Eating my words about ultrasonic cleaners for old lenses

I always thought ultrasonic cleaners were overkill for lens repair, figured warm water and a soft brush was all you needed. Last week I picked up a beat up 50mm f/1.4 from a pawn shop in Denver, had haze and some gunk between the elements. After 3 tries with manual cleaning I still had residue spots, so I finally caved and bought a $70 ultrasonic from Amazon. Put the glass elements in for 5 minutes at 40C with some lens cleaning solution, and holy cow it came out spotless. No scrubbing, no scratches, just clear glass. I learned that those little bubbles really do get into every tiny groove where brushes can't reach. Has anyone else had a rough lens turn out perfect after using one of these?

2 comments

2 Comments

schmidt.blake17d ago

Yeah, that haze between elements is brutal. Ultrasonic saved me the same headache with an old Takumar.

sam_harris6817d ago

Man, the ultrasonic cleaner is a total game changer for old glass. I almost gave up on a Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 once, it had that same milky haze between the elements and nothing else touched it. After a few cycles in the cleaner it came out crystal clear, like a completely different lens. It's one of those things where you think it's overkill until you actually try it, and then you wonder how you managed without it.