Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/05

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Subject: Re: FINGER PRINT ON LENS
From: Clevenson2@aol.com
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 10:59:15 -0400 (EDT)

Howdy,
  Here's another approach to the fingerprint-on-lens issue: try a product
called OptiClean. It's a water soluble polymer that is painted onto the glass
surface and as the solvents evaporate, the polymer forms (2-5 minutes). The
polymer is then peeled from the surface of the lens using an adhesive strip
and the lens is left free of particulates, grease, etc.  I have used it on
various Leitz lenses; it works and doesn't harm coatings. (The solvents are
not compatible with some plastics however).
  The product is unfortunately not sold in the US. It comes from England and
I obtained a small bottle by sending a personal check to the company's US
agent in California, once the check was received, the product was sent to me
by airmail. The whole transaction took about 10 days.
  The stuff is not cheap: $25 for a little bottle (about the size of a bottle
of nail polish). This amount will clean the front and rear surfaces of about
25 lenses.
  If you want more info, send e-mail to: TonyBerg@compuserve.com
  I am in no way affiliated with the company that makes this stuff.

All Best,
Corey Levenson
San Antonio TX

In a message dated 8/4/97 12:03:22 PM, you wrote:

>To the Leica Users Group
>
>The Following is a message from a friend, I am reproducing it here, I will
>forward him  any answer.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Last Saturday the son of a close friend of mine, put his little finger on
>the back element of my 35 Summilux AHSP, when I realized that I tried to
>remove it with a dry microfiber cloth (according to  the Leica
>instructions), but what happened was that the print wasn't cleaned at all,
>instead, the dirt was all over the back lens, since this is the first time
>it happens to me,  I decided leaving it like that and ask for advice, my
>question is :
>
>How could I remove that dirt without removing (or scratching) the coating of
>the back element ?
>
>From that problem a big question is arising now, How hard is the coating,
>and the glass, of Leica Lenses ?, I know there are lenses like the 19mm
>f/2.8 R that uses back mounted filters, and many Leica users don't like
>using front filters, in that case a lens should be cleaned quite often.
>
>Andres
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Jorge Saravia