Petzval Lens Cleaning Question

Good morning.

Is it possible to clean the inward-facing surfaces of the two elements at the rear of a Wollensak Vitax?

Recently I bought a 16" Vitax from a fellow who had it in his attic. It was covered with dust, of course, and fungus had broken out in spots over all of the lens elements. I was able to unscrew the barrel and clean both surfaces of the front element, and I was able to clean the outer surfaces of the rear two elements. The glass on these surfaces cleaned up beautifully. That leaves the two inner surfaces on the rear two elements still uncleaned with a few spots of fungus and some haze. I don't know enough about lens construction to know whether it is feasible to remove these elements and clean the inner surfaces.

I would really appreciate it if someone could educate me.

Cheers-

Cameron Cornell

They should unscrew. Look for a knurled rim just inside the little barrel they are mounted in. I've taken all my Petzvals apart like that with little problem. Just be sure to put the elementsback the correct way.


Kent in SD

Thank you, Ken! I just did it. I wore rubber gloves to improve my grip because everything was screwed together so tightly. The internal surfaces of the lenses cleaned up beautifully!

Also, see this video for a "how-to" on correct Petzval assembly.