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I think everyone is wrong about ultrasonic cleaning for vintage lenses
I was at a camera swap meet in Portland last month and heard three different repair guys swear by ultrasonic cleaners for old glass. I get why people like them, they are fast and make stuff look spotless. But I've been fixing cameras for 12 years and I've seen too many lenses come in with coating damage after a run through one of those machines. The vibration can loosen elements that were barely holding on, and the heat can mess with the old balsam cement. I cleaned a 1950s Biotar last week by hand with isopropyl and a microfiber cloth and it came out perfect. Has anyone else had a bad experience with ultrasonic on vintage stuff, or am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea?
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briancampbell1mo ago
Yeah the heat thing is a real killer, people forget those old balsam cements soften up way easier than modern adhesives. I've seen a few lenses that had their coatings just peel off like a bad sunburn after a hot bath in an ultrasonic.
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That heat just bakes the grime right into the cement too, making it a nightmare to fix later.
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