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Sears Optical Lens Cleaning Kit #8211 (vintage early 1980s) Review RSS Feed

Sears Optical Lens Cleaning Kit #8211 (vintage early 1980s)

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1 778 Sat February 19, 2022
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
100% of reviewers None indicated 8.00
Sears Optical Lens Cleaning Kit #8211 (vintage early 1980s)

Sears Optical Lens Cleaning Kit #8211 (vintage early 1980s)
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Sears Optical Lens Cleaning Kit #8211 (vintage early 1980s)
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Description:
Sears' Optical Lens Cleaning Kit retail package version
(typical variation of many late 70s to 80s cleaning kits)

Contents(listed on pkg):
blower brush "camel hair"
liquid lens cleaner (0.7oz red bottle)
lens tissues (50 sheet packet)
lint-free cloth
In Production: vintage item, NOS may still exist



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Senior Member

Registered: August, 2009
Location: Broomfield, Colorado
Posts: 152

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: February 19, 2022 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: bundled 'kit', most useful supplies, plus lint-free cloth
Cons: no detailed instructions, fluid bottles leak if tightly packed/stored upside down,no microfiber cloth

What it is...
I suppose many would consider this kit as representative of a basic 'classic' style (or due to age "vintage") OPTICAL Lens Cleaning KIT. It's a bundled kit of essential consumable lens cleaning supplies every photographer should have available and know how to use for when, not if, they're needed to clean OPTICAL surfaces.
The advent of the 'split microfiber' cleaning cloth in the 1990's has upgraded the traditional 'lint-free' cloth and advances in cleaning fluids (e.g. 'anti-static', 'anti-fog') also distinguishes this kit as being dated.
Most of these vintage cleaning kits (or partial pieces) are typically found along with the purchase of a bag full of vintage camera gear where it was stuffed in one of the camera bag's pockets.
Vintage kits like this are around 40 years old now and are probably better considered as a vintage collectable novelty than a practical tool to be used unless safely pretested.


Suggested Usage
The lint-free cloth is most useful to quickly and gently clear specks of dust when the blower brush doesn't clear all of them.
Also, the blower brush is great to GENTLY dislodge hard to reach specks of dust that inevitably accumulate on a 35mm SLR's internal mirror. It may require detaching the brush stem from the squeezable bulbous blower in order to generate a stronger burst of air, followed by the brush again.

However, to take care of a finger print's oil-based smudges, a folded lens tissue (i.e. semi-triangular tri-folded to fit under index finger tip and grip small end with thumb) moistened with a drop of fluid SOFTLY applied in a spiraling/swirling motion moving outward from the center is recommended, and followed by a 2nd dry tissue 'chaser' instead of risking light wear/abrasions to lens coatings by rubbing too hard with the lint-free cloth(especially as the cloth gets more usage) to get rid of stubborn smudges/prints.
NOTE: Avoid applying lens cleaning fluid directly onto the lens' surface, it's meant to be used very sparsely (one drop) on the lens tissue.

Also, I recommend storing the bottle of cleaning fluid in a small snack-size Ziploc bag so as to contain any potential leaks. Doing the same for the lint-free cloth and 'camel hair' brush would also help keep them clean during storage.


What it isn't...
It's not the latest, greatest and most advanced technology for cleaning lenses.

Unless you REALLY know what you're doing, it's best to AVOID using this kit's supplies for cleaning smudges/prints from the "first surface" mirror of 35mm SLRs. I've seen students attempt this and end up damaging the VERY DELICATE surface of the mirror.
HINT: What may have looked like a small black/dark spot or streak can quickly grow into a larger smudgy black region as you suddenly realize/discover you've just rubbed off more of the mirror's "first surface" instead of cleaning it!

It's intended purpose is also NOT for cleaning the external lens housing, focus ring and zoom barrel grip surfaces, or mounting base. If you use the lint-free cloth for this purpose it will contaminate the cloth with potentially abrasive dust/dirt accumulations that will likely scratch/damage the OPTICAL surfaces (coatings and glass) of the lens.

It's also not for bathing the lens' surface in cleaning fluid and then dabbing it all up with the cloth.

Don't even dare to think it can be used to clean the CCD/CMOS image sensor on a DSLR.


Recommendation
YES, but probably use it for older film-era 'vintage' optics. That's how/where I've used it and what it was made for.
However, I'd consider NOS (new old stock) to be more of a collectable novelty if you happen to find one. Also, I'd avoid vintage lens tissue of cheaper quality that has aged yellow/brown instead of remaining white due to acid content in the paper, plus if the kit was already opened there's no certainty the cleaning fluids are original or even effective, and if used at all, pretest on an older lens that's already unusable for other reasons. Otherwise, this kit would be more effective if supplemented with a microfiber cloth.
Adjusted for inflation, a $4.99 kit in 1980 is equal to about $16.98 in 2021. Although even today(2022) there are brand new economic versions of a 'basic kit' in simple cardboard packages available online for around $5 to $10 using isopropyl alcohol+distilled water based lens cleaning fluid solutions.

NOTE1: I'll add a word of caution that for today's new lenses and coating you're probably better served using the latest higher quality tested and rated lens cleaning kits.
Everyone may not agree with this as long as you have a clean split-microfiber cloth and some type of blower brush.

NOTE2: Another option is to mix a DIY batch of environmentally 'green' lens cleaning solution that's safe for camera lenses/coatings and LCD screens: 9 parts distilled water to 1 part distilled white vinegar. Put it in a small spay bottle and spritz it onto the corner of a microfiber cloth.
Here's an example video from Digital GOJA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROeBKg-6C5E

Whatever you choose for a lens cleaning kit, to coin a phrase, it's like an old TV marketing commercial proclaimed... "Don't leave home without it"

NOTICE: Above text copyright 2022 by BB_Zone28 for use in another article. All rights reserved!
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