Originally posted by tvdtvdtvd You may not need to send it back. First confirm the scratch does not effect image quality. Then assess what you paid for the lens.
If you feel you paid fair money for a cosmetically clean lens, then reach out to the seller and politely mention the scratch and point
out that such a scratch does affect resale value even if it doesn't affect image quality.
I had a similar incident occur not long ago and the seller refunded 30% of the sale price in compensation. I was quite content with
that resolution.
Good advice and thank you for mentioning this option. That would probably be the easiest solution. I will most likely throw that out to the seller and see what he says.
---------- Post added 10-20-14 at 08:23 PM ----------
Originally posted by paulh What Dave and the others said ^^. Definitely give it a try. But the rear element might concern me a bit. Are those blobs of oil? I saw something like this on an F35-70 a craigslist seller was showing me. Turned out the lens was full of oil from the aperture blades, and was actually stuck wide open. Check the aperture lever to see if its "snappy". Hope everything is ok, because this is an excellent lens.
I don't see anything too unusual other than the scratch. The light I used was quite bright so it definitely lit up the usual dust like a Christmas tree. Thank you for mentioning though. I will give it a closer inspection.
---------- Post added 10-20-14 at 08:32 PM ----------
Originally posted by aleonx3 Looking at the picture, are you referring to,
1) rear element blotches?
2) bright line indicating possible scratch on front element?
3) excessive amount of dust?
To me 1) probably causes more concern as it could be fungus, mould or something else. Both 2) and 3) are common in older lenses but usually does not affect image quality although as someone mentioned, may affect resale value if you decide to sell it later. I would suggest contacting the seller to advise of the situation first, and then clean the rear/front element of the lens. If the problem goes away, then you have to evaluate whether it is worth keeping it (which depends on how much you pay for it). Of course, YMMV.
1) looked like a fingerprint (who would touch the rear element with their finger??). I gave it a quick clean with lens cleaner and a microfiber cloth and it looks good now.
2) Yes, the bright line is the scratch I was referring to. Need to evaluate if it affects IQ.
3) Not really concerned about the dust as this is an old lens and the light I was using was pretty darn bright so it lit up everything. Wouldn't expect it to affect IQ.