Re: [Leica] Lens cleaning

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>]

Daniel Ridings offered the wisdom of:
Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/06
Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: lens cleaning...
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
Date: Sat, 06 Jul 2002 22:17:53 -0700
References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020706180550.00b1b5a0@pop.runbox.com>
<5.1.0.14.0.20020706190948.00b35038@pop.runbox.com>

Look cleaning a leica lens is so easy and non scientific that it's a piece
of cake. I've read some pretty ridged cleaning scenarios from folks you'd
think were cleaning a piece of extra-ordinary super piece of glass, instead
of a Leica
coated lens..

I think Leica should put out a video illustrating how their technical
service people clean lenses when you send them for a fix up or if you go to
one of those Leica one day events held in camera stores.

It can be "a shocking experience" for a newbie to see the tech do his thing.
:-) Goes like this...

Tech takes lens in hand breathes on the glass for some fogging effect, all
Leica techs are hot breathing! ;-)  Fogged surface appears tech rubs a piece
of cleaning cloth in a
circular motion and cleans the lens.... rubs extra hard of crud wont come
off. That's it.

And if you go into the archives you'll find a dozen or so likely answers to
the "cleaning question." Actually it's a no brainer but can be a very
traumatic experience for a first time watcher of the process. :-)

However, this is the way to do it safely and effectively. Besides you'll
save a fortune from spending money for those little "cleaning cloths with
droplets of whatever the hell they put in those bottles to take your money."
That would be better spent on
film so you can take more pictures.....;-)

Read and follow the instructions and you wont go wrong.
1:
You have the finest piece of lens cleaning cloth riding on your butt day
after day,  your cotton under shorts or ladies cotton panties! Yep you're
riding on them daily and when you are ready to discard them cut the large
butt side piece out and put the piece in a small zip lock bag and into your
equipment bag for future use.

2:
When you're ready to clean begin: By using your lung blowing power blow
loose bits and things off the lens surface. If you have a small camel hair
brush, sweep it lightly....removing stuff. Then wipe lightly with the cloth
to remove other bits followed by hot breathe on the glass, take undershort
cleaning cloth and in circular motion begin to rub glass clean.

No you don't have to wipe as soft as you might wipe a babies bottom either,
you give it a good rub until it's clean. If after the first rub off and you
see any smears or stuff ,
 give 'er another good breathing fog and rub it again!!! Harder this time.

You'll find the above has been posted to the LUG an many occasions in the
past 5-6 years and it works.  No it doesn't leave any scratches and unless
you're using steel wool or some kind of abrasive material, your lens will be
just fine and sparkling clean.

I've used the under wear cleaning cloth idea for years and never scratched a
lens. However, neophyte cleaning types have poo-pooed the method or worse...
they shoot it down as rediculous and never try it. They just haven't been
watching a  leica lens cleaned by a Leica trained technician. :-)

And folks would I steer you wrong about cleaning a Leica element?
Besides this undershort and breathing method has been done for 50 years, not
just on Leica glass but every other lens I've ever owned and used. At the
moment all my Leica glass looks great :-) So what are you folks waiting for,
cut your butt and rub! ;-)
ted







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