I finally blew $75 on a lens cleaning kit that ruined my vintage 50mm

Thought I'd save some cash cleaning an old Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 myself instead of sending it to a shop. Bought a kit off Amazon for $75 with some cheap fluid and wipes, and ended up scratching the front element bad. Took it to a guy in Cleveland who said he sees this all the time and that repair would cost more than the lens is worth. Anyone else wrecked a lens trying to DIY clean it?

2 comments

2 Comments

danielowens9h agoMost Upvoted

$75 got you a scratched lens AND a lesson in humility. That's a pricey way to learn that some things are better left to the pros. My buddy tried the same thing on an old Canon FD lens, used a microfiber cloth that had a speck of dirt on it, and ended up with a nice little swirl pattern on the glass. Looked like a bad art project.

shanes665h ago

Bruh same thing happened to me with a 50mm f/1.4. Used a brand new "clean" cloth and still managed to turn it into a foggy mess. Learned that lesson the hard way too.