Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/07

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: lens cleaning...
From: Jeffery Smith <jls@runbox.com>
Date: Sun, 07 Jul 2002 10:34:43 -0500
References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020706180550.00b1b5a0@pop.runbox.com> <5.1.0.14.0.20020706190948.00b35038@pop.runbox.com> <003101c22575$a55c82e0$633f4d18@gv.shawcable.net>

Steve,

A bottle of lens cleaner costs far less than a roll of film lasts me about 
2 years. Recoating a lens costs big bucks and sometimes results in the lens 
cracking. Megadoses of vitamins, homeopathic medicines (with less than one 
molecule of "active ingredient" per 1,000 gallons of "medicine"), and 
ultrasonic mosquito repellents are a waste of money. Lens tissue (the 
dirt-free type sold by Kodak, not the stuff for eyeglasses) and lens 
cleaner are very cheap and like insurance against cleaning marks. There are 
thousands of used professional quality (and price) lenses out there that 
are for sale with cleaning marks on them. Unless they are using their old 
Levis as wipes, I would say that thousands of photographers are too rough 
on their lenses.

My $.02 (which is what I pay to clean my lenses).

Jeffery

At 07:36 AM 7/7/2002 -0700, you wrote:
>OK Ted... undershorts it is.... but geeze man, this is the second time in 
>as many days,
>we  LUGGERS  have been instructed to wear undershorts, first for airport 
>strip searchs,
>and now this....
>
>why,  I even put on a pair before going to do hospital rounds 
>today...        ;-)
>
>
>  Steve
>
>
> > Hi Steve,
> > Look cleaning a leica lens is so easy and non scientific that it's a piece
> > of cake. As I've read some pretty ridged cleaning scenarios from folks 
> you'd
> > think you were cleaning a piece of extra-ordinary glass instead of a leica
> > coated lens..
> >
> > I believe Leica should put out a video illustrating how their technical
> > service people clean lenses when you send them for a fix up or if you go to
> > one of those leica day things held in camera stores.
> >
> > it goes like this...
> >
> > tech takes lens in hand breathes on the glass and rubs a piece of cloth 
> in a
> > circular motion and cleans the lens.... that's it.
> >
> > And if you go into the archives you'll find this topic has all the answers
> > to cleaning.
> >
> > However, this is the way to do it and you can save a fortune in those
> > technical created "cleaning cloths with droplets of whatever the hell they
> > put in those bottles to take your money, that would be better spent on
> > buying film so you can take more pictures.....;-)
> >
> > 1:
> > You have the finest piece of lens cleaning cloth riding on your butt day
> > after day,  your under shorts when you're ready to discard them. Then cut
> > the butt side or largest piece of cloth from them and put the piece in a
> > small zip lock bag and in your equipment bag for future use. Or immediately
> > if required.
> >
> > 2:
> > When you're ready to clean, blow.. using your lung blowing power and blow
> > off the lens Then if you have a small camel hair cleaning brush lightly....
> > Then hot breath on the glass, take undershort cleaning cloth and in 
> circular
> > motion wipe off any other stuff.
> >
> > No you don't have to wipe as soft as you might wipe a babies bottom either,
> > you give it a good rub until it's clean. If after the first one you se a
> > finger print give 'er another good breathing fog and rub it again!!! Harder
> > this time.
> >
> > You'll find the above has been posted to the LUG an many occasions in the
> > past 5-6 years and it works.  No it doesn't leave any scratches and unless
> > you're using steel wool or some kind of abrasive material your lens will be
> > just fine.
> >
> > I've used the under wear cleaning cloth for many many years and yep in the
> > past some neophyte lens cleaners have poo-pooed the method or worse...
> > they've never done it and yet shoot it down.
> >
> > Anyway Steve, would I steer you wrong about cleaning a Leica element?
> > Besides this undershort and breathing method has been used for 50 
> years, not
> > jut on Leica glass but every other lens I've ever owned and used. and 
> all my
> > Leica glass looks great....... when I get around to cleaning the glass. ;-)
> >
> > ted
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
> >
>
>
>--
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In reply to: Message from Jeffery Smith <jls@runbox.com> ([Leica] Re:)
Message from Jeffery Smith <jls@runbox.com> (Re: [Leica] Re: lens cleaning...)
Message from Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> (Re: [Leica] Re: lens cleaning...)