Author Topic: Haze! Lens Cleaning??  (Read 1250 times)

astrobeck

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Haze! Lens Cleaning??
« on: February 22, 2019, 05:05:27 PM »
Hi All!
I have a little lens that has haze on it that I'd like to clean off if possible.
It may be an exercise in torment, but I've been online and tried a few things to clean it like lens wipes, Alcohol, acetone, and plain water...It doens't budge.
The lens is in a Zenobia and is a Hesper Anastigmat 3.5

I didn't pay much for the camera and it is quite handy as far as pocket size, so I'd like to bring it up to speed, or at least get the glass in shape.
The camera mechanics work fine...not perfectly but good enough.

So, any hints of getting rid of haze, or am I stuck...
thanks!

Sandeha Lynch

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Re: Haze! Lens Cleaning??
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2019, 05:56:00 PM »
Try to look at the surface through a loup. It might be encrusted, or it might be very fine pitting.  I once used our UK style blue methylated spirits knowing that it can take off any lens coating ... but it did the job as the damage was evidently just in the coating = no coating, no problem.

Francois

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Re: Haze! Lens Cleaning??
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2019, 09:19:38 PM »
You could try nail polish remover. This stuff is 99% acetone and will strip pretty much anything clean.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

Indofunk

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Re: Haze! Lens Cleaning??
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2019, 02:29:27 PM »
I had some very tenacious fungus/haze on an old Yashica 124G I picked up last year, and the only thing that finally worked was cerium oxide. You can read all of my adventures randomly scattered through the "I just picked up" thread, or just read the gripping conclusion here  :D  http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=6181.msg129301#msg129301

astrobeck

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Re: Haze! Lens Cleaning??
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2019, 05:33:17 PM »
I'll use cerium oxide as a last resort. I happen to have some leftover from a project I was involved in some years ago polishing aluminum into tiny mirrors for the Starshine satellite.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STARSHINE_(satellite)
Polishing is a bit tedious, but is quite rewarding once completed.
Kudos to everyone that has done it!
Thanks everyone for your help...I'll report back later.