Weird marks on lense

[fw]

I bought a secondhand Schneider 180mm Apo-Symmar a few months ago, and have noti ced that on the rear element, a white circle has appeared inside the lense on th e metal of the barrel. It looks as if the metal has been scraped in some way, bu t this could not have happened as it is the interior of the lense, behind the gl ass, that is affected. The glass appears unaffected. Does anyone know what this may be? Is this some ghastly fungus, and if so, should I ensure that the rest of my equipment is segregated to prevent spore drift? If not, what is it?

[Paul Schilliger]

David, I have the same thing on my A-S 150, in the front element. I sent it to the Schneider trader and he told me there was nothing to worry about... so I didn't do anything and the p roblem didn't get worse. It looks to me as if a glued element is separating from the lens barrel. Hopefully, it is just an aesthetic issue.

[Paul Schilliger]

Maybe it would be worse submitting the question to the www.schneideroptics.com t eam though?

[Michael Klayman]

It sounds like it might just be the paint separating from the edge of the element too. Either way, if it's just on the edge, it won't affect the image. But, if you are worried about it spreading, you can send it in to us and have us take a look. This is the sort of thing that would be covered under warranty.