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Question: Dust INSIDE my nikkor lens!?
I found my dad's old camera with a Nikon 50mm f/1!.4 AI lens!.!.
I was thinking about using it because i currently don't have a standard lens and don't really mind manual focus as long as I don't have to pay $350 for a new AF version or for the 1!.8!.

Point is I have dust in my lens, is there any way to clean it!?

would this affect image quality!?
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Try it and see is the obvious answer, small amounts of dust in an old lens is normal, particularly in zooms as the lens movement acts like a 'sloppy' piston displacing air inside the lens!.

Small amounts of dust in the lens will be so out of focus as to be invisible in the picture and is not really a problem, though they can cause a scattering of light inside the lens when a bright objects such as the Sun or a lamp is in shot!.

The only thing which is certain death to a lens is fungus!. Its recognised as a star pattern of nearly transparent white growth radiating out from the centre of infection!. These tendrils make an acid that actually etches the lens coating, there is no repair other than changing the lens element, which is dearer than the cost of a new lens!.

A 50mm f1!.4 is such a useful lens to have in your kit its definitely worth trying it, some of these old lenses have superb image quality on a par with anything around today!.

Having the lens serviced would be about the £100!.00 ($200!.00) or so, but they would replace the lubrication on the focusing mechanism and make sure the iris is operating as it should!. Only you can say if its worth doing!.

Its not impossible to do it yourself, but you do risk ruining the lens in the process, there are a few website dedicated to camera servicing, showing how different lenses are constructed and how to take them apart!. Its tricky, but not impossible, but its really not worth the risk if its just a small amount of dust!.

Chris

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The 50 mm 1!.4 is a good lens and I've not heard of problems with dust inside the elements though I guess it is possible!. As was said above the tiny amounts you do occaisonally see are usually too small and too few to effect the photo!. A quick question though, does the lens have a UV or skylight filter on it !? If so the dust could be between the lens and the filter!. You can screw the filter off it that is the case and clean it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Practically speaking, lenses can't be cleaned internally without basically rebuilding them, in which case, it's cheaper to buy a new one!. So either live with it, or get a new one!. A small amount of dust won't make a noticeable difference in your images!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

well this will affect the image but like the others said get another lens instead of taking the dust out because a lens has to be completely clean it actually takes one lens 6 weeks to be made, so i rate get another lens
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