Cleaning marks vs scratches

[Chuck A]

When people are selling a lens and describe the lens condition they often refer to the lens having cleaning marks. What is the difference between cleaning marks and an actual scratched element? Or are cleaning marks just a nice way to say scratched?

I ask this because I recently bought a lens that claimed to have a few cleaning marks on the elements which turned out to be fine scratches that really effected the lens contrast. They weren't deep or very pronounced, but the effect was there. How much of this scratching does it take to effect lens performance?

I always have bought lenses in like new condition and wouldn't settle for scratches. I thought that I would try a lens with cleaning marks. From now on I wil be very wary of lens descriptions that include cleaning marks.

BTW, I returned the lens.

 

[jaapv]

My camera repairman claims that he can usually remove cleaning marks.

 

[Nick R.]

Cleaning marks are fine scratches caused by grit trapped between the cleaning cloth or paper and the lens element. "Scratches" are large scratches caused by the lens interacting with a foreign object like, for example, bumping into something while being tossed around in a camera bag. In the end, they're all just scratches, just of different magnitudes.