Graflex.org

clnfrd · Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2002 12:12 pm Post subject:

My Kodak 101mm Ektar has some cleaning marks/scratches on the front lens, sn#ES10735. The lens doesn't appear to be color-coated. Is there any way to polish these scratches out...or does anyone offer this service? Thanks. Fred. Probably should have posted this query on Lens Help. Sorry.

[ This Message was edited by: clnfrd on 2002-08-24 06:53 ]

Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

with the ektar name and the date of '47 (ES) it most certainly was coated. Before you get into the dicey world of repolishing the lens, I suggest you find a good lens shade for it--one as looonng as you can get witout vignetting.

Then go make some test shots with it, shoot a brick wall in rakish direct sunlight where you have a lot of local contrast. Then look at the chromes/negs under a loupe or blow the neg up to 16x20 and print the center.

See what you've got first. Ken Hough has an Artar he got from B&H that looks like it was cleaned with steel wool. with a shade, it makes a great copy lens.

clnfrd · Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2002 1:24 am Post subject:

Thanks a lot, Les. I'll do just that. I think steel wool was the lens cloth of choice for the previous owner of this Ektar. I have a lens hood on the way, and I'll fabricate the longest extension possible, short of vignetting. and give it a try. Fred.