Lens Coating Query, Help Please

[Thomas Keidan]

OK, so my new camera arrived yesterday which I have been really panicky about as it's my first proper camera. Anyway, after cleaning the lens with a microfiber cloth I realised that the cloth had been sitting on a recently cleaned surface (i.e more chemicals). I started to fear that this may have damaged the lens coating in some way but I have no idea how to visually check this. There aren't any marks on lens and it looks to be a uniform shade throughout when looking under a reflection. Do i have anything to worry about?

Thanks

 

[Ian Grant]

It's unlikely, modern coatings are very hard and you'd easily spot damage it there was any.

What's the lens ?

Ian

 

[GRHazelton]

OK, so my new camera arrived yesterday which I have been really panicky about as it's my first proper camera. Anyway, after cleaning the lens with a microfiber cloth I realised that the cloth had been sitting on a recently cleaned surface (i.e more chemicals). I started to fear that this may have damaged the lens coating in some way but I have no idea how to visually check this. There aren't any marks on lens and it looks to be a uniform shade throughout when looking under a reflection. Do i have anything to worry about?

Thanks

You're probably okay. BTW, many folks advise against using a fabric softener when washing a micro fiber lens cleaning cloth. I suspect that the residue of the softener might be harmful. Of course keep the cloth in a dust-free container when not in use.

 

[Thomas Keidan]

It's unlikely, modern coatings are very hard and you'd easily spot damage it there was any.

What's the lens ?

Ian

It's not a modern camera eek! It's an Olympus RC 35 with a fixed 2.8 Zuiko lens, thanks!

 

[Thomas Keidan]

You're probably okay. BTW, many folks advise against using a fabric softener when washing a micro fiber lens cleaning cloth. I suspect that the residue of the softener might be harmful. Of course keep the cloth in a dust-free container when not in use.

Thanks, is there anything I can look out for to identify damage? I also don't have a clue as to how durable the lens coating actually is!

 

[AgX]

So far I have not succeeded to damage a coating other than using an abrasive powder. Have a look into the function of such layer.
Even if the coating as such would have been taken off, it would be one out of about 12 coated surfaces. You would not see the effect.

Same as with that scratched lens, and that sensor cover in your other threads.

 

[Thomas Keidan]

So far I have not succeeded to damage a coating other than using an abrasive powder. Have a look into the function of such layer.
Even if the coating as such would have been taken off, it would be one out of about 12 coated surfaces. You would not see the effect.

Same as with that scratched lens, and that sensor cover in your other threads.

is this the case with older lenses too? this particular camera is from 1970!

 

[AgX]

My experience is with lenses from the 70s. Very early coated lenses (post war) are said to have delicate coatings.

See it this way: grease smear, fingerprints etc, would have more effect than lacking of the fron t coating.
Reason enough to keep the front lens clean.
On the other hand, countless microscratches (from sand dust or such being rubbed all over the lens) should have more effect than a single scratch. (Actually a fine topic for a test...)

 

[Thomas Keidan]

My experience is with lenses from the 70s. Very early coated lenses (post war) are said to have delicate coatings.

See it this way: grease smear, fingerprints etc, would have more effect than lacking of the fron t coating.
Reason enough to keep the front lens clean.
On the other hand, countless microscratches (from sand dust or such being rubbed all over the lens) should have more effect than a single scratch. (Actually a fine topic for a test...)

Ok thank you, I was just panicking about the impact of chemicals on the coating rather than abrasion! It seems as if i don't have anything to worry about and i'm just being stupid as always! Thanks for putting my mind at rest!

 

[AgX]

You can test any chemical on a minime part of the surface. Afterwards neither transmission nor reflection should have changed.

 

[Thomas Keidan]

You can test any chemical on a minime part of the surface. Afterwards neither transmission nor reflection should have changed.

Great, thank you so much! Panic free again, I will just be super careful from now on

 

[shutterfinger]

BTW, many folks advise against using a fabric softener when washing a micro fiber lens cleaning cloth. I suspect that the residue of the softener might be harmful.

No, it impairs the ability of the cloth to absorb contaminates on the lens surface.
I throw mine in the washer with a load of permeate press and cotton shirts, Tide detergent without fabric softener, then air dry. They always clean like new.

Anyway, after cleaning the lens with a microfiber cloth I realised that the cloth had been sitting on a recently cleaned surface (i.e more chemicals).

Unless that chemical was lacquer thinner or similar don't worry. Chlorine bleach might harm the coating also as will scotch brite scouring pads.

 

[Thomas Keidan]

No, it impairs the ability of the cloth to absorb contaminates on the lens surface.
I throw mine in the washer with a load of permeate press and cotton shirts, Tide detergent without fabric softener, then air dry. They always clean like new.

Unless that chemical was lacquer thinner or similar don't worry. Chlorine bleach might harm the coating also as will scotch brite scouring pads.

