PSA: Spent $300 on a "pro" lens cleaning kit that wrecked my vintage glass

Honestly, I still can't believe I fell for it. Saw this fancy ultrasonic cleaner on a photography forum, said it was safe for all coatings and stuff. Bought it off eBay from some seller in Brooklyn, cost me like $300 total with shipping. Cleaned a few old Nikon lenses and a Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 with it last Tuesday. The next day I noticed hazy spots on the rear elements that wouldn't wipe off. Looked closer and the ultrasonic vibrations had actually loosened the coating in patches. Took the Canon to a local repair guy in Austin and he said those kits are garbage for vintage glass because the frequencies can damage the cement between elements. Lost a $150 lens and wasted $300 on that machine. Has anyone else tried those ultrasonic cleaners or found a better way to clean old coatings without ruining them?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinson.hannah25d ago

$300 is a lot for a glorified jewelry cleaner though.

fiona_murphy25d ago

Oh man, @robinson.hannah you are so right about that... I bought one of those fancy ultrasonic cleaners last year thinking it would be a game changer and honestly it barely did better than my old dish soap and toothbrush method. Plus it made this weird high pitched noise that drove my cat crazy and I ended up returning it after two weeks. For $300 you could literally take your nicest pieces to a jeweler for a professional cleaning like five times over. I feel like people just get caught up in the hype of buying a gadget instead of thinking about what they actually need.

laura_allen14d agoMost Upvoted

But some of us don't live in an urban area with a jeweler down the street.