Getting dust out of lens?

Zephos · 02-25-2015, 08:15 PM

I got a Pentax-M 50mm 1.7 with dust on the inside lens element behind the front element. Is there any way to get in there and clean it?

calsan · 02-25-2015, 09:03 PM

That's not a problem, leave it alone!!

The dust you describe won't have any effect on your photos (the dust will not stop any light and always be out of focus). Pulling the lens apart will muck up the very precise factory tolerances. That will have an effect - it will ruin your lens.
The only dust that is visible in your photos if is dust is directly on your sensor, even then, you have to be stopped down a lot to see it.

Dust is pretty much a fact of life and best ignored. New lenses come from the factory with dust in them, dust is also created in lenses and sucked into lenses by zooming and focusing.

**jatrax** · 02-25-2015, 09:21 PM

^^^ what he said.

You can take the lens apart and clean everything, put it back together and have more dust when you are done than you started with. And take the risk of not getting it back together correctly. Fungus is a different story as well as haze or oil. But a little dust, just leave it be.

robthebloke · 02-25-2015, 09:36 PM

If you like horror movies.....

Youtu.be

calsan · 02-25-2015, 09:59 PM

What a butcher. The lens is in great condition at the beginning and hacked to bits by the end. Opened with a pair of scissors.

Stavri · 02-25-2015, 10:14 PM

Originally posted by robthebloke

If you like horror movies.....

http://youtu.be/Kz5spB68aok

This video made my day

watching that lens depreciate by the second was unbearable, went from $19.99 to .01 in less than ten minutes. I was reminded of my early years when I tried to de-fungus a Vivitar Series 1 200mm f3.0 and scratched one of the inner elements. Now i'm wiser and have stopped bothering about optical cleanliness. I'll resume lens hacking when both my cats are dead and my house is as clean as a factory for assembling hard drives in Philippines.

Most of old lenses have some amount of debris inside, that's a common occurrence which doesn't bother the majority of shooters out there. Dust doesn't usually impact image quality, other things like fungus, damage to coating, lens separation, substantial haze, oils, water etc do, depending on the scale and affected area.

Zephos · 02-25-2015, 10:20 PM

Originally posted by robthebloke

If you like horror movies.....

Wow, that was a horror movie. The thing was worthless by the end. I'll take your advice and not worry about it. I haven't used the lens yet but I will and hopefully it won't be a problem!

r0ckstarr · 02-25-2015, 10:34 PM

Originally posted by robthebloke

If you like horror movies.....

http://youtu.be/Kz5spB68aok

lol, at 4mins in, he's bandaged up.

Zephos · 02-25-2015, 10:44 PM

Originally posted by r0ckstarr

lol, at 4mins in, he's bandaged up.

I had noticed that too. I just can't figure out how he thought he knew enough to make an instructional video as he clearly was making it up as he went.

---------- Post added 02-25-15 at 10:51 PM ----------

Originally posted by calsan

...the dust will not stop any light and always be out of focus...

Is that true even if I use it with extension tubes which will reduce my focusing distance?

Stavri · 02-25-2015, 10:57 PM

Originally posted by Zephos

I had noticed that too. I just can't figure out how he thought he knew enough to make an instructional video as he clearly was making it up as he went.

---------- Post added 02-25-15 at 10:51 PM ----------

Is that true even if I use it with extension tubes which will reduce my focusing distance?

I don't believe using tubes will impact your IQ, at most It might worsen the high ISO performance of the glass but that's negligible.

JimC1101 · 02-25-2015, 11:37 PM

Originally posted by robthebloke

If you like horror movies.....

http://youtu.be/Kz5spB68aok

OMG, once I how bent the ring wasand how he had mangled it and the exposed metal was everywhere, I stopped watching. I wonder if this is how Pentax does it this way to clean out dust in lenses. :P As everyone has said, internal lens dust is a fact of life and not an issue with the pictures. Also, there is air there so you will see it come and go in time and you will notice that it will be there one day and gone the next if you are out and zooming.

It reminds me to a lesser extent of changing the VF screen in my K-X....I only had it less than a month and wanted to get a couple specs of dust. Next thing I know, I had the screen off, and blew it off when I had it, which worked I guess, and then I put it in, hit a it slightly on the metal frame and next thing I know, it was scratched. I had to order a new screen, put it on cautiously, and worked fine this time. Never touched it again, even if I see a speck here on and off in time.

Moral of the story, if it is not affecting your pictures, leave well enough alone, you can do much more damage than good.

Driline · 02-26-2015, 08:10 AM

Originally posted by robthebloke

If you like horror movies.....

http://youtu.be/Kz5spB68aok

Precision camera?

Dlanor Sekao · 02-26-2015, 09:16 AM

Ha ha....well ? Einstien at work ! He did get rid of the dust ? Next week when he does it again the front ring will come off easier !
Leave it or Send it to Erik.....Bottom line.

mholford · 02-26-2015, 12:37 PM

OMG! I couldn't keep watching that.... just wanted to cry WHY?????

robthebloke · 02-26-2015, 12:45 PM

Originally posted by mholford

OMG! I couldn't keep watching that.... just wanted to cry WHY?????

I told you it was a horror film. (Mind you the comic timing of the plaster, and the big reveal at the end, is simply genius).

I do hope he never makes any more videos though. I don't think I could sit through the human centilens.

02-25-2015, 08:15 PM	#1
Zephos Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Photos: Albums Posts: 341	Getting dust out of lens? I got a Pentax-M 50mm 1.7 with dust on the inside lens element behind the front element. Is there any way to get in there and clean it?

