Mamiya 7 80mm lens haze?

[haknight]

Is it just me or does this Mamiya 7 80mm look slightly hazy?

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Is it just me or does this Mamiya 7 80mm look slightly hazy?

Could be a reflection but it does look slightly hazy.

 

[shutterlight]

That doesn't look good-- I would send it in to Bob Watkins for service.

 

[haknight]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. My dealer graciously refunded me for it no questions asked. As I’m a bit paranoid about haze and separation now, what do you think of this potential 65mm replacement?

 

[haknight]

Does anyone know if it’s possible to do a proper flashlight test on a leaf shutter rangefinder lens like this? I haven’t found any solid information on whether it’s possible to open the aperture off camera

 

[Steve Goldstein]

It’s certainly possible with Mamiya 7 lenses assuming you have a body to mount it on. Viewing angles are more limited than if you have the lens in hand, but it’s better than nothing. I suppose that with enough effort and skill the mount from a dead body could be turned into a test stand, but I’d question whether it would be worth the effort.

 

[shutterlight]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. My dealer graciously refunded me for it no questions asked. As I’m a bit paranoid about haze and separation now, what do you think of this potential 65mm replacement?

That copy looks good. Hard to say for sure without seeing it in person, but I know what lens haze generally looks like and it doesn't appear in those pictures to me.

 

[MattKing]

And a 60mm lens on 6x7 is really nice

 

[haknight]

That copy looks good. Hard to say for sure without seeing it in person, but I know what lens haze generally looks like and it doesn't appear in those pictures to me.

I got a chance today to take a closer look. The front element is absolutely pristine. I did the flashlight test and was shocked at how clear it was. My only lingering doubt is this ring of fringe at the very edge of the back element. Is this cause for concern or an early indication of separation? Otherwise this copy is in beautiful shape

 

[shutterlight]

I don't know enough to say, unfortunately. You could call Precision Camera Works or email them and see if Bob would weigh in based on those pictures.