Anyone has dealt with haze or fungus in a Hasselblad lens. Is this fixable? Photos attached

Dombra · Nov 17, 2018

Lens: Hasselblad 50mm 2.8 FE

Thanks guys!

Luis-F-S · Nov 17, 2018

Probably not worth the cost of fixing it. Cheaper to buy a new lens

Dombra · Nov 17, 2018

Really? The cheapest I could find on eBay is listed for $990...

RalphLambrecht · Nov 17, 2018

Dombra said:
Really? The cheapest I could find on eBay is listed for $990...

put it in sunlight (UV) or send it to me

John Koehrer · Nov 17, 2018

his wallet may be a bit fatter judging by his inventory of stuff!

Hard to say, the picture doesn't show the stuff very clearly. Personally I haven't seen fungus spread like that and haze that
I've seen was more evenly coated, much like warm breath on cold glass.

btaylor · Nov 17, 2018

Why not send it to a lens technician and get an estimate for repairs? Then you’ll know what to do.

Dombra · Nov 17, 2018

John, it is exactly as you described. About 1/3 of the lens on the outer edge has like a warm breath on a glass mist. The center is clear. Photos don't pick that up.

Is the glass permanently damaged?

Theo Sulphate · Nov 17, 2018

Hard to tell, but the glass doesn't seem to be etched.

Is it just the rear element? If so, that's easier to treat or repair.

Dombra · Nov 17, 2018

Yes, just the rear element

abruzzi · Nov 17, 2018

I’ve never gone deep into a lens of any make, but I removed and cleaned an occasional front or rear element. If you already own the lens, that’s what I’d try. You’ll probably need ~$20-30 in tools, unless Hasselblad lenses are harder to disassemble (obviously, stay clear of the shutter.)

mshchem · Nov 17, 2018

Try shooting some film. I've seen lenses with clear centers produce good negatives.

mshchem · Nov 17, 2018

The real nasty stuff is what gets between cemented lens elements . You might have something that is on the surface. Still try it, to have a baseline. That way if you take it apart you will know if you improved it.

Theo Sulphate · Nov 18, 2018

Being an FE lens, there's no shutter to complicate a repair.

shutterfinger · Nov 18, 2018

This is likely lubricants in the shutter gassing out and contaminants in the air settling on the glass from age, not fungus.
Get a lens spanner such as https://www.ebay.com/itm/Profession...4:g:KKgAAOSwG~VbrIbd:rk:7:pf:1&frcectupt=true or similar available in your area. I have one of these and it is very good.

Using the appropriate tips in the spanner to fit the notches in the lens retainer ring, white arrows in the revised photo you posted, and unscrew the retainer ring. Once the retainer is removed the rear cell(s) will fall out of the assembly when turned downward.
Clean with your breath and a clean microfiber lens cleaning cloth then reinstall in the same orientation they are currently in and secure with the retainer. I have encountered similar that would not come off with lens cleaner and lens tissue but did with the microfiber cloth and breath.
The cell(s) may be a very snug fit in the barrel and not move if cocked the thickness of a hair. Count the number of turns it takes to remove the retainer and verify it takes the sane number of turns to tighten it on installation to ensure the cell is seated properly in the barrel/lens assembly.
Edit:
http://www.hasselbladhistorical.eu/pdf/lds/F50.pdf
shows 3 elements in the rear group. There may be additional retainer rings once the rear most element is removed. Each piece of glass will be the shape as shown in the diagram. The lens front is on the left, the aperture is the vertical line.

Dombra · Nov 18, 2018

Thanks for such a helpful answer! I am keeping fingers crossed that it comes off and glass is not defected

Dombra · Nov 18, 2018

Found this video were the guy took an older 80mm planar lens apart using rubber ring/tubes. Hoping FE is similarly easy

shutterfinger · Nov 18, 2018

Sometimes the retainers are stuck and require a fair amount of force to break them loose and other times they have a thread locker on them that dissolved with acetone (nail polish remover).
If you encounter one that does not want to move soak the outer edge with acetone for 5 to 15 minutes then try again.
Don't scratch the glass!

