Props to Dogs Best Friend (The Bushwhacker)

Not too sure either....
I'll try taking pics of it if anyone could identify the problem.

If you want, I'll send the lens back so you could have a closer look. :beer:

Actually I was asking about AR coatings to
Nikon yesterday. Apparently these lenses are coated with
MgF2, which is susepable to high humidity in terms of mold
growth. I sent a picture of the lens splash, and they
said it most certainly looked like a aspergillius mold corrosion issue that
is often seen on old optics.
this problem couldn't have occured during shipping. It is most likely a result of improper storage at the manufacturing plant or poor storage by the original vendor. Damage like this takes quite a long time. One hint that's it's fungal attack is the round marks on the lens. These are previous fungal -- colonies.
-- from what has been said, we've got lenses in circulation in the laser community that are being sold as new that are actually defective.

So there you have it, directly from the horses mouth.

Again, here is a quote that backs up NIKON's answer to me.

"....... Although there are over 100,000 fungus species, two members of the genus Aspergillus are believed responsible for most lens deterioration. Optimum growth conditions for these fungi are relatively high temperature and high humidity, but they are more adaptable to lower humidity levels than most other fungi. Fungal contamination can best be minimized by reducing the humidity of the room either by air conditioning or by installing an infrared lamp above the microscope (at a minimum distance of 150 centimeters or 5 feet). Fungi growing on glass surfaces are not attached by roots and can be wiped off, but unfortunately, residual corrosion marks remain and the original lens performance cannot be recovered and the lens must be replaced. The only effective means to avoid fungal damage to optical components is to prevent its growth in the first place."

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that info!

I'm just not so sure when that might have happened to the lens...

Oh well, DBF is very kind to send me a replacement.

Edit:

Seoul_lasers said:

Adjust your DSLRs f/stop. The higher value for ƒ = focal length divided by the effective diameter. It is essentially a measure in lens speed. Higher speed in bright conditions give a clearer, less saturated photo.

Click to expand...

Even if I adjusted the f/ stop, I still had trouble reducing the contrast.
I'll post some shots up.

Cheers!

Check out the thread I posted in the Optics section.


Hmm... what kind of camera are you using?
Also adjust the camera speed. Set to manual mode. Try setting your exposure manually to 1/600 or 1/800. I think you might be on 1/80 or 1/120 ?