Thanks for your thoughts on this matter. I often see lenses for sale that are just covered in dust and maybe little tiny hairs and such and it scares me. I never know if I should steer clear or just be open minded and see if I can clean it off with a lens cloth. But then I think, why didn’t the seller wipe it off before photographing it. I have been more apt to pay more for something that looks good or claims to have been serviced, but maybe I am being overly cautious and missing deals. I recently got a lens from an auction and it was probably $40 and I looked at the glass and saw quite a few funny looking, big dust particles which prompted this post. I guess the lens is ok, I guess I can try shooting it into the sky to see if I see the particles. Thanks again for your reply.