I gave up on ultrasonic cleaning after a 1970s Canon F1 got fogged in the tank

Happened at a shop I was freelancing at in Austin back in May. The F1 was a personal restoration for a collector who paid $400 upfront. Came out looking like a frosted window. My boss at the time just shrugged and said "that's what you get for trusting a machine over your own hands." Switched to doing everything by hand that week and haven't touched an ultrasonic since. Any of you guys had a tank wreck a body or lens?

2 comments

2 Comments

richard_dixon1mo ago

Ultrasonic cleaners are one of those tools that work great until they don't. I've seen way more gear ruined by them than saved, especially with older cameras where the seals and coatings get brittle. Reminds me of how people swear by pressure washers for car detailing until one strips the clear coat off a vintage paint job. Quick shortcuts sometimes cost you more in the long run.

johnson.daniel1mo ago

Oh come on now. Is it really that serious? I've been using an ultrasonic cleaner on old camera parts for years and never had a problem like that. You have to know what you're doing with the solution and the time settings. That shop probably had the heat cranked up too high or used the wrong cleaning agent. A fogged F1 sounds more like user error than the machine itself being at fault. I've seen plenty of lenses get scratched or misaligned from aggressive hand cleaning too.