I have bought a 25 years old G-Claron. It looks pretty clean from the outside bu t when looking through to a bulb, there is some haze on the sealed surfaces of t he elements. How much will this affect the lens contrast, and is a cleaning up s omething affordable?
I am curious about this too. What makes a lens get hazy?
Paul: In all probability the haze will have no effect on your pictures. In the days of uncoated lenses, the haze actually increased contrast and cut glare. Make some test shots and see if it doesn't work o.k. If the haze bugs you, it shouldn't be expensive to have the lens cells cleaned. Good shooting, Doug.
Paul
Get the lens cleaned. Haze is a sure way to kill contrast.
I managed to clean up a 210mm Fujinon W and 210mm APO Lanthar using Windex - common ammonia based household window cleaner (a perfect haze and fungus remover).
The main issue is opening up (or how to open up) the lens. If you're not comfortable with doing it yourself, send it to a workshop. Can't cost much to get haze cleaned.
G-Clarons are bitingly sharp lenses.
Doug, I think you are referring to natural 'blooming' or lens tarnishing, which has a contrast increasing effect, not haze. Haze effectively lowers contrast, not increase it.
Not all haze is created equal. The G-Claron is coated but not multi-coated and the haze you see (at that age) can most likely be easily removed with simple disassembly and cleaning--but if you have never done it, it's best left to a professional! Make some exposures before and after cleaning to compare, you may be surprised. Many believe that coating mostly improves optical performance but another function is to prevent premature tarnish or oxidation of the glass surface. Doug (who knows his stuff) mentions this type of haze which many call "bloom" and which is largely associated with uncoated glass. The bloom condition in aging uncoated glass was discovered to improve lens speed and led to the creation of modern coating methods. Some lenses get internal haze as the metal and paint compounds within the casing slowly age, this is most likely the G-Claron's trouble and should clean up nicely. I've paid $40 to $80 for top-notch service.
CW/Doug
Point taken about the terminology. I have always thought that "tarnish" was tarnish and "haze" was haze. I did not realise that there haze could mean tarnish as well.
If it appears hazy when looking through it then it ain't "bloom." Bloom shows up like a spotty reflection on a lens surface. If you're lucky it is from fumes coming from an excessively lubricated shutter. These can be cleaned with ordinary lens cleaner, and should not be inside a lens element. Otherwise it is lens cement which has slightly crystalized from getting too hot at some time, and you are screwed.
Paul: I am a firm believer in doing repairs on my own lenses, including a bit of shutter repair and cleaning on my shutters, but disassembling a lens cell is another matter. It can be done, but without the proper tools you will probably chew up the retaining rings and can do damage to the glass. Some of the interior glass is quite fragile. It can be scratched easily and shatters with too much pressure or uneven pressure. The elements also need to be centered when the lens is reassembled for maximum sharpness. As I said, it can be done, but you need to know what you are doing. There is definatly risk that you can screw up a good lens. Good shooting, Doug.
Paul,
About a year ago I discovered a similar haze inside the front element of my older 210 Symmar S. As far as I could tell, it did not have any adverse effect on my images, but it bothered me nontheless.
I thought it would just be simple cleaning job, so I brought it to a local lens repair person here (a certified Nikon repair center). He took the front cell apart and cleaned the haze off.
A few months later the haze started to come back. I then called Steve Grimes and he told me to send the cell to him. He called me back and told me it was some sort of "outgassing" inside the lens elements, not a fungus, and not caused by moisture, incorrect storage or ill-treatment.
He said many Schneider lenses suffered from this problem. He said he uses a chemical treatment to clean the haze off, and also "sealed" the interior of the lens to prevent future outgassing/haze. Only charged me $50.
And he also advised me the first repairman had slightly damaged the very delicate coating on the lens element(s) when he tried to physically wipe off the haze. Grimes said he does not wipe off the haze, he soaks it in the chemical to remove the haze; the coatings on the earlier Schneider lenses was quite soft.
Now the lens looks crystal clear. Grimes has my business from now on. Very nice man to deal with, prompt and professional.
Hope this helps. Good luck, Sergio.
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