Overheard a college kid say he fixed a lens with isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips

Last Tuesday I was at the counter at work and this young guy comes in looking for 99% isopropyl alcohol. I asked what for and he said he was cleaning fungus off an old 50mm lens. I told him that sounds risky but he said he'd done it before with a $15 thrift store find and it worked fine. Got me thinking about how I always send people to the pros for lens cleaning but maybe I'm overthinking it for minor stuff. So I tried his method on a beat up 28mm I had sitting in a drawer for years. Took about 20 minutes with a microfiber cloth and some careful Q-tip work around the edges. The fungus spots are gone and the glass looks clear now. Has anyone else tried this kind of DIY approach on cheaper lenses?

2 comments

2 Comments

xenagarcia1mo ago

Oh man, I did this exact thing last year on a dusty old Vivitar 28mm I found at a garage sale for $5! I used the 91% isopropyl (couldn't find 99% locally) and just went slow around the edges with a clean microfiber cloth. The haze cleared up way better than I expected (honestly thought I'd ruin it but figured it was already junk). Now it's one of my favorite walkaround lenses for vintage vibes.

jordan_anderson901mo ago

Yeah I used to be one of those people who thought anything less than 99% was just gonna leave weird streaks or damage the coating honestly. I always bought the 99% stuff online and waited for shipping like an idiot when the drugstore was right there with 91% on the shelf. But then I tried it on an old Canon FD lens that was super hazy and figured what the heck. It worked just as good honestly and I didn't even notice a difference in drying time or anything. Kinda makes me wonder if I've been overthinking this whole thing for years now. Glad your Vivitar turned out so well too, those old cheap lenses sometimes have the best character.