Dismantle and clean RF Canon 50/1.8 LTM

M

Marla60

Canon P
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May 23, 2008
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Hello,

My canon 50/1.8 has some haze and it needs to be cleaned inside.
But I never do that before.

How do this?

Thanks for your help
 
Look at the persons location, English may not be their first language :rolleyes:

I'd like to know how to dismantle the lens, too.
 
The haze is most likely on the surface behind the aperture.

Get a lens spanner (US 20-30 or so on ebay). Take off the brass ring that you see from behind, next to the RF cam. Than you can take the lens barrel out of the helix.

Then, using a cleaning cloth and some force you can take off the rear element group for cleaning. Before you unscrew it, mark it so when you reassemble you know how tight to go.

The above works for both, chrome and black/chrome versions of this lens.

If it is the black/chrome version, you will find a tiny screw in front of the aperture ring. If you take this out you can remove the front group of the lens without spanner, and get access to surfaces behind and in front of aperture for cleaning.

Best,

Roland.
 
Roland has provided excellent directions concerning how to disassemble and clean this lens. It is really pretty easy if you have a lens spanner. Also the coatings on old Canon lens are usually fairly hard, and so damaging lens coatings is not a big issue provided that you use gentle cleaning agents and minimum force to remove the grime.
 
You can also use a set of good needle nosed pliers to get the rear module out. On the chrome version of the lens, the pliers shown in my avatar work well with a hard-to-reach retaining ring.

Which version of the lens do you have? The all-chrome version is constructed a bit differently from the later Black version.

I need to remember to photograph the next one that I take apart.

Welcome to the Forum.
 
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Thanks for the help and the "welcome":D

And sorry for the mistakes in my sentences in english ;)

I will try the method of Farider. I hope the cleaning will be useful.

This is the black version.
The seller told me that there was some haze on the lens but we cant see any effect on the pictures.
But it's not the case, mainly in the hight lights.
I call it the "david hamilton" effect, and I want to get rid of it, if it's possible...
 
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ferider said:
The haze is most likely on the surface behind the aperture.

Get a lens spanner (US 20-30 or so on ebay). Take off the brass ring that you see from behind, next to the RF cam. Than you can take the lens barrel out of the helix.

Then, using a cleaning cloth and some force you can take off the rear element group for cleaning. Before you unscrew it, mark it so when you reassemble you know how tight to go.

The above works for both, chrome and black/chrome versions of this lens.

If it is the black/chrome version, you will find a tiny screw in front of the aperture ring. If you take this out you can remove the front group of the lens without spanner, and get access to surfaces behind and in front of aperture for cleaning.

Best,

Roland.
Click to expand...

I just need a cleaning cloth to clean it? no other products?
 
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I've had the best luck with ammonia based eye-glass cleaner, applied gently with a q-tip and then clean with Kodak lens cleaning paper. I ran out of Olympus branded paper.

I just cleaned a Black version of the lens for an RFF'r. The rear module came out easily. The rear element comes out of that module by taking off a retaining ring as well. IF YOU DO THIS- be sure to mark the edge of the lens to you put it back in correctly. It is "almost" symmetrical, and if you forget which way it goes on, you will get fuzzy edges on your pictures.
 
I am the RFF'r that Brian Speaks of. My lens had a fair amount of haze in it (resulting in a lot of 'glow'), but Brian cleaned it up very nicely and now it sparkles. Canon lenses, in my experience, clean up much more nicely than their Leica counterparts (which often need recoating).

Bienvenue à RFF, Marla60.
 
Again, thanks a lot for your help.

I've tested many forums on the Internet, and this one is the best one, because people know what they are talking about.:)
 
Thanks to everyone for posting this information. I successfully disassembled and cleaned a Canon 50/1.8 that came with a VT I recently purchased. I've worked on FSU lenses but this was my first try with a Canon LTM. Everything went smoothly and the lens works great.
 
Sealed Middle Group

Sealed Middle Group

I have the black Canon LTM 50/f1.8 which has some serious haze in the middle elements. I have taken off the the front and rear elements with no trouble but are now faced with the remaining optical block which doesn't appear to have a way in, seems to be a sealed unit.
Any help would be appreciated.
 
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