Theo Sulphate · Nov 18, 2018

shutterfinger said:
This is likely lubricants in the shutter gassing out ...

Lubricants gas out,
Fogging the nice clear Zeiss glass,
No shutter in lens.

GLS · Nov 18, 2018

Dombra said:
Found this video were the guy took an older 80mm planar lens apart using rubber ring/tubes. Hoping FE is similarly easy

Yes, this guy has many interesting repair videos. I remember seeing him de-fungusing lens elements very easily by soaking them in dilute hydrogen peroxide solution for a few minutes. They came out looking new.

The tricky part would be making sure there are no active spores elsewhere in the barrel assembly, otherwise you will likely just have the same problem again.

A good measure anyone can take to prevent mould growth in the first place is to always store your camera equipment with decent-sized bags of desiccant, especially in the camera bags you actually take the stuff outside with; I have two 50g bags of desiccant in mine.

4season · Nov 18, 2018

I am bothered by the amount of corrosion on the metal surfaces but hopefully the glass is still OK. I'd start by seeing if I could unscrew the front lens cell as per the video posted by Dombra. Rubber cups are great - much less likely to leave marks versus a spanner. With a bit of luck, the fogging might be confined to the glass surfaces facing the diaphragm, and if so, a bit of cleaning and reassembly may be all that's required.

Worst-case scenario: Fogging is between a couple of cemented lens elements, in which case I'd have the lens professionally serviced.

Japan Hobby Tool sells a good set of rubber cups, and a number of eBay sellers offer them.

Dombra · Nov 18, 2018

What can be done to take care of corrosion on the metal parts?

Thanks for your reply!

Sirius Glass · Nov 18, 2018

Luis-F-S said:
Probably not worth the cost of fixing it. Cheaper to buy a new lens

Dombra said:
Really? The cheapest I could find on eBay is listed for $990...

First I would put in sun light for a few weeks like @RalphLambrecht or do what @shutterfinger suggested, however ...

You are looking for love on all the wrong places*.

===> https://www.keh.com/shop/hasselblad-50mm-f-2-8-f-t-lens-for-hasselblad-200-2000-series-93.html

* Lookin' for Love
Johnny Lee

Well, I've spent a lifetime lookin' for you;
singles bars and good time lovers were never true.
Playin' a fools game hopin' to win;
and tellin' those sweet lies and losin' again.
I was lookin' for love in all the wrong places,
Lookin' for love in too many faces,
searchin' their eyes and lookin' for traces
of what I'm dreamin' of.
Hopin' to find a friend and a lover;
I'll bless the day I discover
another heart lookin' for love.
And I was alone then, no love in sight;
and I did ev'rything I could to get me though the night.
Don't know where it started or where it might end;
I turned to a stranger just like a friend.
I was lookin' for love in all the wrong places,
Lookin' for love in too many faces,
searchin' their eyes and lookin' for traces
of what…

Songwriters: Bob Morrison / Patti Ryan / Wanda Ma

removedacct1 · Nov 18, 2018

RalphLambrecht said:
put it in sunlight (UV) or send it to me

Ralph,
I have an old Kodak Retina with a fogged front lens group, and it appears this front group doesn't come apart. Will exposure to bright sunlight really help to clear the haze on the inner glass surfaces?

Sirius Glass · Nov 18, 2018

paulbarden said:
Ralph,
I have an old Kodak Retina with a fogged front lens group, and it appears this front group doesn't come apart. Will exposure to bright sunlight really help to clear the haze on the inner glass surfaces?

You will only really know by doing it. Otherwise you will never really know. Besides there are no losses in trying out.

Dombra · Nov 18, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
You are looking for love on all the wrong places*.
===> https://www.keh.com/shop/hasselblad-50mm-f-2-8-f-t-lens-for-hasselblad-200-2000-series-93.html

Before being poetic, you should check if it's the same lens

Anyone has dealt with haze or fungus in a Hasselblad lens. Is this fixable? Photos attached

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