02-25-2015, 10:14 PM	#6
Stavri Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: at a Bean & Leaf Photos: Albums Posts: 1,832	Step away from the lens.... Originally posted by robthebloke If you like horror movies..... http://youtu.be/Kz5spB68aok This video made my day watching that lens depreciate by the second was unbearable, went from $19.99 to .01 in less than ten minutes. I was reminded of my early years when I tried to de-fungus a Vivitar Series 1 200mm f3.0 and scratched one of the inner elements. Now i'm wiser and have stopped bothering about optical cleanliness. I'll resume lens hacking when both my cats are dead and my house is as clean as a factory for assembling hard drives in Philippines. Most of old lenses have some amount of debris inside, that's a common occurrence which doesn't bother the majority of shooters out there. Dust doesn't usually impact image quality, other things like fungus, damage to coating, lens separation, substantial haze, oils, water etc do, depending on the scale and affected area. Last edited by Stavri; 02-25-2015 at 10:30 PM.

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02-25-2015, 09:03 PM	#2
calsan Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,548	That's not a problem, leave it alone!! The dust you describe won't have any effect on your photos (the dust will not stop any light and always be out of focus). Pulling the lens apart will muck up the very precise factory tolerances. That will have an effect - it will ruin your lens. The only dust that is visible in your photos if is dust is directly on your sensor, even then, you have to be stopped down a lot to see it. Dust is pretty much a fact of life and best ignored. New lenses come from the factory with dust in them, dust is also created in lenses and sucked into lenses by zooming and focusing.

02-25-2015, 09:21 PM	#3
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	^^^ what he said. You can take the lens apart and clean everything, put it back together and have more dust when you are done than you started with. And take the risk of not getting it back together correctly. Fungus is a different story as well as haze or oil. But a little dust, just leave it be.

02-25-2015, 09:59 PM	#5
calsan Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,548	What a butcher. The lens is in great condition at the beginning and hacked to bits by the end. Opened with a pair of scissors.

02-25-2015, 10:20 PM	#7
Zephos Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Photos: Albums Posts: 341 Original Poster	Originally posted by robthebloke If you like horror movies..... Wow, that was a horror movie. The thing was worthless by the end. I'll take your advice and not worry about it. I haven't used the lens yet but I will and hopefully it won't be a problem!

02-25-2015, 10:34 PM	#8
r0ckstarr Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,507	Originally posted by robthebloke If you like horror movies..... http://youtu.be/Kz5spB68aok lol, at 4mins in, he's bandaged up.

02-25-2015, 10:44 PM	#9
Zephos Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Photos: Albums Posts: 341 Original Poster	Originally posted by r0ckstarr lol, at 4mins in, he's bandaged up. I had noticed that too. I just can't figure out how he thought he knew enough to make an instructional video as he clearly was making it up as he went. ---------- Post added 02-25-15 at 10:51 PM ---------- Originally posted by calsan ...the dust will not stop any light and always be out of focus... Is that true even if I use it with extension tubes which will reduce my focusing distance?

02-25-2015, 10:57 PM	#10
Stavri Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: at a Bean & Leaf Photos: Albums Posts: 1,832	Originally posted by Zephos I had noticed that too. I just can't figure out how he thought he knew enough to make an instructional video as he clearly was making it up as he went. ---------- Post added 02-25-15 at 10:51 PM ---------- Is that true even if I use it with extension tubes which will reduce my focusing distance? I don't believe using tubes will impact your IQ, at most It might worsen the high ISO performance of the glass but that's negligible.

02-25-2015, 11:37 PM	#11
JimC1101 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Fremont, Ca Photos: Albums Posts: 395	Originally posted by robthebloke If you like horror movies..... http://youtu.be/Kz5spB68aok OMG, once I how bent the ring wasand how he had mangled it and the exposed metal was everywhere, I stopped watching. I wonder if this is how Pentax does it this way to clean out dust in lenses. :P As everyone has said, internal lens dust is a fact of life and not an issue with the pictures. Also, there is air there so you will see it come and go in time and you will notice that it will be there one day and gone the next if you are out and zooming. It reminds me to a lesser extent of changing the VF screen in my K-X....I only had it less than a month and wanted to get a couple specs of dust. Next thing I know, I had the screen off, and blew it off when I had it, which worked I guess, and then I put it in, hit a it slightly on the metal frame and next thing I know, it was scratched. I had to order a new screen, put it on cautiously, and worked fine this time. Never touched it again, even if I see a speck here on and off in time. Moral of the story, if it is not affecting your pictures, leave well enough alone, you can do much more damage than good.

02-26-2015, 08:10 AM	#12
Driline Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: IOWA Where the Tall Corn Grows Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,697	Originally posted by robthebloke If you like horror movies..... http://youtu.be/Kz5spB68aok Precision camera?

02-26-2015, 09:16 AM	#13
Dlanor Sekao Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 1,457	Ha ha....well ? Einstien at work ! He did get rid of the dust ? Next week when he does it again the front ring will come off easier ! Leave it or Send it to Erik.....Bottom line.

02-26-2015, 12:37 PM	#14
mholford Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Vancouver Island, BC Photos: Albums Posts: 238	OMG! I couldn't keep watching that.... just wanted to cry WHY?????

02-26-2015, 12:45 PM	#15
robthebloke Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Sydney Photos: Albums Posts: 844	Originally posted by mholford OMG! I couldn't keep watching that.... just wanted to cry WHY????? I told you it was a horror film. (Mind you the comic timing of the plaster, and the big reveal at the end, is simply genius). I do hope he never makes any more videos though. I don't think I could sit through the human centilens.