How to remove haze from lens elements?

j-dogg · Apr 28, 2015

I have tried optics cleaner and a lens wipe and I got most of this stuff off but theres still a small film......its a cheap lens I got to hone my lens repair skills and I managed to successfully get it apart and mostly clean it but I still have this small film.

antmar · Apr 28, 2015

If you can't remove it easily then it is possible to be coating damage or you have a group of elements stuck together and the haze is in the balsam. In these cases you can't do much.

j-dogg · Apr 28, 2015

I got like 90% of the original stuff off.

It's a Sun 35-135 Nikon mount, I would be sad if this were a Zeiss Flektogon

shutterfinger · Apr 28, 2015

Heavyweight microfiber lens cleaning cloth such as Dead Link Removed and your breath will clean more gunk and haze off lens than any other cleaner.

John Koehrer · Apr 28, 2015

Even with lens cleaner you can get a residue.
It's going to take another episode or two doing the same thing. It'll clean up.
I'm still a believer in lens cleaning tissues or Kimwipes over microfiber cloth. Shrug!

Xmas · Apr 28, 2015

First dab with cotton waste wet with water.

If that does not work try ladies/babies skin cream don't leave the cream on the lens, rub on and wipe off.

If neither work it may be etching...

summicron1 · Apr 28, 2015

it is entirely possible that the oil has etched the glass, in which case u r screwed unless you have a spare element laying around. Had this happen to a 2.8 elmar, so I know. good luck.

Dan Daniel · Apr 28, 2015

Sometimes I'll use naphtha as the first cleaning fluid, to cut any oil and such off of the glass. Then follow immediately with standard lens cleaning fluid, breath moisture while wiping clean. I'm not saying that it will work in your case.

02Pilot · Apr 28, 2015

My standard progression of cleaners for lenses is Windex, Ronsonol, and finally Flitz metal polish. If you need to go further, you're beyond cleaning and into repolishing. I've salvaged some pretty bad glass using those chemicals.

Moisturizing hand cream works wonders for fungus, but I don't think that's what you're dealing with.

gone · Apr 28, 2015

Alcohol or lighter fluid. Yeah, I know, but I do this all the time. It evaporates off. Then follow up w/ lens cleaning fluid. It comes in those blister packages w/ a little red plastic bottle, along w/ a blower brush and tissue. Or buy a little bottle from the drug store or Walmart. Use lens tissue and repeat as necessary. If you can't get it all off and it's on the front element, you'll probably never see any effect, especially w/ a hood on the lens.

j-dogg · Apr 28, 2015

It's an internal element, the rest of the lens is fine

Xmas · Apr 29, 2015

02Pilot said:
My standard progression of cleaners for lenses is Windex, Ronsonol, and finally Flitz metal polish.
Moisturizing hand cream works wonders for fungus, but I don't think that's what you're dealing with.

Windex is a fine abrasive...

Hand cream has a magic ingredient... 1% NaOH ... So it it rub it on and remove immediately as some optic glasses won't take high pH for long.

Water is bad enough for some glasses don't leave it to soak...

Nodda Duma · Apr 29, 2015

I didn't see if the lens was coated or not. Haze on coated optics is rarely an issue with the glass. Rather it's interaction between the coating and the surrounding environment (obviously a very general statement).

Unremovable haze not attributed to fungus or abrasive damage could be surface damage to the top coating layer of MgF2 from condensation on the lens surface. MgF2 is soluble in water. I've seen this before.

In this case the only thing left to do is polish the old coating off and re-coat the lens. If it's the outer surface of the front lens and you're not worried about resale value, just polish off the coating. And by the way, if this doesn't make you nervous then don't attempt it.

02Pilot · Apr 29, 2015

Xmas said:
Windex is a fine abrasive...

Hand cream has a magic ingredient... 1% NaOH ... So it it rub it on and remove immediately as some optic glasses won't take high pH for long.

Have you got sources on these, especially the first one? There's nothing on the Windex label that suggests abrasive, and I haven't seen any indications of such. As far as hand cream, I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that not every hand cream manufactured today contains 1% NaOH; some specific recommendation would be helpful, along with some explanation of exactly what makes this a "magic ingredient."

DWThomas · Apr 29, 2015

Xmas said:
Windex is a fine abrasive...

...

Possibly on your side of the pond -- this is one of the hazards of brand names. In the US it is a totally transparent clear blue liquid which appears to be alcohol and water with maybe a smidgen of detergent and some blue colorant. There is or was a version which contained ammonia (and probably not desirable on lenses).

