A Reminder About Camera Lenses

E

Evolute

Joined
Mar 19, 2001
Messages
4,769
Hey, Everybody,

I just wanted to give everyone a quick reminder about necessary camera lens care. Camera lenses are glass, and glass is a liquid – albeit a very thick, slow moving liquid. If you leave a lens in storage, in the same position, for too long, the liquid can start to flow, to shift, to "puddle up" so to speak, toward one side. This can warp your lens, and ruin the optics. So, for proper lens care, be sure to rotate your lenses, at least once every few weeks or months, when they are not being used. Then everything should be fine. :thumbup:

Cheers.
 
Wow! I've been a photographer for more than 30 years. I even have a fair amount of teaching experience. That said, I have never heard this before! It makes perfect sense. Thanks! :)
 
can it really affect them that quickly? Have you ever noticed optical peculiarities due to it? I've never had a problem, but I may not be paying close enough attention to notice.
 
Thanks. I had heard this once before, a year ago today in fact. Personally, I don't take ANY chances, I rotate all my glass objects daily. It's hardest with my contact lenses, but I try hard anyway. :D
 
Nimick said:
can it really affect them that quickly? Have you ever noticed optical peculiarities due to it? I've never had a problem, but I may not be paying close enough attention to notice.
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Yes! Yes to both questions.

Perhaps it's more apparent with higher resolution cameras.
 
I don't know if I buy that glass is a liquid theory. I've seen ancient Egyptian and Greek glass. If it were a liquid, how come the bottles weren't puddles after 4,000 years?

Chad
 
Next time I buy optics, I'll be sure to ask the dealer how often he "rotates" his stock.
 
Glass is not a liquid. Sorry. Though, under certain circumstances, it can behave that way. Nevertheless, I doubt you'll live long enough to notice the difference.
 
Glass is an amorphous supperfluid meaning that it has both liquid and solid properties. It does "flow" albeitslowly, over its entire life. But, it is very slow.
 
Gollnick said:
Glass is an amorphous supperfluid meaning that it has both liquid and solid properties. It does "flow" albeitslowly, over its entire life. But, it is very slow.
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Does this mean it is also Edible?,
Liquid ,solid and delicious....who knew! :D
 
Guess I can turn my glass laptop screen back upright. Was getting hrad to read upside-down anyhow.
 
ChadHahn said:
I don't know if I buy that glass is a liquid theory. I've seen ancient Egyptian and Greek glass. If it were a liquid, how come the bottles weren't puddles after 4,000 years?
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This idea really doesn't seem so far fetched.
I have NO idea about the Greek and Egyptian glass. However, when I took a tour of a museum some time ago, they DID say the bottom had become thicker than the top of some very old windows for this very reason.
HOWEVER.... I don't really know how tempered or treated or coated glass might behave under certain circumstances.
 
gormandu said:
This idea really doesn't seem so far fetched.
I have NO idea about the Greek and Egyptian glass. However, when I took a tour of a museum some time ago, they DID say the bottom had become thicker than the top of some very old windows for this very reason.
HOWEVER.... I don't really know how tempered or treated or coated glass might behave under certain circumstances.
Click to expand...

They have NO science to back up the claim that the bottoms had become thicker because the glass drifted or settled over time.
 
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