Fungus or Coating or Delaminating?

[Ozark Wolverine]

Hello everyone. I came across a Computar dL 3.5/65 enlarging lens in a box of other Analog accessories at a Camera store in Syracuse, NY for cheap about 7 or 8 years ago . . . The lens was in it's original consumer packaging and appears to never have been sold or used.

On the inside of the rear element something is funky . . . Image 1 and 2 are backlit with an LED flashlight, image 3 is the reflection of the sky, no backlighting.

 

[koraks]

My guess is separation in a lens group, going by the 3rd image.

 

[mshchem]

My guess is separation in a lens group, going by the 3rd image.

+1

 

[Ozark Wolverine]

+1

That was my first guess as well. Bummer, I was going to disassemble it and clean it. I guess it goes into the trash bin . . .

 

[koraks]

I'd still give it a shot. If it so happens we're both wrong and you can clean it up, you've got a usable lens.

 

[mshchem]

How do the images look?

 

[cowanw]

If separated and you can get the cell out, you might soak it apart and reassemble. you won't notice a difference in use I bet.