Older lens cleaning

[Snowcat]

Hello everyone!

As this is my first post, I feel like I should introduce myself. I am a photographer from Russia. Some time ago I've got back into manual photography. I used MF like everyone else back in ancient Zenith/Nikon FM times (I was in high school back then). And now, with SONY's great featured cameras with EVFs, peaking and so on I use MF lenses again.

I have a question... What do you do to clean/polish your lenses? I know they can be used "as is", but it would be pleasant to have those old lenses cleaned.

Lately I've got a tiny Meyer Optik jewel - Trioplan 50/2.9. It has good optics but it's exterior is spoiled with dirt. I tried to use a rubber to clean it. Rubber surely does the job but it leaves LOTS of dirt from itself and as trioplan is far from being dust proof, that dirt tends to get inside the lens so I've stopped...

Please, any advice?

[JJB]

Welcome to the forum!

Regarding cleanup, you might ask Marek. He has posted a number of recent threads on the topic.

http://forum.mflenses.com/telemegor-150mm-exa-another-cleanup-fairy-tale-t70108.html

[Humulus]

For my Trioplan I used the "Sonax" paste for chrome and aluminium

[Snowcat]

Ok, I get the idea about the cleaning paste. I even know where to get a tube of it... Thanks, I'll try that.

[Lightshow]

I'm starting to see more and more lenses for sale that have seen lots of work done to them to make them look pristine, new out of the box, with prices to match, but no words in the description stating what was done.
I think some lenses have been put on a lathe and Scotch Brite pads were used to clean them up.

The most I've ever done is a full CLA on a lens that had oil everywhere, dismantle the lens into its components, helicoid, optics, and body, everything but the optics was cleaned with solvent and toothbrush, then with soap and water with a toothbrush to remove the solvent, the optics were washed by hand with dish soap to cut through the oil, then cleaned with the usual methods.

[Lloydy]

There are people out there polishing aluminium lenses until they look like chrome, some are using lathes and Scotchbrite as Lightshow says, or buffing mops and abrasive 'soaps'. Personally I would never shine a lens using such 'industrial' methods. We worry about rain getting into lenses, especially old lenses which are not sealed in any way at all. So what's stopping the abrasive paste or the abrasive dust from Scothbrite getting inside the lens? Nothing.
I have used a thick paste such as Autosol very sparingly on a cloth to restore a shine, but I am ultra careful about preventing any paste residue getting between the rings and body of the lens.
I'd rather have a tarnished lens than one with abrasive inside it.

[philslizzy]

Autosol works for me. Be careful though. You can get it on ebay. A tube will last a lifetime!