Xmas · Apr 29, 2015

02Pilot said:
Have you got sources on these, especially the first one? There's nothing on the Windex label that suggests abrasive, and I haven't seen any indications of such. As far as hand cream, I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that not every hand cream manufactured today contains 1% NaOH; some specific recommendation would be helpful, along with some explanation of exactly what makes this a "magic ingredient."

If you are sure you can use your Windex I dont have a problem with that.
My pack of hand cream (in UK) said NaOH in list of ingredients have you looked your packs ingredients list?
NaOH will dissolve lots of things (and sterilize most fungi)

David Lyga · Apr 29, 2015

OK, first make certain that the haze is on the side you are going to treat. Look carefully. Then ...

I have found (and been astounded because of it) that hand lotion (as recommended by XMAS) does wonders to stubborn haze that can not be easily removed with glass cleaner or lighter fluid. (NB: Yes, alcohol works sometimes but imparts a static that makes dust cling tenaciously.)

Leave the lotion on for ten minutes, then wipe off with a soft, clean tissue. Then glass cleaner to get that residue off completely. Result? In some cases there will still be some haze but I have found that this works better than other methods. And I have been taking apart lenses for decades. - David Lyga

02Pilot · Apr 29, 2015

Didn't think about the possibility of regional differences in branding - good point.

I just checked three hand creams and only one contained sodium hydroxide; the specific percentage is not noted.

AllanD · Apr 29, 2015

If it is a cemented group the haze that you see might be caused by element separation. For example, I have a Pentax M 50/1.4 that has a circle of haze on the only cemented internal group, and this is definitely separation. If it is separation that is causing the problem, no amount of cleaning will help. That said, if you can't get rid if the haze, it doesn't mean that the lens is useless as this depends very much on you as a photographer and your willingness to make it work for you. For example, you may find that you prefer portraits produced by this lens to those produced by one that is technically better.

David Lyga · Apr 29, 2015

Correct, AllanD, and thank you for bringing that up.

I do not know if it is actual 'separation', but the haze is caused by the cement (moisture?, another chemical reaction?). If this is the case, get another lens, as normals are not too expensive. I would have no idea how to separate those cemented elements and rectify that mess. Resolution will not necessarily suffer, but the contrast assuredly will. - David Lyga

shutterfinger · Apr 29, 2015

It will help to know what lens you have the haze problem with. Canadian Balsam was used for years to cement lens cells together. Due to age and temperatures the Balsam breaks down and turns whitish referred to as haze. It will lower image contrast in extreme conditions and making focusing difficult but usually has no affect in light to moderate failure. Balsam is suppose to soften around 190°F. If you separate lens cells be sure to make alignment marks first so they can be reassembled in their correct positions. Indirect heating is necessary to prevent cracking lens cells. Place a pan of water and heat it to boiling, remove from the heat source and gently lower the lens cells into the water. Another method is to heat an oven to 175°F-225°F, turn the oven off, place the cells in the center of the oven, close the door and leave for 15 to 30 minutes. Sometimes such heating will "fix" the Balsam and it will clear upon complete cooling.

And I have removed surface haze that lens cleaners and lens tissues would not phase with the microfiber cloth and breath method.

David Lyga · Apr 30, 2015

I could never understand why?, how? a cement could be placed between elements and resolution could not be affected. The purity of such cement must be immense, but, perhaps not always permanent.

It might be trivial and even naive for me to ask: Why can't elements be mated withOUT cement? - David Lyga

Xmas · Apr 30, 2015

David Lyga said:
I could never understand why?, how? a cement could be placed between elements and resolution could not be affected. The purity of such cement must be immense, but, perhaps not always permanent.

It might be trivial and even naive for me to ask: Why can't elements be mated withOUT cement? - David Lyga

You would get variations on Newtons rings the cement allows wider tolerances, and eliminates losses form two air to glass surfaces. It is expensive to hold the tolerances.

The Balsam was practical but they ran out of it and now days use modern glues that you wont be able to separate.

And all questions are good David, it is the answers that are normally well bad...

Noel

Greg Heath · Apr 30, 2015

j-dogg said:
I have tried optics cleaner and a lens wipe and I got most of this stuff off but theres still a small film......its a cheap lens I got to hone my lens repair skills and I managed to successfully get it apart and mostly clean it but I still have this small film.

A 50/50 mixture of Hydrogen Peroxide and Ammonia. Soak the lenses in it. Make sure you do it in a plastic cup so the lenses don't scratch. 30 minutes or so. Rinse. Paper towel pat dry. That should do it.

I hope it works and the glass is not etched from the fungus.

Greg

David Lyga · May 2, 2015

Greg, if this truly works, without optical repercussions, you have been truly helpful here. - David Lyga

How to remove haze from lens elements?

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