[Henrico]

This could not been sold as "excellent", it has flaws. The seller should have known this.


The crack is on the far outer side of the frontlens, isn't it? As being a tele, a crack in the front lens is by far out of focus and barely visible on the sensor. Because it also is on the outer side, it will only affect IQ using the lens wide open on full frame. And because it is only a very small percentage of the total surface of the front lens I suppose it doesn't reduce visible IQ at all. It is more a annoying cosmetic issue.


Most likely the front lens was cracked in a attempt to remove it. Maybe to remove haze or in a attempt cleaning the blades. Unscrewing its front ring, a front lens still can be stucked in its packing. Worse thing you can do is trying to whipe it out using something sharp. You have to remove the glass with a sucker.


Sticky aperture blades can be cleaned by a professional. Because it is not an autofocus lens this might be easely done. With proper blades this lens will perform like new. But you payed a lot of money...

[MalcS]

This could not been sold as "excellent", it has flaws. The seller should have known this.


The crack is on the far outer side of the frontlens, isn't it? As being a tele, a crack in the front lens is by far out of focus and barely visible on the sensor. Because it also is on the outer side, it will only affect IQ using the lens wide open on full frame. And because it is only a very small percentage of the total surface of the front lens I suppose it doesn't reduce visible IQ at all. It is more a annoying cosmetic issue.


Most likely the front lens was cracked in a attempt to remove it. Maybe to remove haze or in a attempt cleaning the blades. Unscrewing its front ring, a front lens still can be stucked in its packing. Worse thing you can do is trying to whipe it out using something sharp. You have to remove the glass with a sucker.


Sticky aperture blades can be cleaned by a professional. Because it is not an autofocus lens this might be easely done. With proper blades this lens will perform like new. But you payed a lot of money...

The crack is actually in the second element, which I think is ED glass if the diagram in the forum lens reviews section is correct.

Judging by the state of the ring that holds the front element in place (and the others inside the lens), I would say there has been no attempt to take it apart since it was made (lens spanners / wrenches generally leave a mark in the soft aluminum rings, knock the flat black paint off etc, no sign of that at all). Unless someone had a replacement element, I’m not sure it would be at all advisable to take it apart, it could only make things worse.

It may have been ok as is, the aperture blades might have been an easy fix, but I decided not to take a chance on it, and sent it back today.

As has been pointed out, it could have got worse if the glass moved at all, fixing it properly (assuming Pentax even have the damaged element, they may not) would have been really expensive I’m sure, and would have exceeded the used value of a similar lens. That said, it might have been just fine ‘as-is’ for the next 20 years...and the crack may have minimal to zero effect on images, it is maybe 5-8mm from the edge.

At a massive discount to a few hundred bucks, it might have been worth the risk, but I decided not to even ask them if they’d consider it.

Anyone who’s interested in making them an offer (I don’t know what they’d be open to) could contact Josh at Calagaz Photo in Pensacola, FL, you might get lucky, I have no idea, but I can’t imagine what else they’d do with the thing in its current state. It’s missing it’s rear filter, but I imagine any 49mm UV or clear filter would fit the holder, which is present.

I would also say I don’t think Calagaz really knew. Unless you’re looking closely, or with a flashlight, the crack is not super apparent (but they should have seen it). Likewise, the aperture stickiness could have been missed if you just operated it once or twice, it’s a bit sporadic, but it is a problem they should have seen. They sent me a return label right away.