It was Mr Muscle surface spray so I think i'm ok then judging by what you said, i've been worrying like crazy about the lens as i've never had experience with a camera before

 

[E. von Hoegh]

It was Mr Muscle surface spray so I think i'm ok then judging by what you said, i've been worrying like crazy about the lens as i've never had experience with a camera before

"Never had experience..."
No worries, we all were there at first. At least, you are concerned with caring for an absolutely amasing opto-mechanical instrument; a lens is made to tolerances which can be expressed only in the context of wavelegths of light.
Your camera's lens does have modern coatings, early coatings were 1937 or so, after 1945 Zeiss coating technology was available worldwide due to war reparations. By 1950 or so, virtually everyone was using hard coatings, and the technology just kept getting better up to this day.
The best thing you can do is clean your lens, then put a high quality UV filter over it. Clean the filter, not the lens.
Good luck, and don't stress the little stuff.

 

[Thomas Keidan]

"Never had experience..."
No worries, we all were there at first. At least, you are concerned with caring for an absolutely amasing opto-mechanical instrument; a lens is made to tolerances which can be expressed only in the context of wavelegths of light.
Your camera's lens does have modern coatings, early coatings were 1937 or so, after 1945 Zeiss coating technology was available worldwide due to war reparations. By 1950 or so, virtually everyone was using hard coatings, and the technology just kept getting better up to this day.
The best thing you can do is clean your lens, then put a high quality UV filter over it. Clean the filter, not the lens.
Good luck, and don't stress the little stuff.

Thanks so much, I'll look into getting a filter as if anything that would stop me worrying so much. Is there anything I can do to inspect for damage or would you recommend just leaving it and enjoying my camera? Thanks!

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Thanks so much, I'll look into getting a filter as if anything that would stop me worrying so much. Is there anything I can do to inspect for damage or would you recommend just leaving it and enjoying my camera? Thanks!

Leave it and enjoy the camera!! The only thing they're good for is making pictures! But do put the filter on, preferably a multicoated one.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Probably you do not have a problem. Use liquid lens cleaner and a lens cloth.

 

[shutterfinger]

Google is your friend, search for Mr Muscle shows its made by SC Johnson and its contents with product http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/gb/en/brands/mr-muscle but you would do more harm by spraying it directly onto the camera and letting it dry than any trace residue from a cleaning cloth laid on a dry surface cleaned with Mr Muscle.

Put the UV filter aside once you learn not to touch the lens glass or bang it into something.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

Google is your friend, search for Mr Muscle shows its made by SC Johnson and its contents with product http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/gb/en/brands/mr-muscle but you would do more harm by spraying it directly onto the camera and letting it dry than any trace residue from a cleaning cloth laid on a dry surface cleaned with Mr Muscle.

Put the UV filter aside once you learn not to touch the lens glass or bang it into something.

"Put the uv filter aside..."
No. The op is obviously concerned anent a device he has no experience with. The filter is a 99.999 percent reliable way to protect a lens from most anything short of hammerblows.
"Keep your lens clean, don't keep cleaning your lens". The greatest cause of damage to lenses is "cleaning".
You should know better.

 

[shutterfinger]

"Keep your lens clean, don't keep cleaning your lens". The greatest cause of damage to lenses is "cleaning".
You should know better.

All good advice for amateur or beginner, most pros only use filters when they are required.

My lens will degrade from cleaning in 200+ years if cleaned daily because I use good cleaning practices.
A UV or skylight filter is not a necessity!

 

[E. von Hoegh]

All good advice for amateur or beginner, most pros only use filters when they are required.

My lens will degrade from cleaning in 200+ years if cleaned daily because I use good cleaning practices.
A UV or skylight filter is not a necessity!

Ok, let's leave egos out of this. Someone asked a question, I answered in the best manner possible. You give poor advice. Protect the lens, take the filter off if needs be. I'm two feet from a lens I purchased in 1987, it's been cleaned precisely twice. Filters and caps, keep it clean don't keep cleaning it. 200 X 365 is just silly.

 

[John Koehrer]

And there's the ongoing thread about do you or don't you? Use a protective filter, that is.

In theory, it'll degrade the image in practice...................Gimme a break!

Of course The purity of the image is so all important and you wouldn't want to affect it
with an invisible fault. Would you?

 

[Thomas Keidan]

Google is your friend, search for Mr Muscle shows its made by SC Johnson and its contents with product http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/gb/en/brands/mr-muscle but you would do more harm by spraying it directly onto the camera and letting it dry than any trace residue from a cleaning cloth laid on a dry surface cleaned with Mr Muscle.

Put the UV filter aside once you learn not to touch the lens glass or bang it into something.

Thanks, i'll definitely do that but in the meantime i need a filter to stop myself from ruining the thing!

 

[Sirius Glass]

A filter is a good friend to all. So are lens hoods. I took a fall in Greece this last May with my Hasselblad 903 SWC that had a filter and a lens hood. Because of the lens hood, only the bottom of the lens hood got scraped and the camera and lens were not damaged.

 

[Thomas Keidan]

And there's the ongoing thread about do you or don't you? Use a protective filter, that is.

In theory, it'll degrade the image in practice...................Gimme a break!

I have seen but i think as a complete novice it'll do me good!