filthy lenses

[tom beard]

I'm giving up on that damned P&S and resurrecting my old SLR with a 70-210 zoom and 28mm & 50mm primes (The D-90 is still two or three months off). The SLR has been sitting for ten years, but still works fine. I've cleaned the exterior of the body and the lens barrels carefully with a dampened old tee shirt, but the glass is filthy and there are a couple of black specks on the mirror. I checked the TPF threads and the LENS PEN seems to be the favorite, so I'll order one plus a blower brush and a couple of microfiber cloths. Will I need to order a refill bottle of solution for the lens pen? I looked but couldn't find any. Would you let me know if I'm missing anything? It will be so nice to make a photograph rather than take one.

Thanks, as always, Tom Beard

P.S. My tripod legs have flip-tab locks (two on each leg) and a couple of them are loose and won't lock tight. Is there any way I could put in a shim of some kind for a temporary fix? Have you ever had this problem? What did you do? TB

 

[USAF-SSgt]

Not sure about the lenses, but I think it better to spring for a new tripod instead of finding out if your camera can bounce. Just my 2 cents.

 

[tom beard]

Good advice, thanks. This is just a stop gap so I can shoot. I'm saving every dime I can get my hands on for a new dslr, so for now I'll just shoot hand held or use gaffer's tape if I have to use a tripod. All the ancillary stuff will be replaced in time, but first a new camera, then glass and on and on and on. I really liked your whale shots! Tom Beard

 

[Derrel]

I had an older Bogen flip-lock tripod in the early 80's that I loaned to a college newspaper co-worker named BJ Nichols...he ended up ruining one of the flip locks, even though I specifically told him to BE CAREFUL and not FORCE the doggone thing....doah! He Homer Simpsoned the tripod pretty badly, so I ended up using a wrap of a bunch of masking tape in a makeshift manner until I could afford a new tripod. It was only really safe,and stable when it was at half height. It was a 2-section leg design. It annoyed me to have loaned him a perfectly new tripod and specifically pointed out what NOT to do, and to have it returned damaged with him claiming no responsibility.

Lenspen...a lot of people like it. I've had good luck with blowing off gunk and dust, then using a soft brush to remove dust, and then using a fresh,clean microfiber cloth to remove gunk. After 10 years, you could have some serious built-up film on there from any number of things; airborne cooking oil, off-gassing from all types of wood,wood finishes, and all types of petroleum-based plastics--all that kind of thing can leave a film on lenses. The off-gassing can be pretty severe from many types of older foams,used in filter holders,as well as camera bag padding.

I hope the D90 gets there soon for you!

 

[Randall Ellis]

Bogen tripod leg locks can be adjusted. There are two screws there, one on the leg lock itself and the other on the lever. Adjust the one on the leg first so that the leg just moves freely - go too tight and then back off. Then adjust the screw on the lever so that it snicks down that last bit to hold the leg tight. It's far easier to show than to describe, but since you can drop by the house this is the best I can do Failing adjustment it is often far cheaper to buy new locks than an entirely new tripod. You can get parts from bogentripodparts.com if they are not available directly from Bogen.

As to the black spots on the mirror, these most often come from the deterioration of the mirror bumper pad. You can remove them with a bit of painters tape (the blue stuff - it's not very adhesive so if it hits the mirror it will do less damage than other tapes). You should probably go ahead and change the light seals and replace that pad. It's a snap to do if you at all handy, and you can get a replacement kit on ebay from Interslice (Jon Goodman) for $10 US (unless his prices went up). It takes about 20 minutes to do a 35mm SLR and the kit comes with very detailed instructions. It may sound scary but I've done at least 10 cameras for family and friends and I can say that the first time is daunting until you take a deep breath and relax. Then it's a snap. Just pay attention to what you are doing. If you can apply a piece of tape you can do this.

Lenses that are dirty are a tad trickier. First blow off what can be removed with a squeeze bulb (not canned air - that contains chemicals that can damage the coatings). Then use a lens cleaning product to GENTLY remove what's left. Never put liquid directly on the lens elements. Apply liquids first to a cleaning cloth or paper, then wipe GENTLY. Remove grime, etc, in stages, a little at a time. It's better to take all afternoon than to ruin a perfectly good lens.

- Randy