Internal lens fog cleaning.

[fidget]

Hi, I recently bought a Mamiya C220 TLR and a few lenses. It's all very usable except that the 135mm lens has an internal surface of the taking lens fogged. It's a surface which is easy to get at, these things just unscrew like the lid off a jar. The thing is, I can't clean this off. It is a little foggy with tiny black specs apparently embedded in the surface. I have tried gentle cleaners, the strongest solvent was white spirits (turps). Can anyone recommend a good cleaning agent, or are the taking and viewing lenses interchangeable?

Regards, Dave....

 

[Mackinaw]

I picked up a used Mamiya 6 folder years back with a cloudy 75mm Zuiko. It took ammonia, and a good deal of elbow grease, to remove the cloudiness. Some folks swear by R.O.R. lens cleaner, so you may also want to try that.

As for whether the viewing and taking lenses are interchangeable, for the 135mm, I think they are.

You may want to post your question, on whether the lenses are interchangeable, on the Mamiya users site:

Dead Link Removed

Jim Bielecki

 

[Roger Hicks]

Hi, I recently bought a Mamiya C220 TLR and a few lenses. It's all very usable except that the 135mm lens has an internal surface of the taking lens fogged. It's a surface which is easy to get at, these things just unscrew like the lid off a jar. The thing is, I can't clean this off. It is a little foggy with tiny black specs apparently embedded in the surface. I have tried gentle cleaners, the strongest solvent was white spirits (turps). Can anyone recommend a good cleaning agent, or are the taking and viewing lenses interchangeable?

Regards, Dave....

Dear Dave,

OptiClean from Caliope (check their site). Readily available in the UK; less so in the USA.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

First of all, I assume you are absolutely certain its on that surface and not on the inside.

My fog remover of choice is a mixture 1:1 of household ammonia and household hydrogen peroxide. I use "Kim Wipes" lintless, disposable tissues.

The worst one I've done is a 60 year old Rolleiflex Tessar. Being an uncoated lens, I could be pretty firm with the scrubbing. The tissues will not scratch a lens or its coating but any particles of grit can. Make sure the glass and surrounding area is extremely clean before you scrub too hard. With a coated lens, you always run the risk of removing the coating. (probably better than the haze though)