Helios 44-2 '88 center element fungal infection

ColinMacIntyre

Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2020
Messages
2
Location
Edmonton
Format
Micro43
What would you do? The center optical element doesn't seem to have a straightforward way of coming apart... or is it easier than I think? New to photography, but wanted to try out some vintage lenses.



Second question: I couldn't get the lens to come out of the helicoid in the standard way, even with a lot of brute force. Ended up ratching the focal ring screws instead! Any experience with such difficulty?
 

4season

Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
1,995
Format
Plastic Cameras
That doesn't look like fungus but rather, black paint on the edge of the glass becoming loose and brittle. And your photo appears to depict a cemented pair of elements, not something you'd normally attempt to separate.
 

AgX

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
29,973
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
The edges of lenses typically are only rough ground. The black paint either can get off completely or air bubbles can appear over the years resulting in a sprangled pattern. A very common phenomrnon at lenses in general.

The only remedy would the total dismantling of such lens, taking off the old paint from the lens edges and repainting them. Here one got to weigh between that little increase of stray light versus the chance of severe misalignment at reassembling.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…