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The front element on a 50mm f/1.4 I was cleaning just crumbled in my hand last night
It was already hazy and I was trying to get the fungus off, but I pressed too hard with a Q-tip and the coating just flaked off in a chunk. Anyone ever had a lens coating just peel like that on its own?
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amy97526d agoMost Upvoted
Is it really that serious though? I mean, unless you're shooting in a rainstorm or something, a little coating flake isn't gonna ruin your photos, right? @wendy_park76's buddy probably just got unlucky with a lens that was already on its last legs (or maybe he was using too much elbow grease). I've cleaned old lenses with way worse haze and fungus using just a breath and a microfiber cloth, and they're still kicking. Worst case you just buy another cheap 50mm for 50 bucks and move on.
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wendy_park762mo ago
A buddy of mine had the same thing happen with an old Nikon 50mm. He just dabbed at some dust and the whole front coating spiderwebbed right in front of him. Did you get it from a humid climate or something?
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hall.nora2mo ago
Oh come on, you're really gonna blame humidity for a lens coating flaking off? That's just the cheap manufacturing they used back then. I've got a 1960s Super Takumar that's been through three continents including tropical humidity and the coating is still flawless. That Nikon 50mm probably had a bad batch of coatings from the factory, plain and simple. Maybe your buddy should've been more careful with his cleaning method instead of blaming the environment. You don't see Leica lenses falling apart like that, do you?
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