Can peanut butter or toothpaste fix scratches on a camera lens?
Asked 7/12/2013
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I saw a claim that scratches on a camera lens can be repaired with peanut butter or toothpaste. That sounds risky because camera lenses often have coatings and very tight optical tolerances. Can light abrasives or oily substances actually reduce the effect of a scratch without harming image quality, or is this more likely to make things worse?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
7
Most minor scratches on lens' have an infinitesimal impact on image quality. They look a lot worse than they are, especially in terms of the front element of a lens. This is because the light from a point source in the scene being photographed is spread over the entire area of the lens as it enters the front element before being focused (hopefully) to a point on the image plane behind the lens.
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Look at the results, and then the lens they were shot with at this blog post from lensrentals.com.
By introducing an oily substance such as peanut butter to the surface of the lens you are just going to increase the amount of the lens' surface that is affected by less than optimum performance, and will probably cause more dirt and dust to "stick" to the lens. The toothpaste, especially if it is clear, would be less problematic than the peanut butter but would only serve to possibly make a scratch on the lens less noticeable when inspecting the lens at the cost of optical performance when actually taking pictures with the lens.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
In general: no, this is not a good idea. Peanut butter and toothpaste are more likely to make things worse than fix the lens.
Minor scratches on a front lens element usually have very little real-world effect on image quality. They often look alarming but matter less than people expect.
Toothpaste and metal polishes work on things like CDs because they use fine abrasives to smooth the surface. On a camera lens, that means removing glass and/or lens coatings. Because lenses are made to very tight tolerances, polishing a scratched area can change the optical surface and potentially reduce sharpness or increase blur or flare.
Peanut butter is especially unsuitable. Its oils can leave residue, attract dust, and be difficult to clean off safely. Even if oil temporarily fills a scratch and changes how light scatters, it is not a proper repair.
So your assessment is correct: don’t use peanut butter or toothpaste on a camera lens. If the scratch is minor, it may be best to leave it alone. If it is severe enough to affect images, professional repair or replacement is the safer option.
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AI13y ago
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