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Will adhesive tape spoil the lens coating?

brucek

New member
FWIW - I just damaged the front element of my 90mm Elmarit-M. At least I'll take the blame for it but I have no idea what happened. I noticed something on the front element, tried microfiber cloth and light moisture (breath fog) with no effect, then tried an alcohol swab. Whatever was on the lens the combination of that and the alcohol swab took the coating right off. I still have no idea how whatever it was got on there as I've always had an IRCut filter on the lens. Fortunately the lens still seems to perform well, at least it has in the limited testing I've done so far. I suspect I'll notice the lack of coating when a really, really nice photo is spoiled... <sigh>

Bruce
 

edftwin

Member
Hi, appreciate the answers from you guys, i got the oil cleaned off using lens cleaner, but it left smudges on the surface which i cant get rid of.

Hi Bruce, how do you know that the coating of your lens has been damaged?
Is there any way to confirm this?


FWIW - I just damaged the front element of my 90mm Elmarit-M. At least I'll take the blame for it but I have no idea what happened. I noticed something on the front element, tried microfiber cloth and light moisture (breath fog) with no effect, then tried an alcohol swab. Whatever was on the lens the combination of that and the alcohol swab took the coating right off. I still have no idea how whatever it was got on there as I've always had an IRCut filter on the lens. Fortunately the lens still seems to perform well, at least it has in the limited testing I've done so far. I suspect I'll notice the lack of coating when a really, really nice photo is spoiled... <sigh>

Bruce
 

Lars

Active member
A trick reportedly coming from Nikon lens engineers in Japan is to smear the spot with skin grease from your nose or forehead, then remove it with a microfiber cloth.
 

250swb

Member
You might want to try a LensPen Bruce, assuming its just a spot of coating you think has come off. Sometimes combinations of dirt and cleaning fluid can 'set' contamination into something harder that makes it look like a coating mark. I use a LensPen for those occasions if it is a modern lens with a tough coating like your Elmarit, but would avoid it with older softer coated lenses.

Steve
 
V

Vivek

Guest
A trick reportedly coming from Nikon lens engineers in Japan is to smear the spot with skin grease from your nose or forehead, then remove it with a microfiber cloth.
Although I have never done that, I can appreciate the basic principle behind it:
"like dissolves like".

Normally, to remove finger/nose grease I use a small amount of (~) neutral pH, non-ionic detergent and plenty of tepid water to get rid of it all.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Normally, to remove finger/nose grease I use a small amount of (~) neutral pH, non-ionic detergent and plenty of tepid water to get rid of it all.
But how practical is it to wash your face and hands every time you pick up the camera...

:D
 
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V

Vivek

Guest
:D

Depends on the gear I use. If it is the regularly used stuff, it gets thrown around and really used. If it is an expensive fondler stuff, out comes the soft cotton gloves and other protective measures.
 

edftwin

Member
i borrowed a bottle of zeiss fluid from a friend and cleaned it with lens tissue.

Is lux 35 pre asph coating soft?
 

brucek

New member
Hi Bruce, how do you know that the coating of your lens has been damaged?
Is there any way to confirm this?
I sent the lens to Leica NJ and they returned it with a note saying the lens coating was damaged.

When you look at the lens you can see a bright "blob" with a different form of reflection on the lens surface. It almost looks mirrorlike. Nothing I have used has made it any better. Lens pen, lens cleaner, etc. I'm willing to try (almost) anything but it seems permanent.

It's also possible that the gnomes in NJ took one look at it and sent it back without really trying anything.

Bruce
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
It's also possible that the gnomes in NJ took one look at it and sent it back without really trying anything.

Bruce
That actually wouldn't surprise me at all. Try Sherry Krauter or Don Goldberg as they'll give you a considered opinion. Both have been great for me in the past, Sherry for repairs and Don for setup & calibration.
 

brucek

New member
Graham: Thanks! I'll give them a try.

In the meantime I've tried a few other liquids and still no luck.

Bruce
 

Peterm1_Leica

New member
I doubt that it would damage coating in the short term but I know for sure it can if left on. I once bought a nice little chrome ring 39mm Leica UV filter that someone had unwisely stuck a little round dot price tag on. And had positioned it on the front of the glass element. When I got it home I found that the coating was gone under the dot after I removed it. It ruined the filter.
 
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