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Cleaning lens contacts on Canon cameras
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Jan 10, 2019 19:19:21   #
AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire
 
sirlensalot wrote:
Zeiss lens wipes. Box of 100 for $5 when on sale at walmart.




Excellent choice for camera gear, glasses, computer screens, and many other uses.

I have packs of them in my bags, briefcases, glove compartments, and anywhere else I can stash them.

Andy

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Jan 10, 2019 19:21:23   #
wufelo
 
Believe Me IT Works..................

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Jan 10, 2019 20:13:27   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
GoofyNewfie wrote:
Getting an error code to clean contacts. Anyone have luck doing it yourself? What did you use?
I’ve tried in the past but never had positive results. Cleaned both lens and body contact. Wound up sending to Canon. Now a friend is asking.
Thanks!


Use a Photosol eWipe (or a PecPad wet slightly with 100% isopropyl or methyl alcohol).

Be extremely gentle! The spring-loaded pins snap off easily.

The usual culprit is oil, grease, or dust.

It helps to keep a rear cap on your lenses when they’re not in use, and to keep them in your case.

Third party lenses are more likely to need their pins cleaned than OEM lenses.

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Jan 10, 2019 21:49:07   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
rcarol wrote:
Rubber eraser from a pencil.


This is what Canon recommends..... AND I THINK IS WRONG.

Often the problem with lens contacts is due to oils interrupting the tiny voltages being used for the lens and camera to communicate with each other. It might be oils from the manufacturing process or finger oils or lube from internal camera parts that somehow got on there or whatever.

The problem with using pencil erasers is that they're made from vegetable oil. An eraser won't clean off any oils on the contacts... might even add more!

I recommend using a clean, lint free rag lightly dampened with a few drops of isopropyl alcohol and carefully wiping the contacts with that. "Rubbing" alcohol is fine (cheap & easy to find). That usually does the trick.

DO NOT use ink erasers or anything else that's abrasive on the contacts. They're gold plated and you don't want to damage that.

Gold is an ideal conductor of small voltages. Gold doesn't oxidize, so should never need any sort of the stronger chemical cleaning that some other types of metal do.

Also, pencil erasers can shed particles and I'd hate to see any of those get into the shutter & mirror mechanisms of the camera.

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Jan 10, 2019 22:37:42   #
larryepage Loc: North Texas area
 
Isopropyl alchohol and rubbing alcohol are very different beasts. Isopropyl alcohol is preferred for cleaning electronic equipment, primarily because it is less likely to damage rubber or plastic parts. It has degreasing and cleaning properties, but does not have the drying effects of rubbing alcohol. There are a couple of things to watch out for, though. It will remove desirable lubricant from moving parts, and it (isopropyl alcohol) evaporates quite a bit more slowly than rubbing alcohol. Make sure that it is all removed or evaporated before reassembling the lens to the camera. And it is a pretty strong solvent...radio shops use it to remove identification paint from equipment. Finally...common drugstore isopropyl alcohol is generally 70% alcohol. The remainder (almost a third) is water. This solution is not nearly as desirable as 90% IA.

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Jan 10, 2019 22:52:31   #
Kiritm
 
Here are two videos that may help. If you google, you will see several other videos from different sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raTT9c5uumM&feature=share

https://youtu.be/wUt-K6w7lc0

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Jan 10, 2019 23:26:34   #
Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
 
amfoto1 wrote:
"Rubbing" alcohol is fine (cheap & easy to find). That usually does the trick.



DO NOT USE RUBBING ALCOHOL... it has an oil additive that reduces friction for 'rubbing'.

Dik

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Jan 11, 2019 00:19:29   #
GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City
 
Kiritm wrote:
Here are two videos that may help. If you google, you will see several other videos from different sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raTT9c5uumM&feature=share

https://youtu.be/wUt-K6w7lc0


Yep, saw and posted that first one from LensProToGO. Thanks anyway.

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Jan 11, 2019 07:37:38   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
amfoto1 wrote:
This is what Canon recommends..... AND I THINK IS WRONG.

Often the problem with lens contacts is due to oils interrupting the tiny voltages being used for the lens and camera to communicate with each other. It might be oils from the manufacturing process or finger oils or lube from internal camera parts that somehow got on there or whatever.

The problem with using pencil erasers is that they're made from vegetable oil. An eraser won't clean off any oils on the contacts... might even add more!

I recommend using a clean, lint free rag lightly dampened with a few drops of isopropyl alcohol and carefully wiping the contacts with that. "Rubbing" alcohol is fine (cheap & easy to find). That usually does the trick.

DO NOT use ink erasers or anything else that's abrasive on the contacts. They're gold plated and you don't want to damage that.

Gold is an ideal conductor of small voltages. Gold doesn't oxidize, so should never need any sort of the stronger chemical cleaning that some other types of metal do.

Also, pencil erasers can shed particles and I'd hate to see any of those get into the shutter & mirror mechanisms of the camera.
This is what Canon recommends..... AND I THINK IS ... (show quote)

Which is yours and which is Canon's opinion?
I can't tell what you think is wrong.

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Jan 11, 2019 07:38:36   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
Dikdik wrote:
DO NOT USE RUBBING ALCOHOL... it has an oil additive that reduces friction for 'rubbing'.

Dik



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Jan 11, 2019 07:39:41   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
larryepage wrote:
Isopropyl alchohol and rubbing alcohol are very different beasts. Isopropyl alcohol is preferred for cleaning electronic equipment, primarily because it is less likely to damage rubber or plastic parts. It has degreasing and cleaning properties, but does not have the drying effects of rubbing alcohol. There are a couple of things to watch out for, though. It will remove desirable lubricant from moving parts, and it (isopropyl alcohol) evaporates quite a bit more slowly than rubbing alcohol. Make sure that it is all removed or evaporated before reassembling the lens to the camera. And it is a pretty strong solvent...radio shops use it to remove identification paint from equipment. Finally...common drugstore isopropyl alcohol is generally 70% alcohol. The remainder (almost a third) is water. This solution is not nearly as desirable as 90% IA.
Isopropyl alchohol and rubbing alcohol are very di... (show quote)



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Jan 11, 2019 07:51:37   #
DaveO Loc: Northeast CT
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubbing_alcohol

https://www.quora.com/Are-isopropyl-rubbing-alcohol-and-rubbing-alcohol-both-same

http://kohlindustries.com/kohl-tips/isopropyl-and-ethyl-alcohol-explained/

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Jan 11, 2019 09:17:08   #
Brokenland
 
After being in the electronics industry for many years, I've learn that the contacts or leads on many of the PC boards become oxidized. cleaning them with alcohol is one way to correct the issues. But in some cases if the leads are oxidized or even showing signs of corrosion. a very fine grade of sandpaper of extra fine emory board would be used. If the corrosion has went deeper into the lens or contacts, this would require a complete tear down of the lens to access the issue. I recall once that we had to re-coat the leads on several PC boards with solder. Not saying you should do this. but cleaning or light sanding would be the first step.

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Jan 11, 2019 10:57:06   #
williejoha
 
Anybody that would use any kind of abrasive on lens or camera contacts needs his/her head examined. What a bunch of garbage.
WJH

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Jan 11, 2019 10:58:59   #
DaveO Loc: Northeast CT
 

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