Would you buy a lens with thin haze?

[amellice]

So I was looking at this lens from Japan, it's Mamiya 250 APO. The seller describes it as perfect except for "slight very very very thin fog around the middle of the lens". Can this be cleaned? Would you buy it (PS it's really good price). Would this change the image quality?

 

[onre]

Almost everything can be cleaned. Haze does not usually affect coatings so chances are that all of it will come off. Dirt inside lens shows in pictures as reduced contrast. I routinely buy cheap lenses with haze and/or fungus, but then again, I'm quite comfortable opening and cleaning lenses.

 

[Slixtiesix]

I have cleaned two lenses with haze recently and they are perfectly fine now. However, these were old lenses, easy to disassemble and re-assemble with not much to go wrong. I did not care much for their optical quality either! I think I would not do that to any of my expensive lenses.

 

[jjphoto]

That kind of lens is prone to haze and would typically be cleaned/serviced every so often when used professionally. Its not a problem but you need to consider the cost to clean it.

 

[moto-uno]

I had purchased a 65mm f 5.6 lens for my Fujica GL690 with haze ( yes it was a good price ) I tried pretty much every chemical I found listed on many internet searches
and none worked. I then sent it to Frank Marshman and he wasn't able to clean it. Image quality was very poor ( low contrast and definition ). I then threw caution to the wind
and started with metal polishes ( no improvement ) and finally ended up using 2000 and 1500 grit sand paper. Finally I was removing the haze and further testing showed
it was actually getting better ! I'm now making receptacles to melt some pitch into and going to start polishing with the lapping materials supplied from Willmann-Bell . So I
guess my caveat here is be careful buying lens with haze ( some hazes go quite deep )
Peter

 

[amellice]

I may go and buy it cause the seller offers a 14 days unconditional return, so I may return it if image quality is bad or cleaning is expensive

 

[ac12]

Consider the shipping cost to send the lens back to Japan, if it does not work out.
This is what stops me from bidding on somethings overseas.

 

[RauschenOderKorn]

Consider the cost of cleaning and a reasonable chance that cleaning is not possible.
Is it still worth it? Then go for it.

 

[Alan W]

Are you going to buy the lens,disassemble it,try to clean it and then put it back together to return it if you can't clean it?

 

[BAC1967]

Often times it's the Canada Balsam that cements the elements together that gets hazy. That would be very difficult to clean. even if you were able to separate it you would then have to glue it back together and get the elements lined up exactly right. You would also have to make sure the Canada Balsam you are using doesn't get any bubbles between the elements and it must have the same optical properties as the original Canada Balsam.

 

[amellice]

Are you going to buy the lens,disassemble it,try to clean it and then put it back together to return it if you can't clean it?

I'd try it first and take a look at the image quality, if I notice any degradation then I may take it to a service center and ask how much it would cost me, if it's expensive then I'd just sent it back

 

[ic-racer]

Test it with a high contrast scene. Many slightly cloudy lenses can give fine images with a low contrast scene (like an overcast day).

 

[ic-racer]

My experience is 50/50% with cleaning hazy lenses. If the haze is from coating damage (frequently from fungus), it can't be 'cleaned'. Other times, volitalization of the grease used in the helicoid can deposit on the lens. That can be cleaned, but very difficult because it streaks. Usually the individual lens elements need to come out. Sometimes it is just 'fine dust' and it comes right off with a micropore wipe.

 

[ic-racer]

Before and after cleaning a Fujinon 125mm SuperWide bargain lens.

 

[gone]

I agree. If it's between cemented elements, all bets are off. Not a cheap fix, or a DIY fix either. If the lens was in another country I would pass, as the cost of insured and tracked shipping would be really expensive. You have no idea of where the haze actually is until the lens is opened up.

 

[benjiboy]

Keep your hands on your money, there is always another bargain.

 

[jjphoto]

The lens the op is describing is a leaf shutter lens. Leaf shutters create dust and splutter which is deposited on adjacent lens elements and is probably the case here. Ive seen it with my own rz lenses including a 210 apo. Whilst it could be all the things mentioned, fungus, separation, or even a degradation in the glass itself, it probably isnt because of the lens in question and the fact that it has a leaf shutter in it. I think the only way you will find this kind of lens without any sign of haze is if was recently serviced.

 

[Kirks518]

The lens the op is describing is a leaf shutter lens. Leaf shutters create dust and splutter which is deposited on adjacent lens elements and is probably the case here. Ive seen it with my own rz lenses including a 210 apo. Whilst it could be all the things mentioned, fungus, separation, or even a degradation in the glass itself, it probably isnt because of the lens in question and the fact that it has a leaf shutter in it. I think the only way you will find this kind of lens without any sign of haze is if was recently serviced.

Probably true, but it being a leaf shutter lens has the potential of making it a DIY much more difficult, especially if you have to access glass on both sides of the shutter.

I DIY lots of lenses but failed miserably on an RB lens, as getting everything back together was not an easy task. An RZ will have circuitry which could make it even that much more difficult, so I would personally pass.

 

[amellice]

thanks guys for all the info here, I've decided not to buy the lens. Main reason is that if I wanted to return it shipping it back would be expensive. If it was in USA I'd have done it.

 

[moto-uno]

"APUGuser19", If you actually saw the lens , you'd reconsider your remarks I believe . I'll search out a few of the
shots taken with the lens . I hope I still have one from after the first attack on the lens with industrial abrasion
tools. I'll post in the next day or so . I also have the same ( 65mm f5.6) lens in fine shape and know exactly what
to compare it to . Regards,Peter

 

[moto-uno]

Dead Link Removed
This pic was taken with my good 65mm F5.6 Fujica lens. Peter

 

[moto-uno]

Dead Link Removed This pic was taken from the very hazy, original 65mm F5.6 lens. Not too hard
to imagine that pretty well anything might be an improvement . Peter

 

[moto-uno]

Maybe I phrased this incorrectly , the picture labeled iffy was in fact taken before anything was done to the lens . It's kinda a
reference for me . Haven't found the pics I took after the first attack on the lens , however there was enough of an improvement
to convince me to go further ( with the purchase of the pitch for the lap and polishing compounds ). I'm going to see if any of the opticians
in town might consider putting one of their anti-reflective coatings on it afterwards . That would be the icing on the cake.
Regards,Peter

 

[EdSawyer]

Assuming you are talking about this one: (ebay # 331918302452) , it's not *that* good of a deal. I'd hold out for a better one. These are not that rare on ebay lately. Great lens, btw.

the 250 APO I have, I bought with the condition in the auction that the outer barrel a bit loose. I think I got it for about $75 or less. All it required to fix was tightening the main "fixing nut" connecting the outer front barrel to the shutter ass'y. MAC was helpful in supplying the parts diagram and advice, so it was a fairly easy job. Everything else about it was basically near-mint.

 

[amellice]

Assuming you are talking about this one: (ebay # 331918302452) , it's not *that* good of a deal. I'd hold out for a better one. These are not that rare on ebay lately. Great lens, btw.

the 250 APO I have, I bought with the condition in the auction that the outer barrel a bit loose. I think I got it for about $75 or less. All it required to fix was tightening the main "fixing nut" connecting the outer front barrel to the shutter ass'y. MAC was helpful in supplying the parts diagram and advice, so it was a fairly easy job. Everything else about it was basically near-mint.

yes it's this one, I thought it's good one since prices now seem to be in the 400's