Enlarger lens

[chuck94022]

I'm trying to squeeze the ultimate sharpness and contrast out of my prints. I noticed that my 150mm Componon-S enlarging lens, when illuminated by the enlarger in the dark, shows a haze at the lens glass that my 80mm Nikon lens doesn't show. In normal room light, the lens is clean as a whistle, no visible dust or fungus or anything.

When grain focusing the same image between the 80mm Nikon shows crisp grain, while I can't quite get there with the 150mm.

Should I abandon the 150mm and pick up a clean 150mm Schneider or Rodenstock APO lens, or am I worried about nothing much? Should I consider disassembling the 150 and cleaning it internally?

Should I just live and learn to love the haze?

 

[chuck94022]

The lens is dirty inside.

Well, that's the verdict. I just disassembled it (at least the outer elements, not all the way to the aperture blades) and cleaned each surface. Much better!

Thanks APUGuser19, I should have done that before posting... first time a simple fix has eliminated GAS.