Re: Cleaning internal schmutz from zooms

On Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:59:37 -0400, ASAAR <caught@xxxxxx> wrote:

On Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:14:18 -0400, Cynicor wrote:

Do I have to send an 18-200 lens back to Nikon to get internal schmutz
cleaned from it? Or is there another service that people have used to
fix this?

I think they call that service eBay. :)

More seriously, if you sell it on eBay you might get a decent
price for it even if you (as you should) point out the dust problem
when describing the lens. I can't say how much that disclosure
would cost, but a good starting guess would be about what Nikon
charges to clean, lube and adjust the lens. Have you asked them
yet? If you can't find anyone that knows about local lens services,
you could stroll into Adorama, B&H or maybe Calumet and ask, or try
to get a response in this newsgroup or in one of DPReview's forums
from Henry P.

Ignore this resident-troll's advice to just sell it as a first option. Like all
this resident-troll's replies, he reveals how little experience he has with
actual cameras, lenses, and photography. Instead, only suggesting the typical
brain-dead net-consumer's solution.


First try a home-remedy that others have used on long-zoom lenses, for both DSLR
and P&S cameras. It may or may not work but it's worth a shot.

First of all, do this in a room free from floating dust, to make sure you won't
be drawing more dust into your lens. If unsure, shine a strong laser-pointer in
the room to see if you notice any floating dust, or watching a shaft of sunlight
through a crack in a closed shade.

Get a strong vacuum-cleaner and find a way to attach it to the end of the lens
that shows the most entry-points for external air. Affix the vacuum hose to the
lens, turn on vacuum cleaner. While the vacuum is operating move the zoom and
focus controls to move the internal lens elements as much as you can. You are
trying to reverse the internal air-flow that got that "schmutz" in there in the
first place.

Repeat a few times, or change the attachment area where the vacuum is created.
You might also lightly tap and turn the lens during the procedure to dislodge
the dust from its static adhesion to the internal glass surfaces. (Not unlike
ultrasonic sensor cleaners.) If you see no immediate improvement, you might have
to make a collar to get the vacuum applied to the sides of the lens where some
controls's entry points might be, instead of the ends that might be more tightly
sealed.

This is also effective on some P&S fixed-lens cameras that get occasional dust
on the sensor. Attaching the vacuum hose so that the vacuum is being applied to
the small gap between lens housing and camera body.

If this fails, and you aren't confident enough to dismantle your own lenses for
cleaning, then you will have to send it in for cleaning. Or sell it, with full
disclosure to the buyer.

Dismantling your own lenses isn't too difficult, but it does require a few
specialty tools like a spanner-wrench to remove the threaded retaining rings of
most of the optical elements. Some retaining rings are also seated with
removable adhesives, so you have to know what you are doing with a variety of
mild solvents, applied judiciously. Just be sure you work in a clean area free
from dust or you could exacerbate what you tried to cure.

A good source of microfiber cloths for cleaning large lens assemblies, and for
laying out all your optics on them during cleaning, comes from a surprising and
surprisingly inexpensive source. Go to your local grocery-store and head for the
household cleaning supplies aisle. Find a box of "Windex - Clean & Shine - Dry
Microfiber Cloths". A box of 12, 11"x11" clothes only costs about $3.00. These
are true microfiber cloth with no chemicals in them. Not only are these
inexpensive large sheets, but they are better than the typical outrageously
priced tight-weave microfiber cloths sold in camera shops. These consist of a
light and open airy weave of soft fibers, that readily trap dust and grit in the
open mesh. Excellent for keeping in your camera bag when cut-up into 1/4th size
sheets. Because when you wipe a lens with them the dust and grit is trapped
inside of the open-mesh, instead of being pushed around between a tightly-woven
cloth and the surface of the lens. Also, due to cost, they are so inexpensive
that you don't worry about throwing them away after only a few uses, making sure
you are using a clean one on the next lens instead of scratching it with old
grit from a previous use.

.

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