Old timer told me to never trust a lens with haze, I thought he was being dramatic
Years ago a retired repair guy in Portland said hazy glass is a death sentence, you can clean it but it always comes back worse. I spent 6 hours on a 50mm f/1.4 trying to prove him wrong, ended up with a scratched rear element and a customer who wanted a refund. He was right, but I'm still half convinced some haze is worth the gamble on cheap lenses. Has anyone else salvaged a hazy one for real, or is it always a trap?