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Archive 2017 · is this fungus?

  
 
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · is this fungus?


so got my contax 35-70 today. Body is in fantastic shape. HOWEVER the seller stated glass is in MINT shape. Yeah right. I am guessing this is fungus?

i am not very happy. Shipping was pretty quick from Japan to here (9 days), but i paid $440 for this "mint" lens. is it worth getting it cleaned at their expense, or just open a claim with paypal and get my money back - and return shipping on him as i paid $40 to ship it...

















Jun 21, 2017 at 05:48 PM
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · is this fungus?


and he sent me the wrong lens. Serial numbers don't match LINK TO AUCTION


Jun 21, 2017 at 05:50 PM
starlights
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · is this fungus?


I think you should ask the seller to replace the lens at his cost and if he doesn't respond in the next couple of days with a solution to your satisfaction then you couldn't be blamed for opening a case with ebay. This was a business transaction and he sent you something different from what he showcased.

Alternatively if you can live with the lens then you can settle for a decent discount via partial refund.

Its hard to tell if its fungus - looks more like debris but its a difficult call looking at pictures.



Jun 21, 2017 at 06:50 PM
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · is this fungus?


so he contacted me back - said he would either refund me or give me $50 off.

the lens is really in BEAUTIFUL shape - other than the debris, which could or could not be fungus. I am sure a repair would be a couple hundred. What gets me is he didn't even send me the lens in the auction... I have a trip planned in early July..

thanks for the info too!



Jun 21, 2017 at 07:10 PM
AdaptedLenses
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · is this fungus?


Given the serial numbers don't match, I'd push for the "correct" lens. Probably won't get it, but worth a shot. Sounds like he has one mint copy then ships out sub par copies...


Jun 21, 2017 at 08:42 PM
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · is this fungus?


the seller has been in touch with me. He states he is 88 years old, and his eyes weren't what they used to be. Who knows if this is true.

i did ask him about the mismatching serial numbers - that is when he stated his age, and that he made a mistake. Looking online, i have emailed several repair shops to get a quote. Will see what they say. If the seller will refund me the repair costs, i might just keep it (depending).

eBay again sucks. I shouldn't have paid with my remaining balance in my paypal account, and just had it come out of my bank account. I have to wait until next Wednesday to have them (seller) pay for return shipping, and then send it off. So my money will be tied up until at least mid July - and i have a trip coming up..

If i can get this thing cleaned up properly and be out no more money, i will keep it. I doubt i can get it cleaned for $50; probably closer to $150... and i waited weeks for a mint 35-70 to show up



Jun 21, 2017 at 09:00 PM
AmbientMike
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · is this fungus?


Idk. It's hard to tell if it's fungus or not. Of course, fungus hurts value, however I'm not really sure if I'm seeing fungus or not, and the dust looks minor. ?.

It looks like it would perform, imo.



Jun 21, 2017 at 09:29 PM
arduluth
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · is this fungus?


Yeah, not sure I'm seeing anything more than a small amount of dust. With lenses of this age, some dust should be expected. Not sure if you're seeing something that doesn't come through in the photograph, though. Dust like that will not make a difference in your images.

Even if you can get the seller to swap it for the lens with the correct SN, I wouldn't hold your breath for a completely dust-free lens.

Here's an example of fungus:



Jun 21, 2017 at 09:35 PM
Paul Mo
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · is this fungus?


I am strict about serial numbers matching - the listed and received item. Personally I would ask for the listed item. If no dice, then buy off someone else after returning this lens at seller's expense.


Jun 21, 2017 at 09:52 PM
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · is this fungus?


well this makes me feel a bit better (if it isn't anything worse than dust). here is a "better" photo of the issue. it doesn't look like fungus (compared to what i have seen in images), but i have never had a lens with fungus or tons of dust.

he has another lens listed in "same condition" as what i thought i was buying. Serial number doesn't match what i received. I asked him if he would swap me. no response yet.

to be honest, if it is just dust, i can deal with it since i can get it cleaned for probably not a ton of money. The other lenses listed on eBay from Japan, a high percentage seem to have either some fungus and/or haze.

I appreciate all the help and advise! I get my adapter tomorrow, and will test this lens out.







Jun 21, 2017 at 10:56 PM
lbloom
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · is this fungus?


Looks inorganic to me, i.e., nothing like fungus.


Jun 22, 2017 at 12:12 AM
CMYK Designs
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · is this fungus?


Bait and switch BS....open a case with eBay and get your money back.


Jun 22, 2017 at 04:15 AM
jcolwell
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · is this fungus?


Dustin Gent wrote:
and he sent me the wrong lens. Serial numbers don't match LINK TO AUCTION


I would immediately return the lens and ask for a full refund, including the cost to return the lens. I would not put much, if any, weight on the seller's excuses.



Jun 22, 2017 at 04:39 AM
ZoneV
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · is this fungus?


For me it does not look like fungus, see the other examples on my pages:
http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/Lens-Fungus.html
http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/glaspilz_reinigung.html
http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/glaspilz-apo-rodagon-50.html
http://www.4photos.de/camera-diy/Fungus-Canon-FD300-2.8L.html

So depending on the price and how I like the lens I would perhaps try to lower the price a bit, and use the lens.



