Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/10/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In article <Pine.PMDF.3.91.961001090020.3467C-100000@GBMS01.UWGB.EDU>, TONY GALT <galta@GBMS01.UWGB.EDU> writes >I have inherited a 90mm f/2.8 Tele Elmarit -- a really nice and compact >lens -- but it has an abrasion on the front element that is perhaps .5mm >long. In certain lights, this causes a white flare spot on my >transparencies, always in the same place along the lower lefthand edge of >the frame. Otherwise the images appear sharp. I have read that putting >some black laquer on such a scratched spot can help with flair (although I >believe I read this in a discussion of large format lenses). Does anyone >have any suggestions about what to do. Would replacing the front element >be a possibility, and what expense might it entail? How about laquering >the spot? I can think of three possibilities; blackening the abrasion so that it does not introduce misdirected light into the image, replacing the front element, and regrinding the front element. You'd need to consult someone who does these things to establish what is needed. I have heard that replacing the front element is very expensive indeed. Someone who does regrinding in the UK (Malcolm Taylor) said that regrinding a front element of a Summarit and then recoating it could cost around UKP 150.00 or thereabouts (if my memory serves me correctly). My understanding of the blackening is that on a longer focal length lens the blackened area will be so out of focus that it will not appear in the picture. -- joe b.