Fine lines inside an old lens- big deal?

[jcee]

Hi.
I just received in the mail a summarit 50/1.5. While the outside of the lens is extremely clean, there is a web of fine lines or scratches in the internal element. I can't describe it more properly than to say 'it looks like dry skin.'

I'm going to shoot a roll of test shots within a few days, but at the same time I'm wondering if someone could tell me if small scratches like these are a really big deal, like something unrepairable, something that decreses the value significantly.

I think I paid around market value and the seller is so nice (maybe he's reading this 😀), I'd like to keep it. If anyone has better knowledge about old lenses like these, please lend me an advise. Thanks!

 

[Silva Lining]

It sounds like fungus to me. These are web like tendrils that 'eat' into the surface coatings of the lens. A small amount of fungus can be cleaned, but sufficient infestation will reduce the contrast and perhaps sharpness of the lens over time. For lenses with only a small amount of fungus around the edges it is unlikely that you will notice any difference in photo quality.

One question I have always wondered is, can fungus be transferred from one lens to another, by keeping an infected lens next to an unaffected one. Does anyone know?

I have always quarantened my infected lenses away from my cleans ones, just to be safe.

 

[OldNick]

I have several older lenses that have that characteristic. I have never paid for an opinion from a technician, but I suspect the problem stems from either aging cement between the elements, or the effects of fungus. In any case, my understanding is that the lines will reduce the contrast of the lens, but you may not notice it in the type of photos that you take.

Jim N.

 

[jcee]

Hi. Thanks both of you for your comments.
If THIS is what lens fungus looks like, it's definitely not what my lens has. It looks more like a cluster of tiny scratches.
However, being the impatient gal that I am, I got my test roll developed and I have to say I'm really surprised how sharp it is, even at wide apertures! With a little bit of exaggeration, I really can't tell the difference from the CV Ultron 28/1.9 I shot a couple pics with for comparison. 😉 And with the bright sun in the west, I expected a lot of flare, but none at all.
The first one was like f2.8 or so and the second one wide open at f1.5. Cheapo Walgreens film, Walgreens processed and scanned with Epson 4990 with its auto-level thingi on. (I'm lazy...)

Looks like this one's a keeper.

 

[OldNick]

Congratulations. Enjoy your new lens.

Jim N.