kipdent Posted August 18, 2020 Share #1 Posted August 18, 2020 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) I'll start by saying this is perhaps a bit ridiculous and obsessive, but as a new Leica S camera owner, I'm on the prowl for some lenses, and when I peruse classified ads I often notice the rubber focusing ring has faded from a jet back to a whitish-gray color. Some sellers even say this is "due to aging." Other than esthetics, does this indicate any problems, say with its texture or longevity? I'm guessing Leica could replace this rubber, but that would necessitate a trip back to the factory and who knows what the repair charge would be. Has anyone "restored" these focusing rings with some sort of treatment? Edited August 18, 2020 by kipdent Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 18, 2020 Posted August 18, 2020 Hi kipdent, Take a look here S-lens focusing ring discoloration. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
LeicaR10 Posted August 19, 2020 Share #2 Posted August 19, 2020 Kipsent, This is what I use to restore the aging rubber on my S lenses. It works quite well. r/ Mark Try: https://lenspotion.com 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Richardson Posted August 19, 2020 Share #3 Posted August 19, 2020 Mark's recommendation is likely the ticket, but if you do not want to send away for things, you might consider looking into rubber restoration for things like dashboards in cars. My guess is that the automotive market probably has lots of good solutions for rubber restoration. As for the aging, I imagine that it has a lot to do with how people store their lenses, in particular how much UV light they experience. I have been shooting the S system since 2010 and even my oldest lenses have no evidence of degradation. I keep them in bags or drawers when not in use, and I guess Iceland has much lower UV exposure than some places. If you live closer to the equator, especially at higher altitude, you could be at a greater risk of wearing out the rubber. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipdent Posted August 21, 2020 Author Share #4 Posted August 21, 2020 Thank you both for the suggestions! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmknoble Posted August 31, 2020 Share #5 Posted August 31, 2020 Rubbing alcohol also works! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmknoble Posted August 31, 2020 Share #6 Posted August 31, 2020 Here’s a previous post on cleaning the rings: Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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