Aperture blade oil or wear marks?

[69xchange]

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While closely examining one of my lens, I notice the rear aperture blades have these “shiny” hard edge marks on them. I’ve tried taking some pictures to attach here but the quality is not that great. My question is do these look like aperture blade oil or wear marks? 
 

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[Mute-on]

I don’t see any oil. In fact these aperture blades look matte with slightly dimpled surface texture fully intact.

If the lens is functioning perfectly, there’s nothing wrong.  Just use it. 

[69xchange]

35 minutes ago, Mute-on said:

I don’t see any oil. In fact these aperture blades look matte with slightly dimpled surface texture fully intact.

If the lens is functioning perfectly, there’s nothing wrong.  Just use it. 

Thank you for the reply. I have attached photos of the marks with a circle to show the areas.

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[jaeger]

Those ain’t oil.  Bad quality blades you can call it.

[69xchange]

4 minutes ago, jaeger said:

Those ain’t oil.  Bad quality blades you can call it.

Thats good to know. They weren't there before I sent my lens in for service and suddenly appeared after I received the lens back. I was worried they might have "over greased" it and/or wasn't careful with the lens when servicing it and contaminated the blades with oil/grease.

Edited March 29, 2024 by 69xchange

[Mute-on]

Whoever serviced the lens, it seems they mishandled the aperture blades in the process if the marks weren’t there before. Regardless, the marks seem to be cosmetic only. Time will tell if they start sticking. 

[69xchange]

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20 hours ago, Mute-on said:

Whoever serviced the lens, it seems they mishandled the aperture blades in the process if the marks weren’t there before. Regardless, the marks seem to be cosmetic only. Time will tell if they start sticking. 

It’s unfortunate because the person who serviced my lens is well known and a highly regarded tech. I am hoping it’s just scratch marks rather than oil. At least scratches are only cosmetics, but oil would eventually spread and fog up the elements. 

[farnz]

It's likely to be caused by a tiny piece of grit that's got stuck to an aperture blade and made a scratch when the aperture's been moved but the grit might have fallen off by now.  If it was my lens I would keep checking now and then to see if more scratches appear.  If they don't then 'no problem' but if some do then you'll have to decide whether to find someone to wipe the blades down.

Pete.

[69xchange]

1 hour ago, farnz said:

It's likely to be caused by a tiny piece of grit that's got stuck to an aperture blade and made a scratch when the aperture's been moved but the grit might have fallen off by now.  If it was my lens I would keep checking now and then to see if more scratches appear.  If they don't then 'no problem' but if some do then you'll have to decide whether to find someone to wipe the blades down.

Pete.

Thank you for the suggestion, I’ll check the blades periodically. 

[fil-m]

I can't really tell but sometimes if there is a darker patch of black, it could be excess oil.

I had my Noctilux 50/1 once serviced by Leica Wetzlar and those black marks appeared a few months later. It was indeed excess oil and I figured it out because the patch was "moving" kind of expanding depending on how I stored the lens and played with the aperture ring (swiping marks). Afterwards I could also see some excess oil bleeding out from the little screws on the barrel. I had it serviced again and the problem was fixed.

If the marks are static and don't change with time, the aperture blades are most probably scratched. If they change with time as you store the lens and play with the aperture ring, it is most probably excess oil.  

[69xchange]

2 hours ago, fil-m said:

I can't really tell but sometimes if there is a darker patch of black, it could be excess oil.

I had my Noctilux 50/1 once serviced by Leica Wetzlar and those black marks appeared a few months later. It was indeed excess oil and I figured it out because the patch was "moving" kind of expanding depending on how I stored the lens and played with the aperture ring (swiping marks). Afterwards I could also see some excess oil bleeding out from the little screws on the barrel. I had it serviced again and the problem was fixed.

If the marks are static and don't change with time, the aperture blades are most probably scratched. If they change with time as you store the lens and play with the aperture ring, it is most probably excess oil.  

I see, so only time will tell if it gets worst and spreads.
 

i tried taking a picture from a different angle and in this picture you can see faint white scratch marks around the dark patch. Could scratches be dark instead of white on aperture blades?

