Protect PT059 lens?

[Kimela]

I have a PT059 for my TG6 - as does my husband - and we have both noticed the coating on the lens is wearing off. We could send it in to backscatter and get it replaced for $100-$150, but my husband decided to just buy a new housing for $300 instead. Here’s my question. Is there a way to protect that coating so it doesn’t wear off? I can get a 52mm UV filter to screw on, but I don’t know if that will remain air tight or not. If I need to burp it that means that saltwater will still be getting to the film, and if the salt water is what is degrading the film I haven’t fixed the problem anyway (not to mention I’m not a fan of having to burp a lens with fumble fingers!).

Btw, the folks at backscatter did say that the worn coating can negatively impact ability to focus, as the camera might focus on the lens instead of the critter.

Thoughts?

EDIT: I got out my housing and see there are holes in the threaded part of the lens holder - so there’s no way to keep the water out. I’m not awesome at taking care of my camera and gear, but my husband is very particular about his stuff. His housing looks about the same as mine.

 

[Nemrod]

I think that lens is plastic and probably has a protective hard coat. It appears something has reacted with the lens coating. Seawater immersion is tough on photo gear. I just spent $500 having my Nauticam housing serviced. I also note a faint discoloration of the (glass) optical coatings on one of my most used ports but it does not affect (yet) the photographs. Those inexpensive housings can be serviced but the price delta between a new one and servicing the existing one is not very much. Not the same with more expensive aluminum housings where servicing is a mere fraction of a new one.

Try to rinse your equipment right away with fresh water. Do not leave water contact lenses in place without rinsing the port, then put the water contact lens back on. I have found that people who dip their masks into the camera rinse bucket cause expensive damage. Those soaps that are in the dive mask defogs are harmful to underwater camera housings, controls and lenses. Do not use camera lens cleaners containing alcohol, soaps or anything other than clean water to wipe a plastic lens/port. A glass lens can be cleaned with camera lens cleaners but in my experience those types of cleaners are not meant for plastic optics. And I am not being dismissive, many high quality lenses contain plastic optical elements. Be careful of what is used, if they are an Acrylic plastic lens then I would just use clean water and a fiber optic cloth.

 

[hedonist222]

This exact same thing happened to mine.
Turns out Olympus do not sell that part only. Backscatter also confirmed this - so how have they quoted you? Maybe they figured something out.

Anyways, I ended up getting an Ikelite. The Ikelite feels like a real underwater housing. The Olympus feels like a toy in contrast.