I just purchased an Hoya PL-CIR filter off craiglists (I'm starting photography and it was cheap) and it looks like there is some dust/dirt between the two lenses.
Is there a way to safely disassemble it so I can clean in between ?
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Sign up to join this communityI just purchased an Hoya PL-CIR filter off craiglists (I'm starting photography and it was cheap) and it looks like there is some dust/dirt between the two lenses.
Is there a way to safely disassemble it so I can clean in between ?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: If you had the time, equipment, and experience; yes. You could disassemble the layers and rebond them with some varying degree of success.
What you see might not even be dust/dirt. Layers of the filter material may have become de-laminated due to the bond between the layers becoming dissolved by the "cleaning" solution. A thin air layer between the plates may be the problem. It would not appear so transparent without the optical cement bonding the layers.
Moral: don't soak/dip/immerse lenses or filters in solutions. Use cleaning materials approved for photographic optics in accordance with the instructions. sparingly
Joke: Safe way: Use heavy gloves so you won't hurt yourself if the filter breaks.
Quote: "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low cost has been forgotten."
Define "safely".
I'm sure it's possible without hurting yourself or others, which is how I'd define "safely".
It's also possible to do without damaging the parts of the filter, possibly, depending on filter construction and the tools at your disposal.
Whether you can then put those pieces back together and get a working filter again, that's a different question and again depends on your tools, working environment, and highly depends on your skill.
In general though, if you have to ask the question the answer is generally a resounding NO.