TIL the hard way that HA filters on older lenses can turn into a sticky mess

I was fixing a vintage 50mm f/1.4 for a client last week and the front element had this weird haze that wouldn't wipe off with regular cleaner. Turns out it was a failed HA coating that needs a specific solvent mix to remove without etching the glass. Has anyone else run into this on Japanese glass from the 70s?

3 comments

3 Comments

faith68412d ago

Had to google "sticky lens" and got way too many pictures of my own glasses.

bettywood12d ago

Oh man, that exact thing happened to me with an old Pentax 55mm... thought I was losing my mind when the haze wouldn't budge. A little bit of ammonia and distilled water saved it but I was sweating bullets the whole time.

jordanc327h ago

Honestly the thing nobody talks about with this is how much the humidity in your house matters. I moved from a dry climate to somewhere with actual seasons and some of my lenses started doing that weird sticky thing out of nowhere. It's not just cleaning them, it's the environment they live in. People keep their cameras in basements or garages and then wonder why the glass gets weird over time. Maybe it's just me but I've started keeping silica gel packs in my gear bag and it made a huge difference. The haze comes back faster if there's moisture in the air where you store everything.