Is this lens seperation?

[ricardovaste]

<p>The picture quality is more than fine, so I have no issue with that, it just doesn't look 'great'! I'm wondering if anything can be done to correct it. I had a look around and I haven't seen any 'seperation' effect that looks like this... very thin rings. So is this something else? I haven't opened it up (the rear section, not sure how many elements) but if I do, will I only make things 'worse'? Will the glass only fall/crumble away ?<img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1393/4595470951_aa17828a65_o.jpg" alt="" /><br>

I increase the contrast to show things a little more clearly.</p>

<p>Thanks for any help!</p>

[john_wiegerink1]

<p>Usually lens separation has to be pretty bad to affect picture quality. The reason is that the separation almost always starts on the outside edge and slowly creeps inward. If you stop the lens down you'll completely eleminate the affects of the separation. The only way to cure it is to remove the group and separate the elements and then re-cement them. I have done this on and old large-format Protar, but doing it on smaller elements would be a real PITA. Alignment has to be near-perfect when re-cementing or you'll have a lens with much worse problems then you started with. If it still does a find job in the picture taking department then leave will enough alone. JohnW</p>

[richard_oleson]

<p>It doesn't look quite like normal separation to me - more like some sort of damage to the adhesive, which may be worse than the usual separation effects on image quality. In separation, you usually get a sort of rainbow-reflective area where it's separated, no distinct rings like your image shows, and the edge of the separated area is typically irregular rather than in a circular shape like yours. The fix is probably the same, though, decementing and recementing the pair.<br>

What lens is this?</p>

[john_wiegerink1]

<p>I think "looks" has a lot to do with the time frame in which the lens was made. Newer lenses will have that "rainbow" look while older lenses tend to have a circular crystline look. Just a difference in the glue/resin used in the cementing of the elements. Of course I could be wrong, as my wife oftem points out to me. JohnW</p>