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Old 24-03-2010, 09:40 AM
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StephenM (Stephen)
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Best way to remove salt spray from lens?

Hi all,

After a weekend at Byron Bay my telephoto lens has quite a bit of dried salt spray on it, and I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for cleaning it. I'm not sure if lens tissue is a good idea, because I don't want the salt crystals to scratch the lens coating. Would a solvent of some kind be a good idea?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Cheers,
Stephen
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Old 24-03-2010, 10:20 AM
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multiweb (Marc)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StephenM View Post
Hi all,

After a weekend at Byron Bay my telephoto lens has quite a bit of dried salt spray on it, and I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for cleaning it. I'm not sure if lens tissue is a good idea, because I don't want the salt crystals to scratch the lens coating. Would a solvent of some kind be a good idea?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Cheers,
Stephen
Wouldn't salt dissolve in warm water if you wipe it with a wet cotton bud? I always got stuborn stuff lose off my mirror coatings with warm water.
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Old 24-03-2010, 10:26 AM
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Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)
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Hi Stephen,
Been there, done that (:!
Don't worry too much about scratching the coatings, they are pretty hard and you have to do a LOT of damage to them to interfere with IQ.
But to be on the safe side:
Blow as much of the salt away with some clean form of compressed air. Next carefully dislodge any remaining crystals with a lens brush or Sable paint brush. This applies to the housing as well as the lens.
Don't freak out now!
Fill a plastic bowl or pan with demineralised water, (do not use chemical solvents) up-end the lens so the glass is facing down, dip it in the water only as far as you need to immerse the glass. Swish it around for about 10 seconds. Repeat twice with fresh water. Stand the lens at a 30-60* angle and allow to dry or gently blow-dry on 'low' heat.
You're main goal is to wash away as much salt as possible, while not allowing moisture into the lens housing.
Modern lens glass is pretty robust, its really the body and seals that will be most adverseley affected over time.
Good luck, and if anyone has a less complicated way to do it, please chime - in!
Peter
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Old 25-03-2010, 09:35 AM
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StephenM (Stephen)
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Thanks for the responses Marc and Peter. I thought I'd have to use water.

Peter, have you actually tried dipping a lens in a bowl of water?

Cheers,
Stephen

Quote:
Originally Posted by multiweb View Post
Wouldn't salt dissolve in warm water if you wipe it with a wet cotton bud? I always got stuborn stuff lose off my mirror coatings with warm water.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous View Post
Hi Stephen,
Been there, done that (:!
Don't worry too much about scratching the coatings, they are pretty hard and you have to do a LOT of damage to them to interfere with IQ.
But to be on the safe side:
Blow as much of the salt away with some clean form of compressed air. Next carefully dislodge any remaining crystals with a lens brush or Sable paint brush. This applies to the housing as well as the lens.
Don't freak out now!
Fill a plastic bowl or pan with demineralised water, (do not use chemical solvents) up-end the lens so the glass is facing down, dip it in the water only as far as you need to immerse the glass. Swish it around for about 10 seconds. Repeat twice with fresh water. Stand the lens at a 30-60* angle and allow to dry or gently blow-dry on 'low' heat.
You're main goal is to wash away as much salt as possible, while not allowing moisture into the lens housing.
Modern lens glass is pretty robust, its really the body and seals that will be most adverseley affected over time.
Good luck, and if anyone has a less complicated way to do it, please chime - in!
Peter
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