Earlier today I discombobulated:
"Today I received my second F* 300 f4.5 from an eBay auction. It is a gorgeous lens. Cosmetically and mechanically it is close to pristine. KEH would grade it no lower than LN-, and perhaps even LN. Then I looked through the lens toward a strong light and saw that at least one element is coated with a haze or residue of some kind. It shows up as very small bumps or ridges."
This evening I did the same test on my other telephoto lenses. Guess what? They are even dirtier, even my FA 77 which I have had only since last August. The stuff I see on the F* 300 is not quite the same pattern as what I see on my other lenses, but it is similar. Overall this F is cleaner inside than other lenses that give fine results.
So maybe all is well. I do suspect the mothcake that the previous owner stored it near. This is a bad idea -- the stuff gives off gas that deposits as a residue. If that is the problem, the optics can be cleaned. But I will test it first. Since it is already cleaner than my other telephotos, its performance may be just fine.
Joe
