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Can this lens be salvaged?
Hey people,
I recently purchased this rodagon 300mm lens for my DeVere 5108 enlarger off eBay. It was advertised as "clean and clear" but has fungus all over it and some scratches. I of course raised a complaint about this, and have been offered a partial refund for the cost of getting the lens cleaned. However, I'm wondering if the lens is even salvageable. I'm hoping it can be, because it came with a lens board I needed, but if it isn't, the money I spent isn't worth it for just the lens board. Can any of you tell by looking at the photos if the damage is repairable?
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Thanks,
Ethan
Re: Can this lens be salvaged?
Why bother I’d send it back and get a 240!
Re: Can this lens be salvaged?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ethan
Hey people,
I recently purchased this rodagon 300mm lens for my DeVere 5108 enlarger off eBay. It was advertised as "clean and clear" but has fungus all over it and some scratches. I of course raised a complaint about this, and have been offered a partial refund for the cost of getting the lens cleaned. However, I'm wondering if the lens is even salvageable. I'm hoping it can be, because it came with a lens board I needed, but if it isn't, the money I spent isn't worth it for just the lens board. Can any of you tell by looking at the photos if the damage is repairable?
Thanks,
Ethan
The scratches are permanent: nothing to do to fix those. The fungus is probably removable, if you know how to disassemble the lens. Would I pay someone to service the lens? No. I'd find out how to disassemble it myself and clean the interior surfaces, and then re-evaluate its condition.
I see various versions of the 300mm Rodagon enlarger lens listed for prices ranging from $200 to $2500. I'm guessing you paid closer to the $200 mark for it. If I had bought this, I would clean it and then test it before deciding if its a keeper or not. If you can clean the fungus and inner surfaces, then its entirely possible the scratches won't matter much.
Re: Can this lens be salvaged?
send it back!
that much fungus has probably already etched the coating n glass.
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Re: Can this lens be salvaged?
How much did you pay after the refund? If it was like $100, I'd keep it and clean it. It will work fine likely.
I had enlarging lens cleaning day a while back. When you hold lenses up to the light, it can look pretty bad, even when the lens performs adequately.
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Re: Can this lens be salvaged?
These are all post cleaning. I was using the two bad ones for test prints, but I could not see any difference between the prints made with those and the newer lenses.
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Re: Can this lens be salvaged?
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Sometimes best not to look at them with a rear shining light:
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Re: Can this lens be salvaged?
Instead of a Rodagon, why not a Componon S or APO process lens?
Bernice
Re: Can this lens be salvaged?
This lens did not come to you as advertised...quit while you can - and send it back! If you take it apart to clean it, and if this does not result in appreciable improvement, there is a chance that the original owner (especially if the lens' actual condition was known to them) might then refuse to take it back...claiming that you'd "ruined it" by your attempted cleaning.
Re: Can this lens be salvaged?
I'd send it back. Life is too short and materials are too expensive to jerk around with a lens you will always have doubts about. You'll end up replacing it anyway and that will cost you double.