Canon 50mm f/1.8 LTM w/o haze - does it exist?

[p-c]

For some time now I've been looking for a Canon 50/1.8 LTM lens without haze, - with no luck. I have two of these lenses myself, but both have haze on the rear part of the inner elements. I have tried to clean the haze off with lens cleaning fluid, vinegar, heptane, and with toothpaste... Not even a marginal improvement. (The lenses give dull colors and flare and they are parked in my drawer.) Too bad as the lenses are, not considering the haze, in perfect condition.

Now, should I give up the search for a haze free one and in stead consider an alternative?

 

[Highway 61]

For some time now I've been looking for a Canon 50/1.8 LTM lens without haze, - with no luck. I have two of these lenses myself, but both have haze on the rear part of the inner elements. I have tried to clean the haze off with lens cleaning fluid, vinegar, heptane, and with toothpaste... Not even a marginal improvement. (The lenses give dull colors and flare and they are parked in my drawer.) Too bad as the lenses are, not considering the haze, in perfect condition.

Now, should I give up the search for a haze free one and instead consider an alternative?

Yes it does exist and the Canon 50/1.8 LTM lenses without haze are mainly the all bright chrome ones.

Yet the black and satin chrome ones, if without haze, are optically better and the difference shows especially in the corners.

You can find one without haze. Be patient and persistent.

It mainly deals with how the lens was stored. For having taken several of them apart in order to CLA them, I can say that this "haze" which no cleaning fluid will remove is actually acid fungus having etched the glass surface. Looks like the focusing helical damping grease vapors have been a food of choice for that kind of fungus in that series of lenses.

 

[lxmike]

I am in the hunt for a haze free lens too, everytime l look on Fleabay it seems all or most have haze present

 

[p-c]

Yes it does exist and the Canon 50/1.8 LTM lenses without haze are mainly the all bright chrome ones.

Yet the black and satin chrome ones, if without haze, are optically better and the difference shows especially in the corners.

Yes, it's the black one I am looking for...

 

[ulrich.von.lich]

I heard somewhere the haze couldn't be removed from the Canon 50/1.8 due to the impossibility to disassemble some inner glass group, is it true or is it because of fungus?

 

[lxmike]

Reading this thread made me re look at fleabay and l pulled the trigger on this apparently haze free 50/1.8, hope it turns out to be a good one, the very best of luck in your quest for one too

 

[jonmanjiro]

Kanto Camera manufactures a replacement element for the element that goes hazy in the Canon 50/1.8. Not cheap though... about 25,000 yen from memory. According to Yamazaki-san of Yamazaki Optics (a well known lens repolishing/recoating/repair service in Tokyo) the haze is caused by the type of glass Canon used in the element that goes hazy. He told me not to waste my money getting any Canon lenses cleaned as the haze would just come back. Seems that whatever Canon added to the glass to achieve the required refractive index in those elements that go hazy causes the glass to not age very well.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Just get the all chrome version. Problem solved. Really.

 

[ray*j*gun]

I have a clear black version but now will be concerned about how well it will continue to age. Wish I had known this when I bought the lens a few years ago. For now it is a fabulous lens in all ways but how long will it stay clean???

 

[aicardi]

I have the black and silver with no haze.

 

[Mackinaw]

I have a clear black version but now will be concerned about how well it will continue to age. Wish I had known this when I bought the lens a few years ago. For now it is a fabulous lens in all ways but how long will it stay clean???

Considering your lens is 40+ years old and has yet to show haze, I think you’re OK.

Jim B.

 

[ray*j*gun]

Thanks Jim....

 

[p-c]

Reading this thread made me re look at fleabay and l pulled the trigger on this apparently haze free 50/1.8, hope it turns out to be a good one, the very best of luck in your quest for one too

Hard to see from the photo. The glass can appear really nice and clear, but with a flashlight.... Hope the lens you bought is good!

I'm communicating With a seller from Japan now, want him to do 'the flashlight test', but all I get is the regular pictures. We'll see 🙂.

 

[p-c]

Just get the all chrome version. Problem solved. Really.

Not for me. More weight 🙂

 

[ray*j*gun]

This was taken with said lens last month in Lake Placid NY

 

[ray*j*gun]

This one as well....

 

[p-c]

I heard somewhere the haze couldn't be removed from the Canon 50/1.8 due to the impossibility to disassemble some inner glass group, is it true or is it because of fungus?

I suspect that the haze in one of my lenses is inside the cemented duplet. If this is true, it's Close to impossible to disassemble. On the other one I have, I suspect that the haze is on the rear surface of the duplet. It seems like the coating is damaged there. Nonetheless, I was not successfull in cleaning it.

 

[p-c]

I have the black and silver with no haze.

So there is hope 🙂 !

 

[aicardi]

So there is hope 🙂 !

Yes, there is.

 

[jwnash1]

According to Yamazaki-san of Yamazaki Optics (a well known lens repolishing/recoating/repair service in Tokyo) the haze is caused by the type of glass Canon used in the element that goes hazy. He told me not to waste my money getting any Canon lenses cleaned as the haze would just come back. .

Is this true of all the black and chrome lenses or just the 50 1.8?

John