Wista loupe, which one is i? And how to clean the hardened lube in it?

Hi everyone!

I bought a used Wista Lupe. It was sold as the 5x Standard Loupe but I think it might really be the longer Hood Loupe that I actually wanted anyway. I believe it is the one with 7x enlargement.

First question. Is it correct that the longer hood type loupe has 7x enlargement?

Second, my little problem. The optics are ok but the lubricating oil/grease in the rather long screw thread has hardened. One could feel it and even hear it. So I screw off the lower part and tried to clean the surfaces with 70% alcohol. That got off some of the old grease, but the surfaces are still sticky.

Is there a better substance that could be used to remove the residue without doing any damage?
And should I apply a tiny bit of sewing machine oil or some other lube afterwards?

Thanks for your help!

Vic, for old hard grease I've often been disappointed with the cleaning power of alcohol also. Try lighter fluid; it cuts grease more completely.

I would put the tiniiest amount of a lubricant after cleaning if it were mine.

70% alcohol, I assume it is drugstore rubbing alcohol, is 30% water which makes it pretty useless for dissolving petroleum based grease. Kerosene, lighter fluid (naphtha), acetone etc will do a better job.
Relube it with a small amount of light grease, or oil if you want the oil to creep out and attract dust.

The telescoping focusing loupe from Wista was 7x. The standard focusing loupe (with two skirts) and the sliding focusing loupe from Wista are 5x.

@Brian
Thanks for your input and the suggestion of lighter fluid. I frequently use petroleum benzine for cleaning purposes but never dared to use this agent or lighter fuel for photographic cleaning needs. I will give it a try, thanks!

@E. von Hoegh

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70% alcohol, I assume it is drugstore rubbing alcohol, is 30% water which makes it pretty useless for dissolving petroleum based grease. Kerosene, lighter fluid (naphtha), acetone etc will do a better job.

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I used ethyl alcohol diluted with water to 70%. Yes, I noticed that it does not do the job ;)

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Relube it with a small amount of light grease, or oil if you want the oil to creep out and attract dust.

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Like any photographer I just love dust ;)
Where would I find light grease. Does it come as a spray or is it solid? What is it used for typically?

@Bob
Thanks for the confirmation! So now I have the luxury of loupes with 4x, 6x and 7x enlargement to test what suits me best for which ground glass.

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Originally Posted by Vic Montaigne

@Brian
Thanks for your input and the suggestion of lighter fluid. I frequently use petroleum benzine for cleaning purposes but never dared to use this agent or lighter fuel for photographic cleaning needs. I will give it a try, thanks!

@E. von Hoegh


I used ethyl alcohol diluted with water to 70%. Yes, I noticed that it does not do the job ;)


Like any photographer I just love dust ;)
Where would I find light grease. Does it come as a spray or is it solid? What is it used for typically?

@Bob
Thanks for the confirmation! So now I have the luxury of loupes with 4x, 6x and 7x enlargement to test what suits me best for which ground glass.

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For a light grease, perhaps a local bicycle shop would give you a dab of light lithium (bearing) grease. A blob the size of a pea will be more than enough.

Undiluted alcohol is a useful cleaner; it often dissolves gunk petroleum solvents will not. Benzine and lighter fluid are very closely related.

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Originally Posted by E. von Hoegh

For a light grease, perhaps a local bicycle shop would give you a dab of light lithium (bearing) grease. A blob the size of a pea will be more than enough.

Undiluted alcohol is a useful cleaner; it often dissolves gunk petroleum solvents will not. Benzine and lighter fluid are very closely related.

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Thanks for sharing your expertise. So for cleaning there are several options now, undiluted alcohol, aceton and lighting fluid. Luckily they are all at hand.

And for the lithium grease I already found some brands sold here. Thanks for pointing the direction.

Just to confirm:
Cleaning with lighter fluid and re-greasing with lithium grease worked very well, telescopic motion is smooth again.

If I may ask one more question: I guess there is no way to unscrew the eyepiece of this Wista telescoping focusing loupe? It would certainly benefit from cleaning as well. There is a plastic ring holding the cord, so I cannot really see if there is a thread for removal of the eyepiece beneath it or if it comes all in one piece.

Thanks for advice!

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Originally Posted by Vic Montaigne

Thanks for sharing your expertise. So for cleaning there are several options now, undiluted alcohol, aceton and lighting fluid. Luckily they are all at hand.

And for the lithium grease I already found some brands sold here. Thanks for pointing the direction.

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Be careful about acetone. It will dissolve many finishes and some plastics. Lighter fluid is a good deal leas likely to do so.

Rick "who agrees with the use of just a touch of light lithium grease" Denney