What issues are there with this Aero Ektar lens - and how can I repair them?

[polaroid_memory]

Hi community,

I have been looking for a Kodak Aero Ektar for some time and have been offered one that looks like it needs some TLC.

Its from a company that clears houses, and they have done the best they can of showing the condition and giving descriptions.

Here are the images of the lens.









The iris reportedly opens and closes smoothly, but the black specs inside the lens are apparently pieces of metal or loose paint.

So, the question is, what am I looking at here? Can this lens be opened, cleaned, and restored from this current condition?

Many thanks in advance for all your help.

[nolindan]

Specs of black on the inner surfaces won't have any effect on your pictures. Though if they are shiny and metallic it may be that something in the diaphragm mechanism is grinding itself into dust and needs looking at.

Of more concern is the scratchy/hazy condition in picture #3. If the front of the lens has been badly scratched with euphamistic "cleaning marks" then I would find another lens. It may be that interior surfaces have become hazy for one reason or another and the lens needs to be disassembled and the glass cleaned.

Ask the seller if they can take a picture of the lens with a flashlight shining through from the back - that should show the condition of the front and interior lens surfaces.

[Havoc]

#3 says fungus to me. Might be the photo and how it is taken. The black things are likely paint flakes.

[polaroid_memory]

Ask the seller if they can take a picture of the lens with a flashlight shining through from the back - that should show the condition of the front and interior lens surfaces.

Hi there, thank you for your response.

I did just that, and here are the images...

https://i.imgur.com/gDzLZkt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oG4TrH3.jpg

What do you make of this?

[polaroid_memory]

#3 says fungus to me. Might be the photo and how it is taken. The black things are likely paint flakes.

Hey, thanks for your message.

The seller kindly sent two more images of the haze/fungus on the front element.

https://i.imgur.com/gDzLZkt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oG4TrH3.jpg

Do you think its workable or is this too far gone to be restored and salvaged?

[LabRat]

Specks and spots tend to do little to the image when at random in larger diameter lenses, but avoid larger patches of overall scuff/pitting/scratches as these pull down contrast severely...

It is rareish to find an AE with perfect glass, as most cameras ended up in outdoor junkpiles after the war, before being stripped by surplus dealers, so a common (outdoor stored) condition... But the good news is it is used for special effect lenses now, so these "issues" might "help" their "charm"...

Internal issues can be worse, as it is very difficult to disassemble these, and often frozen together components from it's time out in the rain long ago...

These used to be super cheap before becoming "trendy", but quite expensive now, so cost is a factor... But probably has resale value these daze for a half decent example... ;-)

Steve K