What is wrong here, and is it fixable?

[Mos6502]

I recently acquired a very scarce wide angle lens off of ebay (this whole transaction has been a mess... my first actually bad ebay deal in years) - this lens had rather bad haze on it, but after cleaning it with all sorts of different things, this haze remains on this one element (all other elements are clean now).

I think this may be a cemented group, and the haze is internal. Is there there any way to know for sure? And if so - can it be fixed?

I doubt that I will be seeing another one of these lenses any time soon, so I'd like to get it useable.

[Kathmandu]

[Mos6502]

It is a Soligor Miranda 28mm PAD lens, as described here: http://miranda.s32.xrea.com/miranda/MSJ_html/lens/wide_lens.html



8 elements in six groups. I could not find a diagram of this specific lens though.

[trifox]

this looks pretty bad..

If you can only 'scratch' the lens .. then you won't clean it.

The damage is permanent, I am afraid.

It may be some acid (even vinegar might cause such a damage)

tf

[Attila]

If no other way to rescue it take this bad looking element to an optical shop they have machinery to polish glasses. Give it a try!

[Mos6502]

Hmmmm. I'd hate to return it, even though I'm already strongly considering it because the item was not described correctly.

Could it be glue residue? This element is glued it in it appears (no retaining ring). There was definitely a film of gunk on it, but I let it sit in soapy water for an hour and it seemed to come off easily after that. I had tried lighter fluid before trying that and it didn't do anything (and I didn't want to risk "scrubbing" the lens).

If it is glue possibly, would acetone remove the residue? Or would that harm the lens? Is it worth trying?

And I guess as a last resort I could try Attila's idea, thought that would remove the coating on the lens wouldn't it?

[Attila]

I guess acetone itself is safe for glass, but if it's glue I am not sure you will not make a milk on it , try it at edge on small spot.

Yes, my suggestion is last not only coating will be removed, but part of glass also.

Return is most convince solution for sure.

[Mos6502]

Well drat. I wanted a wide angle for my Miranda more than anything else (camera related anyway )

I decided to try acetone and it didn't appear to have any effect. I couldn't find any info on whether this is a cemented group or a single element, but I'm pretty sure the lens is based off of a Tessar design, so it doesn't make much sense for this element to be a glued group (it sits just in front of the aperture).

I looked at my later Miranda 28mm and the glass is of a little different design, so probably no hope of a swap.

I guess I need to keep looking.

[indianadinos]

[Mos6502]

If they are glued, then boiling water should be enough to separate them. And they still make balsam glue I think, but I wouldn't have any clue about how to reglue them, if that indeed is the problem.

[Himself]

Reglueing looks easy. Only when you watching. Me thinks.
Watch this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7_wL0ZZi6k

[dof]

It may be Canada Balsam.

This may help:
http://www.atmsite.org/contrib/Sapp/LensGlue/

[Lightshow]

I just ordered and received some Canadian Balsam from here
http://www.surplusshed.com/ they accept PayPal.
This thread may also help.
http://forum.mflenses.com/re-cementing-doublet-elements-with-canadian-balsam-t34467.html

It should be obvious when you look at the side of the element if it's a cemented doublet, modern lenses can use something other than balsam that cures with UV light to speed up manufacture, but I don't see any reason you can't use balsam as a replacement so long as their refraction index is close.

[Lloydy]

http://throughavintagelens.com/2010/06/lens-fungus/

This is interesting, and the author sounds as though he knows what he's talking about - fungus and cemented lenses.