Originally Posted by
jim10219
I have several old lenses with scratches, chips, and balsam separation. All of them have proven to be excellent performers despite their cosmetic flaws. In most cases, a lens hood or stopping down fixes any issues they might pose. In my experience, photographers tend to over estimate the negative effects that minor lens flaws can have on an image, which is understandable, given how much attention to detail everything else about this art form demands. But in my experience, 35mm lenses seem to be more picky when it comes to flaws (especially on the rear element) than large format. However, each situation is going to be different, and each photographer is going to have a different standard, so only you can say if the lens performs well enough or not. Since the seller offers returns, it might be worth the gamble. I've been happy every time I've made that gamble on a lens! I can't say the same thing about every camera though.
Bookmarks