fates
Established
Hi all, just wanted to share the absolute fastest way I have found to clear up the yellowing of lenses due to rare earth content. I've cleaned up several Takumars and now a 50/2 Wetzlar rigid 'Cron with this lamp. After witnessing the speed in which it just cleaned up this Leica beauty from 1970, I was compelled to share this technique. For whatever reasons, it is able to clear up the yellowing of lens FAST. Like in all of 24 hours. Not a week of sitting in the windowsill trying to harness the sun.
So here's the secret tool.
The JANSJÖ work lamp from Ikea. Item number 101.287.34
It's an LED unit, but evidently puts out a highly focused beam of UV light that you can bend down right into the barrel of your lens. Seriously this thing works awesome. I've tried other UV bulbs to some good results but still those take days to undo the yellowing of decades of the radioactive breakdown. This lamp will cure it overnight. 2 nights, and you're back to like new.
Hope this is helpful to someone... other than Ikea's lamp sales.
So here's the secret tool.
The JANSJÖ work lamp from Ikea. Item number 101.287.34
It's an LED unit, but evidently puts out a highly focused beam of UV light that you can bend down right into the barrel of your lens. Seriously this thing works awesome. I've tried other UV bulbs to some good results but still those take days to undo the yellowing of decades of the radioactive breakdown. This lamp will cure it overnight. 2 nights, and you're back to like new.
Hope this is helpful to someone... other than Ikea's lamp sales.
surfer dude
Well-known
Sorry, but for the life of me I can't understand why people would want to destroy the yellow coating on these lenses.
Yes, they are slightly radioactive, but they aren't about to produce three headed fish or make you glow in the dark. They are also totally unique in belonging to a time and place, and this is of value to many people. Also, the yellow itself adds a certain unique dimensionality to the image.
If you don't want the yellow, buy some other lens, but why destroy the rare existing ones?
Yes, they are slightly radioactive, but they aren't about to produce three headed fish or make you glow in the dark. They are also totally unique in belonging to a time and place, and this is of value to many people. Also, the yellow itself adds a certain unique dimensionality to the image.
If you don't want the yellow, buy some other lens, but why destroy the rare existing ones?
pobe
Well-known
I thought this was the fastest way: http://web.aanet.com.au/bayling/repair.html 
The Yellowing of the glass is from radiation damage from the radioactive Thorium. It was not made into the glass, and is not a yellow coating. The lens performs much more naturally with it gone.
the IDIOT that smashed the thorium lens- let's hope he did not ingest any of the particles as it will destroy your stomach lining.
The Rigid Summicron does not use Thorium. The early Collapsible Summicrons, serial number under "About" 1050000 use it, and i have three of them.
The yellowing in a Rigid Summicron is from the Canadian Balsam turning yellow with time. I have never tried bleaching it out, please report the results with it.
The yellowing in a Rigid Summicron is from the Canadian Balsam turning yellow with time. I have never tried bleaching it out, please report the results with it.
surfer dude
Well-known
OK Brian I stand somewhat corrected about it not being a coating, yet the yellowing DOES give unique properties - if you want a lens to perform naturally, why buy an interesting lens like this and then take away the very thing that makes it interesting?
Have you ever used a Collapsible Summicron AFTER it has been bleached clear?
If you shoot just black and white, it is like having a yellow filter attached. So- you can always put a yellow filter on a lens and get the same result.
You have to bleach out the Thoriated Glass to get the filter off. It is well worth it, and you can always use a yellow filter for B&W.
I should add- I have one at Focalpoint now for polishing and getting a new front coating. It was opaque when I traded for it. A second was picked up in a trade for a Summitar and cash, because the owner wanted to shoot color. Picked up the third on a Leica IIIf, probably been on it since 1952.
For interesting: it is the low dispersion qualities of thoriated glass that make the lens interesting, at least to me. Not the radiation damage.
If you shoot just black and white, it is like having a yellow filter attached. So- you can always put a yellow filter on a lens and get the same result.
You have to bleach out the Thoriated Glass to get the filter off. It is well worth it, and you can always use a yellow filter for B&W.
I should add- I have one at Focalpoint now for polishing and getting a new front coating. It was opaque when I traded for it. A second was picked up in a trade for a Summitar and cash, because the owner wanted to shoot color. Picked up the third on a Leica IIIf, probably been on it since 1952.
