[Leica] Front Element Scratches

[Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>]

At 11:32 AM 5/1/98 -0500, Shawn London wrote:
> If you manage to 
>get a lens with a good front element, I would put a filter on it to 
>prevent further scratches from cleaning (to which this lens and other 
>older ones are vulnerable).

I do not believe this is necessarily true.  There certainly is a problem
with early (pre-1960 or so) coatings decaying due to their soft nature, and
these can be scarfed up in cleaning.  But I suspect that the front elements
of the first-generation 2/50 Summicron is as hard as most optical glass.

In short, the problem is in the coating, and not in the glass, which is a
handy hint for us all:  find a lens with 'wipe marks' on the coating, beat
the dealer down (or up!) due to the poor condition of the lens, and then
take the money you saved to have someone like John Van Stelten recoat the
gem.  You are money ahead!

Marc


msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
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