Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Lens care...

This is topic Lens care... in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 02-18-2001, 08:13 PM:

Wondering how to clean the grunge off my lenses, what types of cloth and solution.
Also, for you outdoor operators, what do you do with your lenses in the off-season? Is freezing a concern? If you keep them in a heated building, do you want them in a dry warm room (like a furnace room) or a cooler place. Thank you.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-18-2001, 08:54 PM:

Here is what the Schnieder Optics website has to say about cleaning projection lenses:
http://www.schneideroptics.com/white/cleaning.htm

Edmund Industrial Optics has lens cleaning supplies:
http://www.edmundoptics.com/IOD/Browse.cfm?catid=250&FromCatID=174

KODAK Lens Cleaner and lens cleaning tissues are available at most camera stores and photography dealers.

I would recommend keeping lenses in normal comfortable room conditions (20-25 degrees Celsius, 50% relative humidity). Avoid damp or excessively warm areas.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 02-18-2001, 09:18 PM:

We had some lenses that were stored in a basement (with high humidity.) Moisture got trapped inside, and would not come out; meaning they were always slightly foggy.

They were Benoists, which are not the best-made lenses to hit the marketplace- although I always thought the adapters they made were pretty cool (adapters to make a 52.4mm dia. lens to fit into a 62.5mm sleeve, which could then fit into a 70.6mm sleeve.)

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-18-2001, 09:32 PM:

There are some fungi that attack the coatings especially on the french lenses
Rosco also make lens cleaning supplies
personally I think snadpaper works best

Posted by Rachel Carter (Member # 693) on 02-18-2001, 11:55 PM:

Personally I like the Kodak Lens Cleaner and Lens Tissue Cleaner the best, but I haven't gotten close to using all the brands out there.

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"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.

FUNNY!!!!!

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-19-2001, 12:42 AM:

I have this pamphlet called "Care and Nurture of Coated Lenses". It looks like an old insert that Baush & Lomb used to put in their lens boxes. I suppose back in the "old days" guys used to mess up lenses by cleaning them wrong.

I have been planning to scan it and send it in. (Mainly for historical value.) I just haven't had a lot of time and I have to work out what program is best for making it into a PDF. (Any hints?)

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 02-19-2001, 01:25 AM:

John:

That happened to me many years ago, we reopened a drive-in that had been closed a few years and found that the scope lenses were badly fogged by internal condensation.

We wound up placing them inside several kitchen sized garbage bags which we pumped full of nitrogen and then tied off as best we could. We refilled them over a few days as some of the gas would leak out, but after about 4 or 5 days the lenses were totally dry inside.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-19-2001, 10:40 AM:

One way to really dry something out is to seal it in a vapor-proof container (e.g., large glass jar, sealed polyethylene bag), along with a large amount of dessicant (e.g., silica gel) or Molecular Sieves. Over a period of time, almost all of the moisture will be adsorbed in this "bone dry" atmosphere. Usually has less risk than trying to dry something in an oven.

Posted by Stefan Scholz (Member # 147) on 02-19-2001, 01:04 PM:

Not only French coatings are prone to funghi, I have also found modern hi-tech multicoating to be attacked by funghus, even in good storage condition.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 02-19-2001, 02:37 PM:

Well, the French are known for their excellent food- so maybe their lenses also taste good; at least to fungi.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 02-21-2001, 12:19 AM:

One fluid I've had real good results with is "Formula MC" (supposedly "MC" means multi-coated). It comes in a green and white plastic squeeze bottle and can be found at camera shops.

Can't resist forwarding a recommendation I got from a Panavision guy on cleaning their Primos--condensed breath! He swore by it but I haven't had the guts to try (and I admit to being easily suckered into believing things like this).

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-21-2001, 08:46 AM:

Using condensed breath is probably less risk than trying to wipe a dry lens surface, but the condensed water vapor does not have the surfactants (cleaning agents) that the recommended lens cleaning fluids have.

Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 07-21-2010, 07:44 PM:

It has been 3437 days since the last post.