Can anyone tell me what this mottled coating in taking lens on my Rollei 2.8e Planar lens is?

Golden1245 · Jun 27, 2020

Hello everyone, new to the forum. Excited to learn more! Recently acquired a Rolleiflex 2.8E Planar. Can anyone tell me what this mottled pattern on the inside of the front element is? I took the lens apart discovered that it's not on the rear element, which is pristine, but actually on the inside of the front element, I can't seem to get to it.

It doesn't look like seperation or fungus to me, but more like coating degradation or oxidation. Or is it just oil? The lens looks crystal clear except from an extreme angle and thats when you can notice it. I actually didn't notice it until I had the camera for a few weeks. I lit this photograph in a way that shows the mottled look in a pronounced way, otherwise you wouldn't even realize it's there.

It doesn't affect my photographs even in bright sun (i rarely shoot into the sun though so I don't know if it will hurt flare resistance) though but was wondering if it will start to if it gets worst and affect image quality in a few more years.

Thank you for your help!

4season · Jun 27, 2020

Looks like damage caused by fungus.

shutterfinger · Jun 27, 2020

Being its on the inside of the lens front cell I suspect its haze/gassing out of lubricants in the shutter.
Did you notice the notches in the trim ring?

There will be a second one 180° from this one. Put a lens spanner in the slots and unscrew the trim ring to remove the front element.
In the event the trim ring contacts the housing then the front trim plate of the camera will need to be removed.

Fungus looks different.

Golden1245 · Jun 27, 2020

shutterfinger said:
Being its on the inside of the lens front cell I suspect its haze/gassing out of lubricants in the shutter.
Did you notice the notches in the trim ring?
View attachment 249269
There will be a second one 180° from this one. Put a lens spanner in the slots and unscrew the trim ring to remove the front element.
In the event the trim ring contacts the housing then the front trim plate of the camera will need to be removed.

Hey Shutterfinger, thanks for the reply. I actually did take out the entire front element group, I meant that it's not on the rear glass of the front element, but rather in the middle of the front lens of the front element. Like it's not on the surface of the 1st element, not on the rear glass of the front element, but in the middle of the 1st element. It also doesn't look like fungus damage as the camera is in absolutely top mint condition except for this wierd area of the lens.

shutterfinger · Jun 27, 2020

Ok, your lens is one of these

Light travels the direction of the arrow, the | is the position of the shutter and aperture blades.
Download https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yavVANy-hVm4V6Ug5RuqjR2rTf4-xL-l/view?usp=sharing
Read the introduction as it contains the information needed to use the manual.
Use a chisel tip hobby knife and peel up the leather from the front of the camera face plate. Remove the six screws holding the face on. Disconnect flash socket, cable release socket according to the manual instructions. The levers for flash sync, shutter speed, aperture dials do not come off from the front but they have to be set to B and 2.8 if I remember correctly. There may be brass shims that look like washers between the front plate and its mount points so exercise care during removal. Once the front plate is off the front cell unscrews from the shutter and the rear element of the front cell retainer ring will be accessible. Assembly is reverse of removal. reattach the leather covering with Pliobond contact cement https://www.ebay.com/itm/PLIOBOND-P...467978&hash=item365b793cce:g:1SIAAOSwLABeGhJh which dries flexible. Apply to one surface only and attach while wet.
OR
send it to me for lens cleaning.

JPD · Jun 27, 2020

Golden1245 said:
Hey Shutterfinger, thanks for the reply. I actually did take out the entire front element group, I meant that it's not on the rear glass of the front element, but rather in the middle of the front lens of the front element. Like it's not on the surface of the 1st element, not on the rear glass of the front element, but in the middle of the 1st element. It also doesn't look like fungus damage as the camera is in absolutely top mint condition except for this wierd area of the lens.

When you unscrewed the front components you probably took out both the first and second groups and not just the front element. Yoy could see the shutter blades when you removed the lens components, right?

It looks like coating damage. The matte grey is where that lens surface has lost its coating. The shapes of those areas make me guess that the lens once had fungus, and those marks were left after the fungus had been removed. You can see the brass of the front element retaining ring notches from when someone used a lens spanner to unscrew it.

AgX · Jun 27, 2020

Looks like corrosion of the anti/reflection coating. Not necessarily of effect.

JPD · Jun 27, 2020

shutterfinger said:
Ok, your lens is one of these
View attachment 249270 View attachment 249271
Light travels the direction of the arrow, the | is the position of the shutter and aperture blades.
Download https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yavVANy-hVm4V6Ug5RuqjR2rTf4-xL-l/view?usp=sharing
Read the introduction as it contains the information needed to use the manual.
Use a chisel tip hobby knife and peel up the leather from the front of the camera face plate. Remove the six screws holding the face on. Disconnect flash socket, cable release socket according to the manual instructions. The levers for flash sync, shutter speed, aperture dials do not come off from the front but they have to be set to B and 2.8 if I remember correctly. There may be brass shims that look like washers between the front plate and its mount points so exercise care during removal. Once the front plate is off the front cell unscrews from the shutter and the rear element of the front cell retainer ring will be accessible. Assembly is reverse of removal. reattach the leather covering with Pliobond contact cement https://www.ebay.com/itm/PLIOBOND-P...467978&hash=item365b793cce:g:1SIAAOSwLABeGhJh which dries flexible. Apply to one surface only and attach while wet.
OR
send it to me for lens cleaning.

If he can remove the front lens groups, like he did before, there is no need for him to remove the front of the camera.

NB23 · Jun 28, 2020

Looks like the coating... but you’ll know best.

I have noticed that, while all the 3.5 rolleiflexes have very stable lenses that age well, a lot of 2.8 rolleiflexes have problematic taking lenses. Delamination is quite comon amongst the 2.8 series.

Can anyone tell me what this mottled coating in taking lens on my Rollei 2.8e Planar lens is?

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