[tempestwizz (Brian)]

Further to the Tak lens issue:
I fabricated a suitable tool to allow removal of the upper element cluster.
This revealed that the upper elements consist of a triplet cemented together, and a fourth air spaced element.
Cleaning the triplet and the single element did not improve anything, as the grunge can be seen within the triplet. There is no way for dis assembly of the triplet. I call it grunge, as with the ability to view the triplet closely by itself, my issue is not fungus, but what appears to be congealed oil between the triplet elements.
It would be difficult to convince me that this is the result of environmental conditions, or variations in ambient humidity, as the triplet is clearly sealed around its edges with black paint.
Maybe it’s an age issue where the oil has deteriorated over time, but - what lifetime should one be able to expect from such a purported high quality lens?
It brings me back to my original suggestion that current and prospective owners of this type of lens should look VERY closely at them. A casual scan at the lens does not reveal anything, it’s only when you look closely. For me, most of the time, the lenses were/are kept in the lens case, which is usually only opened in the dark when I want to view. Through the lens, the fault shows as ghosting or a halo around the subject rather than a crisp clean image.
For my part, I won’t be buying any more Tak lenses.

Cheers, Brian