Cleaning a lens

[george jiri loun]

"Why should you pay for all that when all you want is a simple cleaning of one element?" It's simple - because the "simple cleaning" is the least difficult part of the job. Before you can get to this part you must successfully remove the element (not at all that simple!) and after you cleaned it you must successfully put it back (even less simple if the element was centered with tools you don't have). That's why.

[Mark Sawyer]

I'd be tempted to shoot a reference photo before cleaning, and an identical one afterwards to see whether anything changed (loss of sharpness/contrast anywhere). You may find yourself taking it apart again to recenter elements, shift spacers, etc., and it would be nice to know the starting point from a negative. It might also be reassuring to be able to see that the cleaning really did improve things.

That said, I agree with Jim Galli; I've bought a couple of bargain lenses that were hazy or dirty, and they cleaned up without complications to be good performers. Care and common sense...

[Matthew Cromer]

Mission Accomplished! Thanks everyone for the help. My friend Bill Stice lent his adjustable lens wrench and opened it up for me. Turns out both internal areas needed cleaning, and quite! Time for me to add an adjustable lens wrench to the flat metal lens wrench I already own.