I bought a $300 ultrasonic cleaner for lens elements and it was a total game changer

Had a vintage 50mm f/1.4 come in with haze that just wouldn't budge with normal swabs and fluid. I was about to write it off as a lost cause. On a whim, I got a small ultrasonic cleaner, filled it with distilled water and a drop of lens cleaner, and ran the elements for a few cycles. The haze completely dissolved, and the glass looked brand new. Has anyone else had a stubborn cleaning job that an ultrasonic finally fixed?

2 comments

2 Comments

clairepark3d agoTop Commenter

Absolutely, ultrasonic cleaners are magic for that kind of thing. I had an old projector lens with cemented elements that looked ruined by some weird film. A few cycles in the cleaner and it was crystal clear, saved me from having to source a whole new part. It's wild how well it works on stuff that seems hopeless.

lisa_grant3d ago

Yeah, the way it gets into tiny crevices is what gets me. I've used mine on old watch movements caked in dried grease, stuff you'd never reach with a brush. It just lifts the gunk right off the gears without any scrubbing.