One forum comment changed how I clean old lenses

I used to scrub haze off glass with alcohol wipes until someone pointed out that old coatings are softer than you think, so now I do dry dusting first and only use solution if needed. Tried it on a 1960s Takumar last week and the coating actually survived. Anyone else ever wreck a lens this way before learning the gentle route?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_ross24d ago

That "friction, not liquid" line from @the_dylan hit hard, sorry you had to learn that one the expensive way.

the_dylan26d ago

1984 was the last time I stripped a coating off a 50mm f1.4 Super Takumar. I used a lens pen that had picked up grit from the bag and it left a faint smear that no amount of cleaning could fix. That lens went from a $200 piece to a $40 parts unit because I trusted the "safe" route. These coatings are tougher than people give them credit for. I have pulled decades of haze off with a good premoistened wipe and a steady hand, no damage at all. The real killer is friction, not liquid. If you go slow and use a fresh wipe, alcohol is just fine on most old glass.