Jun 22, 2017 at 09:08 AM
AdaptedLenses
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · is this fungus?


Short answer, for the $400 you paid, then lens MUST go back from a financial standpoint, or you're looking at a potential bath down the road when you try and sell (think $150-$250 value.) Will it still take good photos, sure, but it won't hold that value.

No one is going to give you an accurate quote to clean without inspecting. It's possible too that they'll get it and tell you it's beyond economical repair (ie it'll cost more to fix than it's worth.) By the time you send it to them and get it back, you may be outside eBay's 30 days.

Doesn't look like fungus now that I can see it on a large screen, but can't eliminate entirely. Does look like a more significant collection of dust that I've ever seen. Could also be coating wear (unlikely but I've seen some odd ones.) Could be separation in the front cemented group (https://www.zeiss.com/content/dam/camera-lenses/files/service/download-center/datasheets/historical-lenses/contax-yashica/datasheet-zeiss-vario-sonnar-343570-en.pdf) , repair of a cemented doublet will run you $250-$300. The most recent close up looks like small nicks in the glass. Hard to say how that would happen but not impossible. Could also be pitting from a cleaned fungus infection previously, though that usually looks somewhat like the fungus itself. Of course if it was opened to clean then you can only hope it was put back right (but if it shoots good that not too much an issue. Anyway, it can be very difficult to even figure out where it is in the front glass, and may be very difficult / impossible to get to to clean.

When you asked about the purchase I said you got a normal price for a real good copy of the lens. Mystery substance on the glass means you didn't get that lens. If you want a good shooter and can stomach financial loss than it'll still take good photos. If you want to protect your investment, you know what you need to do...



Jun 22, 2017 at 10:38 AM
Frogfish
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · is this fungus?


Looks like dust not fungus. All lenses of that age are going to have dust that more than likely won't affect the IQ. Check EBay for the going price for a lens of that quality and use that as the basis for negotiating a discount. If he doesn't agree then say you'll return it as his expense - he'll be out of pocket for transport both ways and fees, so you'll probably get the substantial discount you ask for.


Jun 22, 2017 at 11:11 AM
Gunzorro
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · is this fungus?


Dustin -- Doesn't look like fungus.

Seems like some dust, possible reflections back off the internal baffling ridges, and a long shot -- slight separation of front lens group. This is all mostly cosmetic and won't affect images unless slight flare caused by obliquely angled strong light sources.

I agree with Jim -- simply because it is not the same serial number as the listed eBay item. That's enough to send back for full refund.

This is not an eBay problem. This and many other unwanted or unpredictable factors are all part of buying out-of-date obsolete lenses (and other gear). It is common to have to settle for something that is overall very good, but has a few problems. I specifically look for items that are somewhat cosmetically damaged, if I can use past experience to calculate my odds of getting an outstanding imaging lens for very little money.

#1 Rule of buying used photo gear: Never buy used gear when you are under a deadline to leave on assignment or travel.

I agree with Kevin above -- contact the seller using the info (serial #, dust) to secure a discount of around $100. Otherwise, return the item right away after opening a case on eBay.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.




Jun 22, 2017 at 12:45 PM
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · is this fungus?


wow, thanks everyone for the great info and help! i emailed John over at focalpointlens.com and this is what he replied, and i emailed him some photos

Hello Dustin, photographs are never helpful because they are 2 dimensional! However, I would say (guess) it appears that your lens has had moisture in it at one time (humidity or condensation) and as it lays on the surface it seeps thru the pores of the coating and black edge paint! What you see are the tiny white dots from the corrosion because good optical glass often has heavy metal (rare earth) additives to increase the refractive index (gives you richer warm tones by controlling the long wave lengths).


Best Regards,
John Van Stelten

on a follow up email, he stated it could run a few hundred dollars and even he would sent it back!

if the seller would refund me back 250, id keep the lens.



Jun 22, 2017 at 01:04 PM
tntcorp
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · is this fungus?


Dustin Gent wrote:
the seller has been in touch with me. He states he is 88 years old, and his eyes weren't what they used to be. Who knows if this is true.

i did ask him about the mismatching serial numbers - that is when he stated his age, and that he made a mistake. Looking online, i have emailed several repair shops to get a quote. Will see what they say. If the seller will refund me the repair costs, i might just keep it (depending).

eBay again sucks. I shouldn't have paid with my remaining balance in my paypal
...Show more



as of last year, zeiss quote for a front element replacement for the newer 135/2 is $300 us.

I would imagine their cleaning fee is not so terribly expensive if the issue impacts only the front element.





Jun 22, 2017 at 01:11 PM
Two23
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · is this fungus?


CMYK Designs wrote:
Bait and switch BS....open a case with eBay and get your money back.



Well, maybe. There are quite a few very elderly men in Japan who are now selling off their collections. It's certainly plausible this is an older guy with vision problems. I buy many, many old lenses (mostly 19th century,) and this looks like dust to me. Zooms often have a small amount of dust like this.


Kent in SD




Jun 22, 2017 at 05:11 PM
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