What do they use to clean the lens?

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With fungus, spider web etc. on the lens. What do they ( service people ) use to clean it? Is it alcohol?

Where can I find material or book on cleaning lens?

-- Marc (leica_image@yahoo.com), April 22, 2002

Answers

Hi Marc,

Isopropylalcohol can be used to clean the glass. Never use any domestic cleaning agent as it might contain ammonia. The coating of the lens consists of metal salts and can be dissolved in ammonia.

-- Eric Kragtwijk (e.kragtwijk@hccnet.nl), April 22, 2002.


Lenspen

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), April 22, 2002.

Eric, sorry to contradict you, but isn't methyl hydrate (99.9% pure) the right stuff for cleaning lenses, not isopropyl alcohol? Or are they both okay? Anyway, I leave it to my professionnal repairman for serious lens cleaning. From time to time I will use, yes, the lens pen. And make sure I replace it often. Happy shooting,

Olivier

-- Olivier Reichenbach (olreiche@videotron.ca), April 22, 2002.


Marc,try an industrial strength drain cleaner.

-- Phil the wise (philkneen@manx.net), April 22, 2002.

just b-blast the sucker!

-- roger michel (michel@tcn.org), April 22, 2002.


It is definitely *not* detrimental to use ammonia because one whiff of ROR tells you right away that's what's inside it. I wouldn't use pure ammonia of course. I use ROR as a glass cleaner, it's great for smudges etc. I use it on my eyeglasses (plastic) as well.

Professional lens repairmen OTOH, use a number of solvents when cleaning lenses including ether, solutions containing vinegar or bleach, and even lighter fluid. I have never seen fungus on an outer lens element. Cleaning fungus from an internal element is not a job for an amateur unless you really don't care how it turns out. Coatings on internal elements of some lenses are very soft and easily damaged. Someone with experience knows which ones to be leery of and how to approach it. Disassembly of a lens can also upset the collimation in some cases. If you've got a lens in good cosmetic condition with a reasonable value if the glass were clean, I'd get a pro to do the cleaning.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 22, 2002.


Olivier, This is a discussion forum, so it is meant to contradict!..:-)

I never heard of methyl hydrate, it is certainly not the scientific name of the chemical so I canīt answer on that.

Jay, I think cleaning of the windows of your house or a pair of (plastic) glasses is a different thing than cleaning of your high end lens...but please be my guest if you want to use it!..:-)

Isopropylalcohol is a mild type of alcohol that wonīt affect your lens coating nor will it dissolve the paint or vulcanite. Never use aceton! But of course it is better to have it done by a pro, at least youīll have some warranty if it goes wrong.

-- Eric Kragtwijk (e.kragtwijk@hccnet.nl), April 22, 2002.


Eric, methyl hydrate is the scientific name of what is sold as "alcohol stove fuel." Is IS alcohol. My pro uses it to clean lenses. But he does it in a very professionnal gentle way, not just by dipping a piece of cloth in it and scrubbing the lens. I don't know but when I see him work, I feel like saying "don't try this at home." Bur Marc, dont ever use so-called "lens tissue". Anybody agrees with me?

Olivier

-- Olivier Reichenbach (olreiche@videotron.ca), April 22, 2002.


Eric: FYI , R.O.R. (the ammoniated glass cleaner) full name Residual Oil Remover, is one of the most-used photographic lens cleaners on the market, sold in most pro-oriented camera shops, and recommended by top professionals for quite a few years now. Arguably the best camera lens cleaning solution available, it has never been found to cause any damage whatsoever. That's why I use it on my camera lenses, and also on my plastic eyeglasses--which happen to be Zeiss progressives and cost me $600.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), April 22, 2002.

Olivier,

Alcohol stove fuel is either methanol or ethanol, methyl hydrate may be a brand name, it certainly isnīt the scientific name. But they are both alcohols and in my opinion can be used. Isopropylalcohol is "milder" than the other two.

Jay,

You are probably right. And I didnīt say you were wearing cheap glasses...:-). Still I would be very hesitant about using ammonia on my lenses. It is a very effective grease remover, but I am afraid that it will remove the coating of the lens too if too much is applied.

-- Eric Kragtwijk (e.kragtwijk@hccnet.nl), April 22, 2002.



'Methyl hydrate' is a non-standard name for methanol (= 'methyl alcohol'). If you want to try this, buy reagent grade and be careful - it's pretty toxic. According to a recent thread on the Contax SLR list, Zeiss suggests a mixture of 80% petroleum ether (chemically, that's a mixture of pentane, hexane and their isomers - also nasty) and 20% isopropanol (propan-2-ol), which sounds like quite a scary cocktail for this purpose. I've read, but can't confirm, that the commercial Zeiss cleaning fluid is isopropanol + water + detergent. I've also heard of Opticlean (a polymer solution that is poured on to the lens, allowed to cure, and peeled off) being used professionally - supposedly it can even be used on SLR mirrors (don't think I'll try that at home in a hurry!).

-- Richard Williams (richardw@icr.ac.uk), April 22, 2002.

methanol is corrosive to plastic/other parts and i wouldn't use this on my lenses, no they're not plastic, but just the same. indy cars use meth, but their fuel systems are stainless steel.

-- Steve (leitz_not_leica@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.

Steve, I don't think methanol (methyl alcohol or methyl hydrate) is corrosive to plastic. It comes in plactic bottles at your local hardware store and my (Leica among other brands) repairman uses it not only on lenses but also on bodies, mirrors, you name it. Never had any trouble with it. Now, that's if we're talking about the same product.

Olivierf

-- Olivier Reichenbach (olreiche@videotron.ca), April 22, 2002.


Personallly, I use steel wool. Works like a champ. Just kidding. Check out Clear Sight. Great stuff. Available at B&H or I think their website is www.clearsightusa.com

-- tristan Tom (emulsion71@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.

Olivier, I think it's rather unwise to use methanol for general camera cleaning. It does react with some plastics, rubber (which may well include vulcanite), and metals such as Zinc and Aluminium:

http://msds.pdc.cornell.edu/msds/siri/msds/h/q298/q369.html

-- Richard Williams (richardw@icr.ac.uk), April 23, 2002.



MSDS (material safety data sheet) for methanol..."prolonged or repeated inhalation may cause central nervous system toxic effects leading to blindness or death. ingestion can be fatal."

ahhhhh...no thank you.

-- Steve (leitz_not_leica@hotmail.com), April 23, 2002.


What I want know is what did Ernst Haas and Burt Glinn use to clean their lenses?

-- Keith Davis (leica4ever@yahoo.com), April 23, 2002.

Oh, that's why I have trouble focusing with my right eye sometimes! Just kidding :-) The quantity is so tiny and the use is so rare that I don't really worry. No more than people using it (methanol or stove alcohol) to... well, to light their fire on their alcohol stove (they have lots of those on sailboats, for instance.) But thanks anyway.

Olivier

-- Olivier Reichenbach (olreiche@videotron.ca), April 24, 2002.


Richard, thanks for your information and concern. I don't know, you may be right. I'll check that.

Olivier

-- Olivier Reichenbach (olreiche@videotron.ca), April 24, 2002.


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