Heard a customer call a lens fungus 'patina' at the swap meet

They were trying to sell a 50mm f/1.8 with obvious haze for $150, saying it added character. Anyone else run into creative descriptions for gear that's just plain broken?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_williams16d ago

That's just a fancy word for a defect that ruins image quality. Fungus can spread and etch the glass, so it's not some harmless quirk. I'd never buy a lens with haze unless it was basically free.

grant46516d ago

Saw a guy at a flea market last year trying to pass off a sticky, broken aperture ring as a "smooth dampened action." It was a Pentax lens that wouldn't even stop down. Some sellers just have a real gift for talking.