TIL cleaning a lens element with the wrong cloth can leave micro-scratches that show up more in direct sunlight vs soft diffused light

I got a used 50mm f1.4 lens from a thrift shop in Portland last month and the before photos under LED studio lights looked fine but after a sunny day test I saw haze and scratches I missed - is this a common oversight or did I just get unlucky with my inspection lighting, has anyone else dealt with this?

2 comments

2 Comments

robinmason13h ago

Bright sunlight reveals everything. I always check lenses outside now.

eric35912h ago

Last three lenses I tested looked perfect indoors. First sunny day outside I saw micro scratches I'd missed completely. Trust me, natural light doesn't lie.