[nerky774]

Hi all, I recently bought a Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 200mm f/4. The lens looks good however I noticed a small amount of fungus and haze in the front element. My question is; should I pay to have it clean by someone ( might be more expensive than the lens itself) or should I give it a shot and do it myself? Are there any resources where I can learn this by myself?

Thanks in advance and happy holidays.

[ismaelg]

Hello,

That will depend on your tools and of course abilities. The front elements are usually held in place by a ring from the front, whether a friction or spanner. If using a spanner wrench you need to be careful not to slip and damage anything. Do you have pictures of it?
There is a thread on lens revival stories. Maybe it can help.
Lenses back from the dead! - PentaxForums.com

Thanks,

[officiousbystander]

I would only do it myself if I didn't mind ruining it. I've had an old Takumar 50 1.4 de-fungified professionally and it's now as good as new. If it was me it might still be in pieces. But some people are more handy than others.

[nerky774]

I would only do it myself if I didn't mind ruining it. I've had an old Takumar 50 1.4 de-fungified professionally and it's now as good as new. If it was me it might still be in pieces. But some people are more handy than others.

How much did it cost to have it clean?

[nerky774]

Hello,

That will depend on your tools and of course abilities. The front elements are usually held in place by a ring from the front, whether a friction or spanner. If using a spanner wrench you need to be careful not to slip and damage anything. Do you have pictures of it?
There is a thread on lens revival stories. Maybe it can help.
Lenses back from the dead! - PentaxForums.com

Thanks,

Saludos Ismaelg. I used to live in Carolina PR. I moved to AZ to complete my Ph.D., I'm not at my place but this is the photo from the seller when I bought it. Some dots on the front element and then some around the borders.

[ismaelg]

Saludos!
That's a spanner ring up front. Looks like easy access to the front element. You can get a spanner wrench or you can use a compass or any other tool that can be adjusted to the exact size. I've even used a measurement caliper as a spanner in a pinch. If you give it a go, once you have the element out you can clean with hydrogen peroxide followed by Isopropyl Alcohol. A good microfiber cloth will help to make sure it is squeaky clean without streaks. Revert process and enjoy!
Warning: this can become a hobby on its own... Don't ask me how I know...

Thanks,

[ramseybuckeye]

It's not that hard with the right tools, the front element is the easiest. Here's the spanner I bought a couple months ago. I don't know if this one is any better or worse than any other, just to give you an idea what they look like.

[officiousbystander]

How much did it cost to have it clean?

It was ten years ago so I can't remember. But not so much that I would remember. Perhaps between $60 and $100 AUD.

For Sydneysiders these people are great: https://www.cameraservicecentre.com.au/

They're honest, efficient and happy to tell you if the job isn't worth doing. Apart from repairs I think they've CLA'd five film cameras for me.

[Fenwoodian]

They're honest, efficient and happy to tell you if the job isn't worth doing.

I've purchased dozens and dozens of lenses "for parts". Most I thought I might be able to successfully repair/clean. From my experience, I've found that you never know for sure going in to most lens repairs if you can clean / repair the lens or not.

For example, I've been fooled more than once by haze and fungus thinking that it would be an easy repair job. But once inside, I determined that none of my 6 or 8 solvents would effectively remove the haze or fungus residue. Also, it's easy to mis-diagnose a problem. On occasion before taking a lens apart, I iniitially thought the problem was fungus or haze and once inside found that it was really "separation" (a fatal and non-repairable problem).

But, we've all got to start somewhere. So, if you can afford to trash this lens you're having problems with, I encourage you to watch a few YouTube videos on lens repair, buy a few rudiementary lens repair tools, and have a go at it. Your success rate will go up in time, but even after doing it for over 10 years, I still end up trashing a lens every so often because I was unable to repair/clean it.

Good luck and have fun!

[BROO]

Here is some homework

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

It is easy. You just need the right tools.

I did one just the other day👍
Cheers

[HarisF1]

I've purchased dozens and dozens of lenses "for parts". Most I thought I might be able to successfully repair/clean. From my experience, I've found that you never know for sure going in to most lens repairs if you can clean / repair the lens or not.

For example, I've been fooled more than once by haze and fungus thinking that it would be an easy repair job. But once inside, I determined that none of my 6 or 8 solvents would effectively remove the haze or fungus residue. Also, it's easy to mis-diagnose a problem. On occasion before taking a lens apart, I iniitially thought the problem was fungus or haze and once inside found that it was really "separation" (a fatal and non-repairable problem).

But, we've all got to start somewhere. So, if you can afford to trash this lens you're having problems with, I encourage you to watch a few YouTube videos on lens repair, buy a few rudiementary lens repair tools, and have a go at it. Your success rate will go up in time, but even after doing it for over 10 years, I still end up trashing a lens every so often because I was unable to repair/clean it.

Good luck and have fun!

I find that it helps to look at the optical diagram before going for the 'hazy' lenses. It's saved me a couple of times. But I mainly sort out Pentax lenses so I'm pretty used to the lens designs now.

If there's fungus it's usually very easy to clean on Pentax lenses. The lens coating rarely sustains lasting damage from my experience. Blowing fog onto the lens always shows the signs of fungus but it doesn't affect the lens in any obvious manner.

[Gopersuel]

A good dose of ultraviolet lamp can also help you, it will kill the fungi and if there are few, they may not be noticed in the photos and thus save having to open the lens. Although it is best to open and clean. Cheers

[marcusBMG]

fyi

Lens Spanners -- Using the right tool for the job - PentaxForums.com

[DWS1]

If it were me, I would look for another copy. The cost of a professional repair is probably more than it's worth, and if I tried it myself I would probably end up destroying it.

[Alex645]

Hi all, I recently bought a Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 200mm f/4. The lens looks good however I noticed a small amount of fungus and haze in the front element. My question is; should I pay to have it clean by someone ( might be more expensive than the lens itself) or should I give it a shot and do it myself? Are there any resources where I can learn this by myself?

How much did you pay for the lens?
Have you tested the lens at different apertures? Does it appear as if the fungus is making a significant impact on the image?

Lots of previous posts with good advice. Personally, I'd let it be unless I was certain the fungus was significantly affecting your images.

I would only DIY if you enjoy the process and won't regret making things worse at the expense of experience.