Hi guys,
I have been dealing with a stain on a glass element of Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 (Please see the pictures). I have tried all the cleaning methods I know without luck. Do you guys know what this is and how to clean it off?
Cheers,
Zang
Judging from a careful examination of the photograph you provided, it appears the lens has more condition problems than a mere insult to the outer element coating would suggest. Being that the Nikkor-Q 135mm f3.5 can be readily found on the used market in North America and for well under $100USD [re eBay], acquiring a good/excellent used copy might be the best way to go. Of course, if money is a factor - and when isn't it? - or you just can't see yourself discarding the lens without at least attempting to salvage it - something I'm guilty of - then you have to ask yourself: What effect has the coating damage on my images? I had spots on the outer element of a 35-70mm 2.8D that had absolutely no effect on my images - but drove me batty just because they were there! (The spots were attributed to pollen projectiles hitting the unfiltered lens at high velocity, long before I purchased it used for $30.) Years later, when time and constant, near-daily, use necessitated an overhaul after a cam or bushing came loose, the good people at Nikon USA unexpectedly replaced the entire lens group for me for the price of the already agreed upon lens repair and routine cleaning. And I asked them to "just fix the zoom problem".
