Lens coating screwed?

[Dan Fromm]

... now I’ve seen it all...

Make yourself some popcorn. There'll be more.

 

[MattKing]

OP: it's just a Moment 18mm wide angle lens. Only $99 - but almost new.
https://www.shopmoment.com/shop/wide-18-mm-lens

As this is designed to work with the extremely small iPhone sensor, 18mm is most likely its "35mm equivalent" focal length. Its actual focal length is almost certainly incredibly short, and the resulting depth of field extensive enough to make it possible that damage to the lens surface may be capable of being imaged.
A belated welcome to Photrio for sleepyrice.
FYI, "medium format" refers to film or digital sensors that are hundreds (thousands?) of times larger than what the iPhone offers, and this section of Photrio is reserved for the film camera versions of same.
Now that I know which lens (and "camera") is involved, I can say that I think you have a damaged lens that is probably not economic to fix.
Here is a used example of a "medium format" lens that would be the kind that we consider in this particular part of Photrio, and might fill a similar role (at higher quality) than your lens: https://www.keh.com/shop/mamiya-35m...7hykIK3gwovcxYtWOetxg_UXH--7C_-saAuaYEALw_wcB
Note the size of that lens - 77mm filter rings and 454 gm/1.0 lb weight.

 

[Dan Daniel]

And look, people, the guy is on vacation. Skiing, snowboarding, or such. He's having some fun and using his camera. Good for him! He wants to keep going for a another couple of days before he has to leave. There's a chance that a fine polish like toothpaste will remove whatever is causing his shading. He's not going to trash a 40mm Biogon or a Mamiya 7 wide angle lens.

Sure, he stumbled into the wrong format and the wrong medium (digital, not analog). I suggest a long shower with exfoliant scrub for all of you tainted by this infiltration. It's only when the bleeding starts that you know you have removed all the bytes.

Or this is all a fun troll. Who knows?

 

[Kino]

Who's tainted? Take a belt sander to it for all I care; it's his lens...

 

[MattKing]

I have no problem with the OP asking the question of the members of Photrio. I just wanted to point out some context for the answers he/she received before we knew more about his/her lens.
I guess I would make the gentle suggestion that we would have found it easier to help if we had more info, earlier on.
I too hope the OP's vacation goes well.

 

[John Koehrer]

Well, heck, for $99, take some toothpaste and see if you can rub out ALL the coating flaws.
/QUOTE]

I've done that years ago. If the toothpaste works you're ahead of the game, if not you were going to buy a new one anyway.

 

[BrianShaw]

I have no problem with the OP asking the question of the members of Photrio. I just wanted to point out some context for the answers he/she received before we knew more about his/her lens.
I guess I would make the gentle suggestion that we would have found it easier to help if we had more info, earlier on.
I too hope the OP's vacation goes well.

Yup.

 

[sleepyrice]

OP here - yup, I see I'm in the wrong thread - I apologize. Feel free to beat me up.

I did see the 'digital' thread - however I considered this had to do with a lens - and that a lens wasn't digital hardware exactly (not a digital camera/artifact). My (incorrect) assumption was a lens was the 'the same' sub-type regardless of the analog/digital device it was placed on. I also thought you guys would have more input / experience.

I totally misconstrued 'medium format'.. meh.

My father was a professional (old school) photographer that always show with a Mamiya M645 - and unfortunately I never took the opportunity to learn from him - so yes. I'm using iPhone X - ('the best camera is the one you have on you'). I've traveled through 100+ countries and I gave up on proper cameras years ago. I used to pick up the low end (around $500) Canons - but after a series of 'e16 lens errors' on several cameras while traveling, and death-by-rain that bricked all cameras - I just had enough with it.

Recently (2 years) I turned to Moment lenses as they offer a alight optical zoom, and the 18mm a wider shot. However, I'm unhappy with it due to the shallow depth of field, rounding / distortion etc. While iPhone may not offer professional photos - I'm of the mind that what (might) matter more is the guy on the other side of the camera.. I'm NOT a very good photographer (surely not my father).

Again - my bad.

I always look at better cameras - right now looking at the Leica CL Street Kit - http://us.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-APS-C/Leica-CL

Again, sure this will make some eyes roll - a novice looking at a Leica of all brands (sigh).. But - I've always admired the build, design (I own a design company), and yeah a sucker for the brand/history. I wonder however, if I'd really see a difference. I get the feeling that (as a inadequate photographer) that my iPhone snaps (which I just save for posterity) already are 80% of what I'll get from the Leica (i.e. I'll see the mountains outside St. Moritz, or my girlfriend learning to ice skate). Is that 20% of taking it to the next level really worth lugging a camera around every single day of travel, not to mention theft issues, mechanical upkeep, and additional notice I'd receive etc. Dunno. People holding up a mobile phone are almost invisible these days, in a way that a proper camera is not.

The Moment Lens

I sent photos to the company two days ago - no response other than the auto-instant one.. (figures).

Sure, I gave up on the lens - I came to the assumption I damaged the lens, maybe through rubbing against my clothes (as someone else pointed out), or contact of some kind. I eventually tried the toothpaste trick - assuming that either:

1. I could rub off the rest of the coating and (maybe) at least be able to get through the rest of the trip without the dark spots
2. Ruin it completely (and not suffer the nagging suspicion I could somehow salvage it)

In fact, it did absolutely nothing.- over an hour (while watching Netflix) using a toothpaste with a bit of grit it didn't rub the coating off to any significant level (if at all). Which is more confounding - if it's so easy to rub it off within a week against my clothes, why with serious effort and a grit toothpaste does it stay on?

Anyway, appreciate the responses. Lens will be replaced when I get home. Or I'll be switching to a proper camera.

Thanks.

 

[ic-racer]

Looks like time for a new lens... maybe a lenscap too

 

[btaylor]

Looks like time for a new lens... maybe a lenscap too

I have that Moment lens for my iPhone. When new it comes in a nice cloth bag with a lenscap installed. I guess the DoF is so great with that add-on wide lens that even front surface defects are visible in the photos. Good to know.

 

[sleepyrice]

Just a final update - I showed the lens to the manufacturer - Moment - they came back this week with an offer to replace or refund. Can't ask for better than that. I'm going to replace it and try out the macro lens as well.