Warning, Don't do it! Ken Rockwell's flashlight test: For you hardened professionals this is probably old news.... but for the rest of us it just might be a revelation. OK, so I have...

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

For you hardened professionals this is probably old news.... but for the rest of us it just might be a revelation.

OK, so I have this vintage lens that I really like but found it to be a little soft.... looking through the lens it looked perfect but then I came across this piece by Rockwell.... Well, when I shined my flashlight through the lens in a darkened room much to my surprise and horror there were multiple lenses that were hazy that I could not see with my bare eyes.... So... I spent this morning tearing apart that lens and cleaning up the internal optics.. Closely following a YouTube video posted by some kind soul that walked me through the process. I am once again in love with this old lens.

If you do this test just be prepared to see things that you might rather not know about.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/flashlight-test.htm

doduce Loc: Holly Springs NC

Blurryeyed wrote:

For you hardened professionals this is probably ol... (show quote)

YouTube or not, you are one ballsy dude. Glad it worked for you.

:-D :-D

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

A trick I learned while taking a camera apart was to place the screws on a piece of white paper exactly where they came from and to use my cellphone to photograph every step. This way I knew what screw went where and had a photo if I got lost.

Was it like anything else, go slow, keep track of everything in order?

I like it and thank you for the information!

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

St3v3M wrote:

A trick I learned while taking a camera apart was to place the screws on a piece of white paper exactly where they came from and to use my cellphone to photograph every step. This was I knew what screw went where and had a photo if I got lost.

Was it like anything else, go slow, keep track of everything in order?

I like it and thank you for the information!

Very good advice. Works for carburetors too!

texasred Loc: Hudspeth County, Texas

St3v3M wrote:

This way I knew what screw went where and had a photo if I got lost.

Tried that with all my marriages, still ended up divorced.

Someone reads Ken Rockwell?

doduce Loc: Holly Springs NC

texasred wrote:

Tried that with all my marriages, still ended up divorced.

Someone reads Ken Rockwell?

So which pat did you try with the marriage--keeping the screws in place?

:wink:

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

I tried the flashlight test with my 40+ year old nifty fifty 1.4. Hundreds of tiny scratches on the front and rear elemens, but nothing ever shows up in pics. Might be a good artguing point when negotiating to buy a used lens though. Now about that lens you have for sale...... ;)

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

OddJobber wrote:

I tried the flashlight test with my 40+ year old nifty fifty 1.4. Hundreds of tiny scratches on the front and rear elemens, but nothing ever shows up in pics. Might be a good artguing point when negotiating to buy a used lens though. Now about that lens you have for sale...... ;)

I actually had what looked like haze inside that was not really visible without the flashlight. But once you saw it with the light you could detect it with just your eye... I was able to get most of it our, There was an element group that I did not take apart because I did not have the capiler tool needed to unseat the housing but those groupings were tight and I don't think that there was much between those lenses... Having said that the lens is in much better shape than it was before, but I can still see a few things in there, maybe even a bubble or two in the glass.... but the good news is, is just like your lens, it is performing just fine, much better now that it has had a cleaning.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Blurryeyed wrote:

I actually had what looked like haze inside that w... (show quote)

Looks pretty good. I doubt I would have the stones to try this myself. Cleaning my own sensor was a big step for me. I'm impressed.

texasred Loc: Hudspeth County, Texas

I read a warning in a Leica forum recently about messing with the insides of a lense, that some of the elements are positioned in specific spaces and if not replaced exactly as the original, you may lose the lens. Better to send to someone who knows what they are doing.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

texasred wrote:

I read a warning in a Leica forum recently about messing with the insides of a lense, that some of the elements are positioned in specific spaces and if not replaced exactly as the original, you may lose the lens. Better to send to someone who knows what they are doing.

It was pretty simple and the lens works fine, not so sure that I would want to try with a new lens, but let's face it this is a 40 year old lens that you can buy on ebay for 75.00 it would cost a lot more to have it professionally cleaned.

olcoach Loc: Oregon

Geff, I have just purchased an old Canon FD lens that has a great deal of dust and I want to get rid of it. Would you let me know what the youtube subject is called and where did you find the tools. I looked and there are some very small screws. Thanks for your help. Mike

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

olcoach wrote:

Geff, I have just purchased an old Canon FD lens that has a great deal of dust and I want to get rid of it. Would you let me know what the youtube subject is called and where did you find the tools. I looked and there are some very small screws. Thanks for your help. Mike

I am wondering which FD lens you purchased, simply because I shoot Canon and honestly when I purchase vintage lenses I will purchase anything other than Canon because the registration depth is different, an FD lens on an EOS camera has will not adapt with out an eyepiece... Wonderful old glass that you have to purchase a monocle for.. I don't think that the glass that they use in those adapters is as good as the glass in your lens. Now I am a little long winded the point that I am getting to is that Pentax, Olympus, Zeiss, Nikon, and a few other manufactures lenses will work wonderfully on Canon bodies with just a spacing flange that serves as a new rear mount on the lens that fits the EOS. No glass and they work perfectly. You can purchase them for about $10, there is no need to purchase the really expensive ones that they sell, the cheap ones work fine, just make sure that you get one with the focus confirm chip, that is if you ever get one at all because you may choose to stick with the Canon lenses.

Anyway here is a link to the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rlDO5Qj6cU

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Blurryeyed wrote:

... Anyway here is a link to the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rlDO5Qj6cU

Thank you for the link.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

If you decide to try this please beware of small springs. I do not know that you will encounter any, but if you do there is nothing more disheartening than a flying spring. They always land in the hardest to find.

To save yourself, slowly lift any plates, etc. you may come across feeling for tension or by looking under it.

Good luck!