What is wrong with this lens?

Ragtime Willie · Aug 22, 2024

Hi everyone,

I'm new here. I recently have been getting back into film photography after a long layoff. As part of that, I bought an old Tamron 70-210mm lens (58A). Shining a light through the lens shows a thin haze on the inside of the lens, as well as bright specks further down in the lens (see picture).

Can anyone tell me what the problem is? Can it be fixed with a CLA?

Thanks in advance for your input.

MFstooges · Aug 22, 2024

Hard to tell since picture is blurry. Most likely a professional can clean it but the cost may be more than the used price of a clean lens.

xkaes · Aug 22, 2024

It looks like haze, but that might not be as bad as the angle of light suggests. The "dots"? Who knows. You could run some simple tests to compare it to a "good" lens, and see if there is a problem with results, but it's definitely not a lens worth cleaning. Try it out.

_T_ · Aug 22, 2024

I can see that the lens is very dirty. It may or may not be able to be cleaned.

I also see what looks like loss of coating all over the front element. That’s the tiny bright spots all over the front.

The loss of coating is not that big a deal but sometimes the other stuff doesn’t clean off without doing further damage.

Hard to tell but you could try to clean it or have a professional clean it.

BrianShaw · Aug 22, 2024

Shining a flashlight through the back of a lens is a guarantee of disappointment. Any lens is going to have something that looks bad.

Any competent camera repair shop should be able to service that lens. The advantage of a profesional service is that focus assembly will also get cleaned and re-lubricated. My experience having lenses overhauled is that they feel new again.

The alternative, of course, is to put a lens shade on it and use it. You'd be surprised how little that haze and spots will matter. Do an external glass cleaning and give it a try!

xkaes · Aug 22, 2024

I agree with Brian -- give it a try. You have nothing to lose.

If cleaning the front & rear glass yourself doesn't help, don't think about alternatives. If you really LOVE that lens (really?), it can be found in good shape for about $20 -- MUCH cheaper than a cleaning. It's nice and compact, but that's its best feature.

Ragtime Willie · Aug 22, 2024

Thanks for the replies, everyone! The front and rear glass are clean; the haze and specks are all inside.

I'll definitely try the lens out. I like the convenience of 70-210 in such a small, light package.

xkaes · Aug 22, 2024

Good luck. 210mm at f5.6 is pretty dark.

AnselMortensen · Aug 22, 2024

There are fingerprints visible in the photo.
Were they on the outside?
Have they been removed?
If they're inside the lens, then someone has taken the lens apart previously...and apparently sprinkled some dust in there for good measure.

Ragtime Willie · Aug 22, 2024

The outside is clean; everything you're seeing is on the inside. I don't think it's a fingerprint, it looks more like some kind of haze on the lens. Sorry for the poor photograph, I was juggling the lens, the flashlight, and my iphone.

John Koehrer · Aug 23, 2024

If it's not outside, where oh where could it be? Sorry if that seems to be a smartass comment
but it could be internal haze. The small spots may be fungus. Or not.
If you're the adventurous type try removing the front element and see if cleans off with
typical lens cleaner and tissues.
Currently I have no idea of pricing but it's going to be more than replacing it. The problem
then becomes will the "new" lens also be defective?

Ragtime Willie · Aug 24, 2024

I don't know that I'm that adventurous. But I'm going to try the lens out and see if there is any effect on the photos.

What is wrong with this lens?

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