For interesting: it is the low dispersion qualities of thoriated glass that make the lens interesting, at least to me. Not the radiation damage.
Last edited:
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Phil,
Alternatively, why not take it back to the state it was in when it was new?
Taking your argument far further than you would, why repolish a scratched lens? If you think the scratches make it interesting, leave 'em; if not, why not restore it? And bear in mind that the restoration is fuly reversible. Just leave it for another few decades...
Cheers,
R.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Brian,
No, surely it was Wetzlar balsam in those days...
(I don't do smileys, but those who like them can imagine one.)
Cheers,
R.
surfer dude
Well-known
But Brian my point is, that bleach it and an historical oddity is no more. If you don't want the yellow filter effect all the time, buy any other lens that does not have the Thorium thingy. The OP seems to be running a production line of "fixing" the unique properties out of these lenses - why doesn't he just buy lenses that don't have the "problem" (or unique attribute) in the first place.
And no, I have never used one. I have never used a collapsible Summicron at all.
And no, I have never used one. I have never used a collapsible Summicron at all.
surfer dude
Well-known
Hi Roger,
Well, why buy a scratched lens if you don't want a scratched lens (unless you can't afford an unscratched one in which case you are going to have to pay more for it to be repaired blah blah).
Besides which, there are many scratched/unscratched lenses but, as I said, these are historical oddities that belong to a time and place.
I must admit that I didn't know the Thorium would re-zap the lenses over time but - why do it if you don't want THAT lens for its individual properties?
I am buying one of these lamps for myself!
Much better than leaving in the Sun to cure. I have a Collapsible Summicron that was sunbleached, before I received it. The grease was like Tar, the focus was impossible. I relubed it. I switched to a UV lamp after that. Worked decently.
As far as restoring lenses and cameras to their original and intended working condition, that is the point of camera repair. Radiation Damage in glass is an undesirable side-effect of the materials chosen for their construction and restoring them to their intended state is always desirable.
Much better than leaving in the Sun to cure. I have a Collapsible Summicron that was sunbleached, before I received it. The grease was like Tar, the focus was impossible. I relubed it. I switched to a UV lamp after that. Worked decently.
As far as restoring lenses and cameras to their original and intended working condition, that is the point of camera repair. Radiation Damage in glass is an undesirable side-effect of the materials chosen for their construction and restoring them to their intended state is always desirable.
too funny.
I know a faster way to cure the Radiation Damage. My Boss told me to just shine a LASER down the glass, that would cure it. That was several years ago. Not many people have UV LASERS though. I took his word for it, did not try it.
I know a faster way to cure the Radiation Damage. My Boss told me to just shine a LASER down the glass, that would cure it. That was several years ago. Not many people have UV LASERS though. I took his word for it, did not try it.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
And even less people will have a soft UV LASER. The common excimer LASERS probably will not do, given that they have a hard spectrum and high power UV-C lamps are not effective either.
monochromejrnl
Well-known
I see this as being no different than sending a vintage lens out for a CLA. Would you buy a vintage lens with haze and fungus and consider cleaning it detrimental to its unique character?
rxmd
May contain traces of nut
Well if there was a way to unscratch lenses that only involved shining UV light down them and that's it, you can bet that I'd buy a lot of scratched lenses.
Yellowing is basically just an easily remedied form of damage. Historically accurate decomposition largely doesn't do anything for me photography-wise. Leather goes bad over time, too, but when buying a folder I still prefer one with a good bellows over one with an authentically decomposed one.
Last edited:
radiocemetery
Well-known
Thanks for the post and information, fates. I am going to order one of these and besides I can use the "work Lamp" aspect too. My eyes need all the help they can get!
Arjay
Time Traveller
You sure have a strange sense of humor...I thought this was the fastest way: http://web.aanet.com.au/bayling/repair.html
Ronald M
Veteran
The yellow makes it worthless for color pics imparting a yellow brown cast. That is why people want it gone.
Does sunlight permanently fix the yellow or at least for a year?
I once got a yellowed summicron. Was in absolute factory new mint perfect condition otherwise. What a shame as I returned it.
It was to be a lens for my iii f,
Does sunlight permanently fix the yellow or at least for a year?
I once got a yellowed summicron. Was in absolute factory new mint perfect condition otherwise. What a shame as I returned it.
It was to be a lens for my iii f,
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
As the radioactive decay does not stop, the lens will over the course of time go yellow again.