Lubrication of L lenses

Antonio Correia

Shoudn't I lubrificate the rubber gasket of my L lenses once a year ? :dunno

What shall I use ? :dunno

ziggy53

Antonio,

I believe the only responsibility for the user is keeping the seals clean and making sure that the seals and mating surfaces are in good condition with no nicks, gouges, scrapes, cracks or other blemishes that would affect the ability of the seals to do their job.

Antonio Correia

ziggy53 wrote:

Antonio,

I believe the only responsibility for the user is keeping the seals clean and making sure that the seals and mating surfaces are in good condition with no nicks, gouges, scrapes, cracks or other blemishes that would affect the ability of the seals to do their job.

Thank you Ziggy.

I thought that a lubrification - very small - would be necessary after some time of use, as the rubber gets old with time...

My lenses are clean enought, so far !:D

gtc

maybe a very thin smear of lithium grease or vaseline?

Antonio Correia

gtc wrote:

maybe a very thin smear of lithium grease or vaseline?

Very very thin ... with the finger

Glenn NK

Where would you apply lubrication? Would you take the lens apart to get at the rubber seals?

Any lubrication is a wonderful dust and/or grit catcher; that makes me nervous.

I wonder if the seals are something that doesn't require lubication? Silicone rubber maybe?

If I think of it tomorrow, I'll go into the local camera repair shop - they were competent enough to replace the filter on the sensor of my 30D - as Canon trained technicians, they will know something about lens lubrication.

DoctorIt

this topic makes me very uneasy...

1) on a very basic engineering level: "seals", better called "gaskets" are never meant to be lubricated, only "joints". what you are referring to is most definitely not a moving joint. As Ziggy already pointed out, mating surfaces are meant to be clean, but not lubricated.

2) welcome to the year 2007 and modern engineering plastics/rubbers: my fellow polymer chemists and engineers have jobs precisely so that you don't have to think about stuff like this! I'm quite sure the L-gasket material is made of a modern high-grade polymer, most likely silicon-based. Will it eventually degrade? Yes, but by that time, I'm sure you won't be worried about this lens (or much else, for that matter...).

Antonio, and others, please don't go smearing grease between the lens and camera!

Glenn NK

DoctorIt wrote:

this topic makes me very uneasy...

1) on a very basic engineering level: "seals", better called "gaskets" are never meant to be lubricated, only "joints". what you are referring to is most definitely not a moving joint. As Ziggy already pointed out, mating surfaces are meant to be clean, but not lubricated.

2) welcome to the year 2007 and modern engineering plastics/rubbers: my fellow polymer chemists and engineers have jobs precisely so that you don't have to think about stuff like this! I'm quite sure the L-gasket material is made of a modern high-grade polymer, most likely silicon-based. Will it eventually degrade? Yes, but by that time, I'm sure you won't be worried about this lens (or much else, for that matter...).

Antonio, and others, please don't go smearing grease between the lens and camera!

Thanks Erik; even a civil/structural engineer had qualms about lubrication; and I wasn't too far off the compound used.

Antonio Correia

DoctorIt wrote:

... Antonio, and others, please don't go smearing grease between the lens and camera!

No I want.

As I had doubts myself about this I decided to ask here first, before I make any mistake.

thumb

z_28

You can do it - but only if you got RIGHT lubricant

Industrial grade pure silicon grease may work,
but you can't buy it in local store

Antonio Correia

z_28 wrote:

You can do it - but only if you got RIGHT lubricant

Industrial grade pure silicon grease may work,
but you can't buy it in local store

Z. You are kidding aren't you ?

thumb

z_28

No

ziggy53

I have 3 Canon "L" lenses, and the documentation for two of them. I can find absolutely no information in the user information packed with the lenses or online that describes the use of any sort of grease or lubricant on the external camera-mating seal.

If you use a grease or lubricant on the seal, it will also transfer some of the grease/lubricant onto the camera lens mount. If any of that gunk gets onto the electrical contacts of the lens, that too will get transferred onto the electrical contacts of the camera and, potentially, any additional lens you might mount on that camera. In that situation, you may render that camera and any lens attached to it inoperable.

Until I see a link or other definitive source recommending the use of a lubricant, I "strongly" recommend against the use of any grease or lubricant on the external seals of lenses.

Antonio Correia

ziggy53 wrote:

I have 3 Canon "L" lenses, and the documentation for two of them. I can find absolutely no information in the user information packed with the lenses or online that describes the use of any sort of grease or lubricant on the external camera-mating seal.

If you use a grease or lubricant on the seal, it will also transfer some of the grease/lubricant onto the camera lens mount. If any of that gunk gets onto the electrical contacts of the lens, that too will get transferred onto the electrical contacts of the camera and, potentially, any additional lens you might mount on that camera. In that situation, you may render that camera and any lens attached to it inoperable.

Until I see a link or other definitive source recommending the use of a lubricant, I "strongly" recommend against the use of any grease or lubricant on the external seals of lenses.

Thank you Ziggy. That's final.

z_28

Agree, don't do it !!!
Stuff like that aren't included in customer documentation.

Till you got proper grease [that's first very hard step]
and you have full knowledge how and what to do.

ziggy53

I just got this from Mr. Westfall of Canon USA:

"Dear (ziggy):

Your answer to the photographer is accurate. No lubricants are required to maintain the weather-resistant functions of L-series lenses equipped with rubber seals. In fact, lubricant may harm the equipment if it is transferred to optical surfaces or electrical contacts, and there is also the possibility of damage caused by grit or other foreign matter becoming suspended in the lubricant and rubbing against the surfaces of the camera body and lens during attachment and removal of the lens. So our best suggestion for maintaining weather-resistant EOS equipment is to clean them regularly with a soft, dry clean cloth. Microfiber cloths are excellent for this purpose.

Best Regards,

Chuck Westfall
Director/Media & Customer Relationship
Camera Marketing Group/Canon U.S.A., Inc. "

Antonio Correia

ziggy53 wrote:

I just got this from Mr. Westfall of Canon USA:

"Dear (ziggy):

Your answer to the photographer is accurate. No lubricants are required to maintain the weather-resistant functions of L-series lenses equipped with rubber seals. In fact, lubricant may harm the equipment if it is transferred to optical surfaces or electrical contacts, and there is also the possibility of damage caused by grit or other foreign matter becoming suspended in the lubricant and rubbing against the surfaces of the camera body and lens during attachment and removal of the lens. So our best suggestion for maintaining weather-resistant EOS equipment is to clean them regularly with a soft, dry clean cloth. Microfiber cloths are excellent for this purpose.

Best Regards,

Chuck Westfall
Director/Media & Customer Relationship
Camera Marketing Group/Canon U.S.A., Inc. "

clap:D:Dthumb

Andy

I've never, ever, ever, ever, ever done this and I don't recommend anyone do it

DoctorIt

z_28 wrote:

Agree, don't do it !!!
Stuff like that aren't included in customer documentation.

Ok...

Till you got proper grease [that's first very hard step]
and you have full knowledge how and what to do.

ah yes, the magical grease, which is in fact not grease, right? because Canon clearly just stated the lens mounts are not to be greased.