dave_lewis Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 Hello, I just purchased a Leica 50mm dual range summicron with eyes. It's in excellent condition. But the the front lens element is slightly dirty and needs to be cleaned (just a little grime). I know that the lens coating is a little soft. How should I clean it? The typical lens paper and liquid solution? Advice, please!!! As always...thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_lehrer Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 Dave From your question, I will assume that you have never cleaned a lens.Therefore I would suggest that you do not touch it until you have received proper advice from Leicaphiles who are more expert than I. Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henk Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 Dave, 1. Use a soft brush to get dust etc. of the lens. 2. Fog lens by breathing on it and gently clean it with a special cloth(i use seemore cloth). 3. If that doesnt work you have A) a damaged coating or B) didnt do fase 2 properly I have alot of glass and never ever messed with cleaning fluids, the main problem i have with those is that they leave residue and sometimes small crystals on the coating. And the lens paper you mention is the worst thing you can use, its too hard and just smears the dirt all over the lens. Hope this helps, Greetings, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feli Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 The coating on the DR is not as soft as the one on the collapsible Summicron. That said you still should be gentle. I would start by breathing on the element and gently wiping it clean with a lens tissue. Use a circular motion and don't "buff" a spot. Do not use a cloth for cleaning eye glasses. Some are impregnated with chemicals that may harm the coating. If she still needs a little cleaning get some lens cleaning fluid (Rosco or Pancro are good choices. Oddly enough the Kodak fluid left a residue.) Put a few drops on the lens and let the weight of the wet tissue do most of the cleaning. Try not to buff a spot in particular, but use a gentle circular motion. feli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_. Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 >>Put a few drops on the lens<< I'd advise against this--strongly! The liquid could seep behind the front element. Moisten the cloth with a couple drops instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feli Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 Ok, maybe I didn't phrase that very well. You're right, Jay. feli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas k. Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 Start by using a soft brush to wipe dirt & dust from the lens. You can also use canned air, but hold the can several inches away and at an angle to the front element. Buy a soft, plush lens cleaning cloth. You can get one at a camera store, but I got a better one from an eyeglasses shop (contradicts someone's advice earlier in this thread). Apply the tiniest bit of fluid, let it soak in for a moment, then gently wipe in circular motions from the center of the lens outward toward the edges. If you do this twice and the lens still looks soiled, then it probably has coating damage, which would have to be extensive to really cause any image degradation. Once you've done this cleaning, if you treat the lens well, you should only have to blow dust off (or brush it) occasionally; i.e., unless you spill a beer on it, the cleaning fluid and cloth should not be necessary again for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvick Posted October 26, 2002 Share Posted October 26, 2002 Optics in astronomy are very similar to camera lens in their construction, coatings, and glass types used. We never use filters to protect our lenses and we are often effected by dew which deposits many contaminates in the air onto our optics and dust. Sometimes we have to wait years to recieve precious hand figured lenses and/or mirrors from the talented folks who produce them. Therefore cleaning optics, protecting their many coatings and preserving their fine surface polish for maximum resolution is extremely important to the astronomy community and a process not to be taken lightly. The first rule to follow is do not clean your optics unless it is absolutly necessary. If you must clean a lens I would recommend that you follow the procedure given by Al Nagler the owner of TeleVue Optics, one of the finest optics companies on the planet. Your cleaning technique is more important than the cleaner you use. Their web site for cleaning optics gives basic and sound cleaning procedures to follow. http://www201.pair.com/resource/astro.html/regular/products/tele-vue-optics/cleaning.htm Hope this helps answer your questions. Regards, Jeff Vickers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew n.bra hrefhttp Posted October 26, 2002 Share Posted October 26, 2002 I have a v.detailed entry on this in the Leica FAQ I maintain <A HREF="http://nemeng.com/leica/020e.shtml">at this url</A>.<P> Basically, I use the breathe-then-wipe-with-a-microfibre-cloth method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_lehrer Posted October 26, 2002 Share Posted October 26, 2002 Dave If you follow all the links given by the respondants to your query, you will see why I am loath to give advice on this subject. Everyone knows of their own precious "holy water" for cleaning lenses. I bought my DR Summicron in Munich in 1959 and it still looks like new. (Maybe it's because I use a 40mm most of the time) Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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