Schneider Super-Symmar 110mm XL - Cleaned by Schneider

[Nooky41]

Hello,

I have a bad problem of haze on a Schneider Super Symmar 110 XL.
Schneider doesn't want to change the lens even if it's a new one but, they take care of the cleaning with a warranty of a year.
Has someone has experience with that kind of matter ?
How is the lens after schneider's cleaning ?
Did the problem come back again !

I wish to have information about how the problem was solved with yours and the result.

Thanks for your information.

Best regards

Nooky41

[Heroique]

That’s unhappy news about your haze, which appears to be a problem among a handful of users here who have seen and reported it on both the XL 80mm & 110mm. On a brighter note, if Schneider “fixes” the haze w/ cleaning or replacement, I’ve never heard from anyone that the haze returned. That is, they’re happy w/ results, but very unhappy about having to pay for it. For the problem seems to be a defective cement used between elements. The Schneider policy on this issue has grown more restrictive in the past 2-3 years, even though evidence suggests this is a manufacturing defect.

[kgm]

Could I ask how old your lens is? I have both the Schneider 80mm and 110mm Super Symmars. I got them two years ago, and haven't had any problems with them. I'm wondering how long it has taken for the problem to show up.

[Heroique]

Could I ask how old your lens is? I have both the Schneider 80mm and 110mm Super Symmars. I got them two years ago, and haven’t had any problems with them. I'm wondering how long it has taken for the problem to show up.

KGM, you’re probably safe – I’ve noticed, generally, that owners have reported the malady on lenses bought new in the early-to-mid 2000’s, but I may not have a perfect understanding of which 80mm/110mm lenses carry the highest risk. From what I know about symptoms, if you look through the front of a stricken lens, the cloud-like (“cumulus”) haze might typically appear halfway between the center of the lens and the filter threads, and spread slowly over time, moving & lengthening in a circular path (concentric w/ the filter threads). The growth of the haze is a slow process, and can take a few years to become plainly conspicuous. This is for properly used and stored lenses.

[Vick Ko]

Here is the optical schematic:
https://www.schneideroptics.com/pdfs/photo/datasheets/super-symmar_xl/super-symmar_xl_56_110_1.pdf

I had the haze and it looked like it was on the rear surface of the first lens. It was a ring of haze, at the rim of the lens, and extending about 5mm or so into the circle of the lens. The center of the lens was clear and clean, free of haze.

I　ｒｅｍｏｖｅｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｉｒｓｔ　ｌｅｎｓ，　ｕｓｉｎｇ　ａ　ｓｐａｎｎｅｒ　ｔｏｏｌ，　ａｎｄ　ｃｌｅａｎｅｄ　ｏｆｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｈａｚｅ．

Ｍｙ　ｌｅｎｓ　ｉｓ　ｎｏｗ　ｐｅｒｆｅｃｔ．

Ｙｏｕ　ｍａｙ　ｃｏｍｅ　ａｃｒｏｓｓ　ｔｈｒｅａｄｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｓｕｇｇｅｓｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｈａｚｅ　ｉｓ　ｉｎ　ａｎ　ａｄｈｅｓｉｖｅ　ｌａｙｅｒ，　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｏｕｂｌｅｔ．　　Ｎｏｔｅ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｐｔｉｃａｌ　ｓｃｈｅｍａｔｉｃ　ｗｈｅｒｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ｄｏｕｂｌｅｔ　ｉｓ　－ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｆｏｕｒｔｈ　ｌｅｎｓ．　　Ｍｙ　ｈａｚｅ　ｗａｓ　ｃｌｅａｒｌｙ　ＮＯＴ on the fourth lens.

Good luck with your lens.

Vick

[kgm]

Thanks for the information, Heroique. The 110mm is my favorite lens for architecture - a useful focal length that allows for lots of movement. I hadn't heard of this problem until a few months ago, and I thought that it was primarily with older versions, but I've read varying reports.

[Heroique]

It’s a super lens indeed, a joy to carry and use – in my case, for mountain landscapes. As you may know, the haze issue caused Badger to drop their 80/110 grey market lenses from its offerings. (I don’t think they’ve ever been a Schneider-authorized U.S. dealer.) Before dropping them, Badger would accept people’s stricken lenses purchased from them, ship them back to Germany for repair, and get them back to their owners within 2 or 3 weeks – all free of charge. Due to Schneider’s more restrictive rules for dealing with the issue, those days are now gone, but Badger’s great customer service is still alive.

[kgm]

I purchased some, but not all, of my current lenses from Badger Graphic a couple of years ago, but I see that they have fewer of the Schneider lenses as the months go by. Selling out their stock, I suppose. When I decided to downsize from 8x10 to 4x5, the 110mm was the first lens I decided on, and in fact picked my camera based on the movements that it allows. Badger Graphic was very helpful in explaining some things about the Ebony non-folder I got to use with it.

[timparkin]

Here is the optical schematic:
https://www.schneideroptics.com/pdfs/photo/datasheets/super-symmar_xl/super-symmar_xl_56_110_1.pdf

I had the haze and it looked like it was on the rear surface of the first lens. It was a ring of haze, at the rim of the lens, and extending about 5mm or so into the circle of the lens. The center of the lens was clear and clean, free of haze.

I　ｒｅｍｏｖｅｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｉｒｓｔ　ｌｅｎｓ，　ｕｓｉｎｇ　ａ　ｓｐａｎｎｅｒ　ｔｏｏｌ，　ａｎｄ　ｃｌｅａｎｅｄ　ｏｆｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｈａｚｅ．

Ｍｙ　ｌｅｎｓ　ｉｓ　ｎｏｗ　ｐｅｒｆｅｃｔ．

Ｙｏｕ　ｍａｙ　ｃｏｍｅ　ａｃｒｏｓｓ　ｔｈｒｅａｄｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｓｕｇｇｅｓｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｈａｚｅ　ｉｓ　ｉｎ　ａｎ　ａｄｈｅｓｉｖｅ　ｌａｙｅｒ，　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｏｕｂｌｅｔ．　　Ｎｏｔｅ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｐｔｉｃａｌ　ｓｃｈｅｍａｔｉｃ　ｗｈｅｒｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ｄｏｕｂｌｅｔ　ｉｓ　－ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｆｏｕｒｔｈ　ｌｅｎｓ．　　Ｍｙ　ｈａｚｅ　ｗａｓ　ｃｌｅａｒｌｙ　ＮＯＴ on the fourth lens.

Good luck with your lens.

Vick

How did you clean the haze off?

[Vick Ko]

Used a pin spanner to remove the front lock ring.

Then remove the front lens.

Then use Kodak optical lens paper and Windex to clean off haze.

Reassembly is the reverse.

....Vick

[vinny]

why hasn't bob from hp marketing chimed in on this?

[Kevin Crisp]

Not being affiliated with Schneider, why would he? He has never gone out of his way to bash competitors.