb]

I bought a sigma 10-20 wide angle about 4 weeks ago at a semi-local shop, the day i bought it i also bought a uv filter for protection and ive never taken it off until today and have taken great care of it. Looking at the lens i noticed a tiny scratch on the glass, coming off the edge about an 1/8" long. Its obviously minor enough that i never noticed it until now but i just know i didnt cause it so its sort of frustrating.

A part of me wants to go back but since ive owned it about a month im sure i have no case...

Im just wondering how much, if at all, this could affect a picture. Is there a particular situation where a scratch like that could have any affect on a picture?

 

[PatrickJamesYu]

Take a picture using the lens.
Do you notice any loss in detail in that corner?
If not, what's there to worry about?

In my opinion, the lens is so wide, you don't really have anything to worry about.
I have a small but kind of deep scratch on my 17mm 2.8 on crop sensor.
Hasn't effected me.

 

[theregoesjb]

being a wide lens i was actually thinking it might allow a small scratch (or anything on the lens) to have a more exaggerated effect on an image, if it caught the light the wrong way or something.
I havent noticed anything on my images but im more concerned with some particular circumstance or lighting condition where a scratch has a chance to really show up, in the future. Or if the case really is- if i havent noticed it by now i never will.

 

[The_Traveler]

LensRentals.com - Front Element Scratches

 

[KmH]

The UV filter likely causes more image quality issues, lens flare, loss of image contrast, softer focus, etc - than the scratch does.

 

[Dao]

Do not worry and keep shooting. I do not think it will affect any of your photos at all. I have a lens also has a scratch on the front lens element coating, and I cannot see it in any of my photos taken with that lens no matter how hard I tried.

 

[DiskoJoe]

If you bought this new I would take it back and exchange it.

 

[Boyun]

It will definitely affect the pictures. The part of the pictures behind your eyes.

I bought a sigma 10-20 wide angle about 4 weeks ago at a semi-local shop, the day i bought it i also bought a uv filter for protection and ive never taken it off until today and have taken great care of it. Looking at the lens i noticed a tiny scratch on the glass, coming off the edge about an 1/8" long. Its obviously minor enough that i never noticed it until now but i just know i didnt cause it so its sort of frustrating.

A part of me wants to go back but since ive owned it about a month im sure i have no case...

Im just wondering how much, if at all, this could affect a picture. Is there a particular situation where a scratch like that could have any affect on a picture?

 

[MReid]

Shooting into the sun you "may" get some weird reflections off it, but otherwise you shouldn't notice it.

 

[ulrichsd]

It probably won't affect the picture quality, but it may affect the resale value.

 

[zamanakhan]

Toss the lens it's useless, should of used a better quality uv filter with a 20ft lens hood to protect the lens. Now with a scratch, pictures coming out of the lens will probably look like something out of a 5dm3.

 

[minooo]

SCRATCHES ON THE FRONT LENS ARE NOT IMPORTANT. At least not obious.
But if the rear lens gets damaged... that's ugly.

 

[pisicel]

I come back with an example found when browsing:
here is a totally damaged front lens. look how acceptable the image remains.
So, for a so small scratch, I think you are fine.

 

[TCampbell]

Toss the lens it's useless, should of used a better quality uv filter with a 20ft lens hood to protect the lens. Now with a scratch, pictures coming out of the lens will probably look like something out of a 5dm3.

That's great advice.

BTW, if I may ask... Where do you keep your trash? ;-)