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I finally listened to that old timer about lens cleaning fluid
Been shooting for years and always used the cheap stuff from the drugstore, but after a 70 year old repair guy told me I was wrecking my coatings I swapped to a proper lab grade isopropyl mix from a camera shop on Elm Street. Last week I cleaned a 50mm f/1.8 that had haze buildup and the difference in clarity was insane no streaks at all. Has anyone else had a mentor call them out on something basic like this and actually prove them wrong?
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hill.andrew21d ago
Holding my hands up here because I gotta push back on this one. @wyattrobinson I've been using the cheap drugstore stuff since 1997 and my vintage glass still looks mint. Coatings aren't that fragile if you just use common sense like not letting liquid pool up around the edges. I've cleaned a beat up old Nikkor 50mm with straight tap water and a microfiber cloth more times than I can count and the thing still takes sharp pictures with zero haze. Lab grade isopropyl is great for people who want it but this idea that anything less will destroy your gear always feels like gear snobbery to me. Sometimes the old timers are just repeating what they heard from another old timer.
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wyattrobinson24d ago
That old guy was right, I learned the same lesson the hard way after fogging up a nice vintage 35mm lens with Windex. The lab grade stuff with distilled water is the only way to go if you want to keep those coatings intact for the long haul.
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josephl6724d ago
Man I learned that the hard way with a $400 macro lens back in 2018. Used Windex on a smudge and the coating literally started peeling off in patches. Its like people forget that old glass has different chemistry than modern stuff. @wyattrobinson your story about the vintage 35mm is spot on, that lab grade cleaner pays for itself after the first mistake. Same thing happens with car paint where people use dish soap and ruin the clear coat. Just because something works on a countertop doesnt mean its safe for delicate surfaces.
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