How cleanable are old telephoto lenses ?

docucat · Joined: 01 Jun 2015 Posts: 7

Have been looking quite a long for cheap 400 or 500mm lens and found one fitting my pocket, but it has some fungus and haze in it, visually good condition.
I guess it is variation of old Spiratone 400mm f6.3 T mount , just different brand (do not remember, but lees known importer of some kind), guess they all were similar, sorry no photos.

How cleanable are they ? How easy to dissemble and clean ?
From what I know it has 4 elements and preset aperture.
From front seems first element can be taken out by using spanning wrench or something similar, there were some screws along the body also, but did not had too much time to look at it.
It has small dent on filter ring also, so taking off first element may be tricky also. But there seems to be guides how to make it better on internet.

So at end, how cleanable are these simple big old telephoto lenses ?
Any references ?

Thanks !

visualopsins · Expire: 2021-06-22

Easy to disassemble. Long tube unscrews into sections -- joint under tripod mount -- to get to rear elements. Front could be name ring or other typical access depending on brand. One of the rear elements is prone to coating corrosion which cannot be cleaned, however, the leftover haze doesn't seem to have much effect on lens performance (as compared to same lens without hazy element).

I've cleaned a few of the Soligors...

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1747

I agree such lenses should be relatively straightforward to disassemble and clean up. Thing is:

Am uncertain about other brands but I agree with you many resemble the Spiratone. And with Spiratone it's important to shoot for the Pluracoat upgrade. All it is is better coating; the optics are identical to the older Spiratone 400s without the Pluracoat designation. But you will see these lenses for sale both ways, with and without the Pluracoat upgrade . . . and seldom is the upgrade reflected in the pricing. But the Pluracoat upgrade, when present, is always indicated on the name ring.

Ramon · Joined: 01 May 2007 Posts: 71 Location: Kent, UK

I've had a few of these T2 mount 400 & 500 lenses, although not as far as I remember a Spriratone, not that it makes much difference because they all seem to be the same design.

The most common problem is haze on the rear rear element, usually cleanable but sometimes not.
It can sometimes be a bit difficult to remove the rear element so I would suggest that you look for one without the haze.

docucat · Joined: 01 Jun 2015 Posts: 7

It is not spiratone, but remanded version, looked similar, guess there were several variatons with minor changes back in the day.
Guess I will take it, will see what I can do with it Smile

marcusBMG · Joined: 07 Dec 2012 Posts: 1298 Location: Conwy N Wales

AVOID ones with hazed rear elements. In my experience this is caused by surface deterioration of the glass and isn't cleanable/fixable (see pics in one of the other threads). Fungus isn't usually a problem these as mentioned are normally some of the most easily cleanable lenses.

I've tried most of the common types of these, and with most have contributed a review on Pentax forums. Check out the reviews there, but in summary the tokina RMC 400mm variants and the old style "stovepipe" Tokyo Koki tele tokina 400mm tend to be the best IME.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

Haze is not good, it's generally impossible to clean off a lens. It seems to some kind of oxidization of the glass surface that etches the glass. I'd pass on a lens that looks foggy because of haze, especially a lens like an old 400mm, there are plenty around and can be found cheap enough. In the last 2 years I bought a Soligor 400 / 6.3 that was mint and boxed for �25 and a Vivitar 400 / 5.6 in similar condition for �15.

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

I saw a really clean Soligor 400 / 5.6 today at the camera fair, Olympus OM mount and �20. There was a few Spiratone and other brand 400's as well, all cheap. It's hardly worth bothering to clean one, just wait for a good one, there's plenty about.

docucat · Joined: 01 Jun 2015 Posts: 7

Well maybe in UK and US there are plenty but in baltic states there are literally none, all you can find there are some old Russian 50mm lenses and over the top priced other ones.

Anyway I got the lens and it seems all elements are perfectly clean except the back element, I though it was haze, but now it seems it may have been done intentionally (still may be just a haze), it is smeared with some white half transparent stuff and it gives quite interesting photos (really low contrast, almost grey), I do not have adapter for it, so I literally screwed lens to tripod and held camera in front of it, will go test it outside a bit.

I attached one of pictures (resized)

edit :
I actually managed to clear some of that white stuff off with tissue, but there still are a lot what are not going off, the grey style effect is lost though, I am little bit disappointed I cleared it off so fast Very Happy

Will ask someone for spanning wrench to clear it off completely(if possible). Lens does need a lot of light and using it without adapter is large pain in ass also so as it s dark day...