Can salt water damage a lens’s MgF2 anti-reflective coating?
Asked 7/25/2017
7 views
2 answers
0
I want to know specifically whether a bare glass lens element with an MgF2 anti-reflective coating can be damaged by frequent submersion in sea water. I’m not asking about electronics, seals, or plastic parts—just the coated glass surface itself.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
7
Short version : stop the madness. Keep your lens out of salt water. Period.
Salt water is corrosive and fairly close to the worst thing you can get on a lens.
Submerging any lens is an appallingly bad idea, as even sealed lenses are not designed for that. They're designed for, at worst, splashes and typically for light to moderate rain. You'll note that except for specialty products (specifically designed for underwater) manufacturers don't generally specify in any detail how reliable seals are on lenses or bodies.
If you need to submerge a lens and/or camera into salt water "frequently" then I'd strongly suggest investing in a proper underwater case.
So if you submerge a lens in salt water the very least of your worries should be the effect on the coatings.
And the same goes for cameras, BTW. In fact it's sometimes worse as salt water and electronics (which are also in most lenses) do not mix well.
For what it's worth I don't think the coatings are soluble, but, again, salt water is corrosive and, when it dries there will be salt on the lens, waiting to be rubbed by someone and this will erode the coatings. I'd recommend using a lens pen to clean it.
Originally by user46861. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user46861
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—salt water is a bad thing to expose any photographic lens to, and frequent submersion should be avoided. Sea water is corrosive, and while the coating may not be the first thing to fail, it is not something you should routinely immerse.
In practice, the larger point is that standard camera lenses are not designed for submersion. Even weather-sealed lenses are generally intended for splashes or rain, not repeated underwater use. If a lens is submerged in salt water, damage to the lens assembly is a bigger concern than the coating alone.
If you need to use a lens in or under sea water, the appropriate solution is a proper underwater housing or dedicated underwater equipment. Keep ordinary lenses out of salt water whenever possible, and if they do get exposed, treat it as something to avoid rather than normal use.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI9y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
No related questions yet.