I was gifted a beautiful Beseler enlarger with a couple of lenses a few months ago, and I'm finally getting around to making some prints. However, both the lenses are pretty dirty, to the point where I need to clean them with some kind of a solution. What should I use that won't damage the coatings and how should I apply it? They are both Leica lenses, and I'd be pretty angry If I damaged them

I was also given a few cameras recently that have pretty gross lenses that need cleaning. Is there any difference in how I should clean camera lenses versus enlarger lenses?

I have always clean my lenses with 99% isopropyl alcool and lens cleaning cloth. Most of the time, when on location I clean my lenses with the back inner side of my t-shirt... all my lenses are fine.

I've used alcohol before and I've noticed it does a good job, BUT, I've also used Kodak lens cleaner, and I love the way it cleans it and dust is not attracted to it right away.

I also use a silk cloth and Kodak lens cleaning paper.

Keep a bottle of compressed air near to lightly blow away dust if any happens to land as you finish up.

Yo mr. insanebuslady,
What vintage? you may want to find out if those old coatings can handle isopropyl, some can't. Good meeting you BTW.

From my bookmarks, maybe this:

early Summicrons like the 1st version Chrome 35mm have soft coatings. It would be safer to have such a rare and valuable optic it cleaned by a professional.

I was trained by Zeiss to repair cine lenses, so if you do decide you should try cleaning your Summi, here are some instructions:

1) blow the dust off with a few gentle puffs of compressed air.

2) fold up an ordinary tissue (without "Aloe Vera" or any other muck) into a wedge. It may pay to inspect the tissue with a loupe to make sure that batch was milled properly and has no large wood fibre particles or grit. I prefer to use ordinary household tissue to "lens cleaning tissue" as the commercial lens cleaning tissue is dense and hard and doesn't absorb particles on the lens surface as well as soft household tissue. Microfibre cloths can also harbour grit from previous lens cleaning operations, so I avoid it.

3) breath on the air-dusted lens surface and using the folded tissue wedge wipe in an arc from the centre of the element to the edge in a full circle - LIGHTLY!

4) when you come up to the point on the arc you started from sweep the tissue out towards the edge and off the lens taking the last of the (breath) condensation away.

5) repeat using ammonia-based cleaner on a fresh piece of tissue! Always "lube" the lens surface by breathing on it BEFORE applying the tissue sprayed with ammonia-based cleaner!!!

Remember: Tissue = cheap; coated lens = expensive !

Repeat until grease, finger prints, dried salt crystals etc., are gone.

Remember to be extremely light in the pressure you are using. The tissue is only there to collect the oils and debris loosened by the breath condensation or ammonia-based cleaner.

To clean an early Leitz Summicron or Summitar with the softer coatings use the same steps, but dilute with distiled water the ammonia-based cleaner down to 10% of the solution you spray on the tissue!!!!

Cleaning such ancient and fragile optical coatings is, of course, is at your own risk!

Some old single coated optics are near disintegration as it is. Invest in UV filters and try to clean such optics as little as possible.

Once the lens looks clean you can then inspect the lens surfaces.

To inspect the front and rear surfaces of a lens, take a standard 50mm lens from a SLR, and look through the front of the 50mm at the surface of the lens in question. The reversed 50mm makes an excellent loupe!

I use a 1951 Zeiss Jena 2/58 Biotar which has no protuberances, being a pre-set M42 optic. Remember to close down the iris of the lens you are checking so as to reflect light up to the surface element.

You will then be able to see every flaw, scratch and chip in the coating. Just be careful not to bang the back of the 50mm (with it's metal linkages) into the lens you are examining or you will have some scratches and chips for sure!

Finally repeat 1-4 using condensation from breath to remove any oily residue left behind by the ammonia-based cleaner. Some coating materials are particularly prone to streaks, such as Hoya's multi-coating.

Take care and good luck.

Posted by Livingstone ... I prefer to use ordinary household tissue to "lens cleaning tissue" as the commercial lens cleaning tissue is dense and hard and doesn't absorb particles on the lens surface as well as soft household tissue....

I tend to disagree with this. The Kodak lens papers are very good at collecting the debris cause there is a precess you use with one.

Apply one or two drops of a high quality lens cleaning solution like Kodak. Starting in the center of the lens, clean in a circular motion until you reach the outer edge. Repeat if necessary, then buff lightly with another clean, folded tissue.

They have been used by professionals for many many years. Both myself and my parents have used these papers and lens solution on all our lenses, and after 30+ years they are still in perfect condition.



The only time I use an ordinary household tissue is to dry off my DVDs after washing the kids fingerprints off them.

I use my shirt usually. or my finger. or whatever. Why?

http://www.lensren...-element-scratches

Modern coatings are much more durable, some of the old ones are relatively soft.

Thanks for the advice bro. Being that they are nice lenses and relatively old, I'll err on the side of caution and bring them by my local camera dude first and see what he thinks.