John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Last night I got my sons old Fujifilm HS50exr out of its box. It's gone all sticky externally. I emailed Fuji who say they can't pin a reason why this happens on some cameras and not others but the % is fairly small. The camera is knocking on for 10 years old, so there's nothing Fuji can do for it.

A little bit of research has led me to conclude that its not just a problem with Fuji, but as Fuji said the problem is relatively minor - unless you have it.

Fuji sent me a link, a U.K. group has advised Isopropyl Alcohol (100%), and I've even found one or two other 'suggestions' that I'm not brave enough to try.

If anybody has encountered this and can recommend a solution I'd like to hear of it. Also I've been informed that once degradtion starts you can't stop it, so is removal of the rubber the final and only option.

thanks in anticipation.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I have a pair of old little binoculars that the "rubber" got sticky (gummy) (time kills certain rubber compounds).
I used those Isopropyl wipes to remedy it. They work, but it IS a lot of work.....
I've no idea if the rubber will get gummy again, or when.

agillot

Common problem , buy a spray can of brake cleaner at a car parts or other store , whet a cloth with it and wipe , do not spray on camera . the sticky stuff will go away , and stay away .

BebuLamar

Common problem. Isopropyl Alcohol would work but it would make the rubber so smooth and not like when it's new. Also does take along time. I think it took me about 1 hour to clean the Nikon D70s I got from estate sales.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

My experience suggests that some lotions, especially sun block lotions, are a gummy risk to cameras and binoculars!

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

It's all looking very good at the moment, camera is clean, some residue here and there, and appears to be working. In the airing cupboard to assist the 100% Isoproply alcohol used for cleaning.

Whilst cleaning the camera I noticed it didn't appear to have any rubber on it, so it wasn't rubber degregation and it was all over the camera. It looked like the residue from an adhesive or similar. The cleaned surfaces now have a sheen to them rather than the matt black finish when new. I'm wondering whether there was some sort of treatment applied over the camera that has broken down with time. If it all works tomorrow I'll post a shot of a (hopefully) still gleaming camera.

I've never had duff info from the hogs before, but I baulked at trying brake cleaner. Fingers crossed looks like the alcohol has done the job. I might have given it a go if all else was lost.

Don, the 2nd son Loc: Crowded Florida

I don't know about Brake Cleaner but Carburator Cleaner is very toxic. I'd research first.

JFCoupe Loc: Kent, Washington

I have a Minolta film camera that has also gotten very sticky on the rubber area of the grips. I will give the brake cleaner fluid and see it does the job.

User ID

Some folks say alcohol has worked for them. Try your luck. My method is very messy. I use acetone to completely remove the entire finsh. Works great, verrrrrry sloppy process.

One of my face results is I removed the sticky rubberized paint on a Sigma lens and found a beautiful charcoal gray anodized finish. Now I have a great looking unique 90/2.8 macro. So try acetone if no shortcuts work.

Whenever I do this I acknowledge to myself that I have nothing to lose if it all goes south.

MJPerini

I think it is the plasticizers in the coating /covering material reacting with environmental factors.
Do the least invasive/toxic thing first.
The more you know about the material that got sticky, the more specifically you can search for an appropriate answer.

profbowman Loc: Harrisonburg, VA, USA

What I have done for something like this that happened to my mp3 player in its protective sleeve was to consider all the everyday solvents around our house and try each one on a spot. If one needs to be cautious about safety, remember to where latex gloves.

rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)
3-in-1 oil (light-weight oil)
WD-40 (graphite in a volatile solvent)
nail polish remover (acetone)

The last two are particularly good solvents that may remove a finish, so try others first. Depending on your country of residence, you may find these under different brand names. I found something fairly like WD-40 when we lived in Albania, so it is most likely available in all of Europe. But I cannot remember its brand name.

Now here is my go-to method. Common kitchen vegetable oils including olive oils are good organic solvents. In fact, if your situation will allow you to use spray kitchen oils, their mixture produces a very light-weight oil/solvent.

1. Poour some vegetable oil on a rag and rub it over the sticky areas which will remove the sticky stuff.
2. Rub a dry rag over the affected area to remove most of the oil
3. Use a rag with warm water and kitchen detergent to remove any remaining thin layer of oil.
4. Buff dry with a a dry rag.

Note: This procedure also works very well to remove the nasty sap that can get on one's hands from such things as Christmas tree trunks or the heavy black grease/oil on gets on hands and arms from working with car engines or old machinery. --Richard

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

I dealt with rubber when working with both yarn reinforcement of tires and with rubber-coated steel. A wide range of chemicals are used to vulcanize. Rubber formulation for long life is not a goal of camera or lens companies... get it done quickly and cheaply... by all means, do not bake the rubber to complete vulcanization...

Do I have Ideas, sure. Do I have an old Nikon 8088 that is sticky, unfortunately, yes? Two goals... remove sticky and then make it look black again. It is best not to go with the opinion of finger-in-air weather forecasters but better to go with those who have researched to make a profitable product.

One suggestion was Oxyclean, The MSDS shows it to be Alcohol with mild alkaline ingredients. This goes along with the use of Alcohol and Windex [containing ammonia].
https://www.ahprofessional.com/_downloads/sds/SDS%20OxiClean%20Versatile%20Stain%20Remover.pdf

Automotive products for exterior plastics are a reasonable make it black again while removing the sticky that plagues 20-year-old cars. I look at the MSDS of products to get an idea of how they dissolve old surface degraded plastics or rubbers. Wizards Black Renew Trim Restorer Treatment @ $12 on Amazon looks promising based on the solvent used in its formulation. I have used alcohol 90% and yes to a degree it works but a white residue is left... shouting it is old equipment. Black is what it looked like new. Test on a small area.
https://www.showcar.us/content/MSDS/MSDS%20Black%20Renew.PDF

Thank you for bringing up the subject, I will put my old equipment to the test... it hides in a box sticky.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

I have had the same thing happen to me with my Leupold range finder that I used for golf. I tried wiping it with washcloth soaked in alcohol. That worked for me.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That topic has come up several times.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sticky+camera+rubber&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS726US726&oq=sticky+camera+rubber&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.4143j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8