Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4 8-element that was sold as “Near Mint / No Fungus.”
Externally the lens is honestly beautiful and mechanics feel excellent. Focus and aperture are smooth. But under strong flashlight inspection I found:
- normal internal dust
- some coating/cleaning marks
- slight haze maybe
- and this small white branching/web-like patch near the edge of one internal element
I attached macro photos.
I’m trying to determine:
- active fungus?
- old fungus residue?
- balsam separation?
- coating damage?
- normal vintage wear?
Important:
This is ONLY really visible under intense flashlight + macro phone camera angles. Barely noticeable otherwise.
I know flashlight tests can massively exaggerate defects in vintage lenses, so I’d love opinions from experienced Takumar/vintage lens users.
Main questions:
What do you think this actually is?
Would you keep or return at around $286?
Is this likely to noticeably affect image quality/video contrast?
Does this look stable/inactive or potentially growing?
Thanks.