Effect of fungus/etching

[jordanka16]

I got a large lot of gear recently, and while it started bad it ended up working out really well, anyway one of the lenses I got is this Nikkor-W 135mm F5.6. It had an extensive amount of fungus but the glass was otherwise in good shape, and the shutter worked fine, so I opened it and cleaned it as best I could. It looks like even after the fungus is gone there's still some etching on the coating, quite a bit it looks like. At least I think that's what it is, I was unable to remove it at least. Will this have any effect on photos? Looking through it it looks clear, it's only when I angle it that I can see the crud. I'll probably shoot a couple pictures anyway and see unless it's for sure a lost cause. Most of the crud seems to be on the backside of the front element.


https://imgur.com/WEk6qLC

[j.e.simmons]

I have etching on a Fuji lens. It’s pretty obvious, so I got the lens at a discount. I see no problems in my negatives, though I do shoot with the lens well shaded on the theory that the etching might scatter light. I’d say you’ll need to shoot with it to see if there’s any effect, and if there is, whether you like it or not.

[Willie]

If the lens gives the images you want it does not matter.

This, about Sally Mann: She shoots with antique view cameras from the early 1900s, the kind where you duck under a cloth to take the picture. They have hulking wooden frames, accordion-like bellows and long brass lenses held together with tape, with mold growing inside. She says she loves that. It softens the light, makes the pictures timeless.

"I'm just the opposite of a lot of photographers who want everything to be really, really sharp and they're always stopping it down to F64 and they like detail and they look with their magnifying glass to make sure everything's really sharp," she says. "I don't want any of that. I want it to be mysterious."

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Perfection is good as is the search for interpretation and expression.

[Tin Can]

A Sally Mann quote from Willie

"I don't want any of that. I want it to be mysterious."

Exactly and Magical!

nothing about photography is reality...



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[jordanka16]

All very good points, I guess "good" is pretty subjective. I'll take it out and shoot some photos to see what it looks like, thanks guys!

[Mark Sampson]

One good test will be to shoot a backlit subject at two of your usual apertures. That's the strictest test I can think of. One film holder exposed and you'll have your answer.

[Mark J]

I find that you can tolerate some light fungus when you're doing black & white, but it will take the colour saturation out of colour stock. I bought a Fuji GW690 with some light fungus on one lens internally, and it was disappointing on colour reversal.

[xkaes]

If you want a lens that has that much sought-after "fungi" look just slap some Vasoline on a 0.99¢ UV filter. Or try some peanut butter.

FYI, you can't do the reverse.

[maltfalc]

you'll lose some contrast, especially with backlit subjects. out of focus points of light may have a noticeable silhouette of the fungus in them. if the lens is stopped way down you may get blurry smudges in some parts of the image. the etching would have to be pretty bad for any of that to be noticeable though.