 

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[Jean-Michel]

I am sure that I have all kinds of marks on the aperture blades of all my lenses. Never thought of photographing them. My sage advice — I am old enough to be a sage — is to stop taking pictures of your lens and enjoy photographing what you love seeing. Your lens is perfectly fine. 

[fil-m]

5 hours ago, 69xchange said:

I see, so only time will tell if it gets worst and spreads.
 

i tried taking a picture from a different angle and in this picture you can see faint white scratch marks around the dark patch. Could scratches be dark instead of white on aperture blades?

 

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Honestly it is difficult to say but I believe the odds of extra oil are higher if the blades are darker and/or shiny. This was the picture of my noctilux prior to a second CLA from Leica to remove the excess oil (resulting from the first CLA 😆). NB: they did the second CLA for free because works are under a 2 years warranty. 

I can understand how this situation could annoy you but in your case and even if we assume it is oil (and not scratches), it looks to be a very faint/minimal with no impact or forward risk. In my case oil was "migrating" and I did not want it to reach the glass that's why I've asked them to correct their mistake.

 

 

[Lelmer]

7 hours ago, Jean-Michel said:

I am sure that I have all kinds of marks on the aperture blades of all my lenses. Never thought of photographing them. My sage advice — I am old enough to be a sage — is to stop taking pictures of your lens and enjoy photographing what you love seeing. Your lens is perfectly fine. 

+1...don't worry and enjoy your lens 😉

[69xchange]

3 hours ago, fil-m said:

Honestly it is difficult to say but I believe the odds of extra oil are higher if the blades are darker and/or shiny. This was the picture of my noctilux prior to a second CLA from Leica to remove the excess oil (resulting from the first CLA 😆). NB: they did the second CLA for free because works are under a 2 years warranty. 

I can understand how this situation could annoy you but in your case and even if we assume it is oil (and not scratches), it looks to be a very faint/minimal with no impact or forward risk. In my case oil was "migrating" and I did not want it to reach the glass that's why I've asked them to correct their mistake.

 

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Wow that is embarrassing for Leica to screw it up in the first place. Glad you got yours fixed afterwards!

[69xchange]

8 hours ago, Jean-Michel said:

I am sure that I have all kinds of marks on the aperture blades of all my lenses. Never thought of photographing them. My sage advice — I am old enough to be a sage — is to stop taking pictures of your lens and enjoy photographing what you love seeing. Your lens is perfectly fine. 

Thank you for the advice

[69xchange]

2 hours ago, letitz said:

Did you ask the person who serviced it before asking here?

Yup, the tech was defensive and that it was not caused them. 

[earleygallery]

The marks such as they are, are possibly just wear marks or it could be oil but in either case it's so minimal that it's really not worth worrying about.

If you have been closely examining your lens after receiving it back it's also quite possible that the marks were there before but you just didn't notice them.

A little hint, if you do get oil on the aperture blades, store the lens with the aperture wide open for a week or two and it may disappear.

[69xchange]

2 hours ago, earleygallery said:

The marks such as they are, are possibly just wear marks or it could be oil but in either case it's so minimal that it's really not worth worrying about.

If you have been closely examining your lens after receiving it back it's also quite possible that the marks were there before but you just didn't notice them.

A little hint, if you do get oil on the aperture blades, store the lens with the aperture wide open for a week or two and it may disappear.

Thank you for the advice, I am storing it wide open at the moment and will check on it in a week or two when take it out to shoot again.

I bought the lens earlier this year and inspected it throughly before sending it out to make sure it was as described. The reason why it was sent out was to have it calibrated properly and also to regrease the helicoids (so it wasn’t a full CLA). I was worried that either it was roughly handled while in their possession leading to scratch marks or too much grease was applied leading to oil marks. Regardless, if it is minimal and not serious (won’t get worse over time), I rather not send it back and risk getting other new issues. 

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[earleygallery]

I think it's very difficult to undo something and not introduce other issues. That's why my adage is never fix something unless it's broke. Most repairers won't have the clinical conditions of the factory for example, but if they fix it so it works that's the main thing.