Salt water on Summicron

[MelanieC]

It's not as dire as it sounds.

I took my M3 and Summicron to the beach yesterday, which has its inherent hazards. One of my dogs shook off a bit too close, and there is a spot (a teeny tiny spot) on the lens.

I know the coating on this lens is soft, and that salt water is corrosive, but I'll be damned if I know what to do about it. I'm assuming I need to do something soon.

There's nothing else on the lens except the usual random dust and I had no plans to send it out to be professionally cleaned anytime soon.

Thoughts?

 

[rover]

I would use a blower brush to remove all dust and particles then use a lens pen or cleaner and clean the element gently. If you don't yet have a lens pen take the lens with you to a shop, explain the situation and ask the nice person at the shop to demostrate how to appropriately use it (assuming he/she is not a snot nosed teenager).

 

[taffer]

>If you don't yet have a lens pen take the lens with you to a shop, explain the situation and ask the nice person at the shop to demostrate how to appropriately use it (assuming he/she is not a snot nosed teenager).

Couldn't have said better.

I once had my CV pancake lens literally sprayed with salt water during a shooting and had to take the following shots with lots of drops on it until I got home and could get some lens cleaner and lens tissues. Water drops were there for several hours but left no traces at all.

Dogs, ain't they lovely? 🙂

 

[Peter Klein]

Melanie: As a scientist, I'm sure you will confirm that sea salt is soluable in water. 🙂

As someone mentioned before, first use a air bulb blower to get off any loose particles. Then use a damp (not sopping wet) cloth to dab the spot and begin to dissolve it. You can use ordinary water, or lens cleaning fluid. Don't let any fluid run into the lens mount. Apply as little pressure as humanly possible. Old, well-laundered white T-shirts are ideal for this. Once you've dissolved the salt, wipe with the lens *very* gently with another part of the damp cloth. Follow up with any standard lens-cleaning solution (Kodak makes some) and lens tissue. I've done this myself on an early 1960s 90/2.8 Elmarit, which probably has the same soft coatings as the chrome rigid and DR Summicrons. with no damage.

I wouldn't use a lens pen, as the salt particles can be abrasive and dissolving them onto the surface of a damp cloth poses less risk of scratches.

Yet another example of the expression "Friendly as a wet dog!"

--Peter