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?

3 comments

3 Comments

danielowens22d agoTop Commenter

$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.

shanes6622d 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.

sanchez.ivan21d ago

Respectfully, I gotta push back on this one. Some of us have been cleaning our own lenses for years without issues, it's not rocket science. The trick is to use a ROCKET blower first to get any dust off, then a brand new microfiber with ONE drop of lens cleaning solution. Not drenching it. People go way too aggressive with the scrubbing and that's where the scratches come from. I've had cheap vintage lenses that I cleaned up just fine with this method, they look crystal clear. The real problem is when folks skip the blower step and rub dirt directly into the glass. You don't need to pay a pro for something you can do in 2 minutes if you're careful.