Re: [Leica] Re: 90mm Elmarit survey

[ceworkman@ktis.net (C. E. Workman Jr.)]

"Doc" wrote:

"....how hideous can the pictures be from these
90's that have some haze you can't even see unless you hit it at just the
right angle with a flashlight?  This survey is interesting and all (I have
#2587xxx with tiny speckles on the *inside* of the *front* element, not the
rear, but again only visible with oblique flashlighting) but has anyone ever
shot one with a bona-fide case of foggy rear-element Skinny-Elmar-Disease
against a healthy one and compared?  Does the haze affect the pictures or
just the re-sale value?"

Well, Doc, we've had nearly 40 people respond to the survey and I must admit
that there doesn't seem to be any positive conclusion  from the data.  Of
that amount, only 6 reported any fog visible through the lens.  Frankly, I
didn't think to ask that they shine the flashlight through the lens to note
if the "fog" was present.  I guess that's so automatic with me that I
thought everyone would do so.  But really, the purpose of the survey was to
see if there was any correlation to the serial numbers with the "fog".  That
doesn't seem to be the case.

You do raise a very valid question, though.  Does it matter?  Now that's a
survey we should conduct.  I heard today that Leica is willing to receive
and inspect any of these fogged lenses.  (Does that mean they'll
clean/repair them?)  I'd really like to know if fog in a lens makes any
difference in the quality of the image on film.  (Now we know that the
eBay'ers downgrade a lens for fog)  Let's toss this out to the Lugnuts.

Thanks for your reply.  I think it's time to call a halt to the survey
unless someone thinks it would be beneficial to continue.  Maybe some of the
more informed can make some sense out of it.  It does seem that no German
made lenses were so affected.  It's been fun.

Chuck