rubber skin of nikon lens turning white..how to clean it?

[johnparas11zenfoliodotcom]

so I just got this Nikon 28-200G used.. but the rubber "skin" for zooming and focusing.. is turning white or has some sort of powdery stuff..

looks kinda like this:

Pardon Our Interruption...

how do i clean the white stuff?

 

[Dave Thompson]

Hi, in reply to your question. My 70 -200 2.8 ver 1 has gone the same way and I tried some AutoGlym bumper and trim gel which I use on my Volvo XC70 and it seems to work a treat, although you will probably need to apply it with a small soft brush. There are other similar products out there but this is a good make and nourishes the rubber or plastic to prevent splitting.

Just my take on it, hope that helps.

 

[Steve Bingham]

It looks like the rubber has oxidized from too much sun and/or heat. Like being left lying on a car seat in direct sun too long - like for days. The way to prevent this in the future is to always keep it in a camera bag - which in turn should not be left in the sun for long extended periods.

I use Armour-All in cases like this. Try a little on a Q-tip and see how it does. Make sure it doesn't react adversly with rubber. Google rubber care. Many products out there.

 

[Sublimert70]

My Dad's lenses had a similar whitish substance. Since he lived in Florida, I suspected it might simply be residual salt from his hand sweating while taking pictures in the heat. Therefore, I wet the tip of a white rag with water and simply rubbed the residual white material (salt). Given this was the least intrusive action, nothing "lost" if it didn't work. It worked perfectly. Using chemicals intended for rubber materials on a car can result in unintentional side effects for the lens. Be careful and good luck.

 

[tundracamper]

Get a toothbrush and some water with a littler dawn/dishwashing detergent in it. Sparingly use the brush to clean the rubber. Be sure to use the water sparingly to keep it from getting inside the lens. It should clean up pretty well.

 

[johnparas11zenfoliodotcom]

tundracamper wrote:

Get a toothbrush and some water with a littler dawn/dishwashing detergent in it. Sparingly use the brush to clean the rubber. Be sure to use the water sparingly to keep it from getting inside the lens. It should clean up pretty well.

exactly what I did except for the dawn/dishwashing liquid ;-)

I wet a clean towel first and made the rubber damp a little bit..wiped, and then brushed it.. voila.. looks like new rubber

Thanks all!!

 

[Revision]

I used a trace of the Motorcraft silicone paste that Ford Motor Corp. makes for use protecting car rubber parts on my 28-70 f/2.8 about four years ago. So far so good.

 

[R S Tesch]

I did some online investigation today into cleaning suggestions for the whitish discoloraton which often forms on rubber focusing and zoom rings on camera lenses. Exposure to sunlight and hand oils seem to contribute to oxidation of the rubber.

I read many different online cleaning suggestions using water, alcohol, dish detergent, Armorall, and 303 Aerospace Protectant. Alcohol will likely contribute to drying out and deteriorating rubber, silicone based protectant can migrate to undesirable areas of your lens that can be very difficult to remove, and Nikkor owner's manual strongly warns that water moisture on the lens will lead to rust and malfunctions.

Taking into consideration everything I read, today I tried cleaning the rubber rings on my older (2006) Nikkor lens with nothing more than a toothbrush slightly moistened with 100% strength Murphy Oil Soap (which is manufactured to safely clean wood). I gently used a small circular motion with the toothbrush against the rubber as I worked my way around the lens rings. Results were immediate and outstanding. Lastly, I thoroughly wiped the lens dry with a clean, dry, soft cloth. The rubber is again jet black, feels nourished from the oil soap, and the lens again looks new.

I think nothing could be easier, more effective, and safer.

 

[Williams Mark]

You may find the reply in another post useful.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/2834394?page=2

 

[Matsu]

so I just got this Nikon 28-200G used.. but the rubber "skin" for zooming and focusing.. is turning white or has some sort of powdery stuff..
looks kinda like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-Zoom-...67305564?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item43b90adc5c

how do i clean the white stuff?

 

[VanA]

This is what I used for the lens rings, which I normally use for my car's interior plastics.

It is non-greasy and won't dry out the rubber.

Cleaning Wipes | Car Interiors | Armor All US

Armor All® Cleaning Wipes give your car’s interior that natural ‘just detailed’ look. Dirt and debris is lifted away to give your vehicle a like new finish.

www.armorall.com

 

[fishy wishy]

You can use a cotton wool pad moistened with 70% propanol solution to get this kind of stain off. I assume it's accumulated skin cells and creams on there. The giveaway is the distribution of it where it tends to be held. If you put the pad over a fingernail you can use your nail to go along all the little grooves. There might be a gentler chemical, but this does work. Just don't pour or spray the alcohol directly on the lens. At the end what little alcohol you did use will evaporate away within a minute from the grooves. Sometimes you are left with a slight shine to the rubber though.

 

[T O Shooter]

Hoppe gun cleaning cloth. Been using them for years and years. I clean up everything before I sell. Bought a 200-400VRII recently. Pointed out the white when I was buying but 2 minutes and it was back to as new.

also do a little touch up from time to time to make everything look nice. Just a matter of wiping it with the cloth. Glass excluded of course.

 

[DK FYN]

Hi, in reply to your question. My 70 -200 2.8 ver 1 has gone the same way and I tried some AutoGlym bumper and trim gel which I use on my Volvo XC70 and it seems to work a treat, although you will probably need to apply it with a small soft brush. There are other similar products out there but this is a good make and nourishes the rubber or plastic to prevent splitting.

Just my take on it, hope that helps.

--
http://davidrthompson.zenfolio.com/

The wipes you get from KFC works wonders.

 

[Williams Mark]

Hi, in reply to your question. My 70 -200 2.8 ver 1 has gone the same way and I tried some AutoGlym bumper and trim gel which I use on my Volvo XC70 and it seems to work a treat, although you will probably need to apply it with a small soft brush. There are other similar products out there but this is a good make and nourishes the rubber or plastic to prevent splitting.

Just my take on it, hope that helps.

 

[DK FYN]

YES.

 

[Timm68000]

Certain kinds of car tire wax may leave the rubber surface slippery. That's why they don't recommend applying the wax on the tire surface in contact with the ground.

https://lenspotion.com/blogs/news/why-its-a-bad-idea-to-put-tire-wax-on-your-lens-and-camera-grips

 

[Timm68000]

YES.

I think the wet disposable tissue from KFC is good to remove grease from the oily fingers. The fluid may be slightly alkaline and may be corrosive to the rubber surface.

 

[Cameraneer]

Use this! “Gummi Pflege Stift”. I purchased it for aging rubber on my cars, but works great to remove the whitening that you are referring to on your lens. In fact, I just used it on my 17-55 1:2.8 because it was turning white and it looks like new.

 

[WildlifePhotog]

You can just buy the rubber part for about $12-$15 on either ebay or Allibaba. Or try and use any of the above products or I’d recommend “Car Guys” Plastic and Rubber restorer. It’s the best thing I’ve ever found to make black rubber or plastics look like they did the day you bought them. I put some on a q-tip and then apply it to whatever surface on my camera gear from time to time. I live near the ocean and have sweaty hands so this has happened to me a few times! Good luck!