lense cleaning methods

[Aseesl8er]

I'm curious on what kind of material you guys use to clean your camera lenses. What are your preferences?

[odyssic]

Formula MC with Luminex (or other) microfibre cloth.

Steven

[jpolzfuss]

So far I've been using Hama's "ProOptik"-tissues for my cameras, as well as Hama's dry papers and pensils:

http://super8wiki.com/index.php/Cleaning_Cameras

http://www.hama.de/portal/articleId*3159/action*2563
http://www.hama.de/portal/articleId*3189/action*2563
http://www.hama.de/portal/articleId*3169/action*2563

[skahde]

I'm curious on what kind of material you guys use to clean your camera lenses. What are your preferences?

To me the most important point is to use a shade at all times, a lens cap if the camera is not in use and not to be paranoid. Remember that most lenses aren't damaged in use but while cleaning them. A few particles on the front lens is nothing to go mad about as eg. compared to a hair in the filmgate!
Besides the usual recommendations I'd like to add that in the field I like to use the HAMA lenspen which works supprisingly well and to keep things simple. A brush for any particles and a clean (and I mean CLEAN) cotton or microfibre cloth together with dampening the front lens with your breath will take care of most problems in daily use.
When I started I also used various fluids and lens cloths. Most were about as good as spitting on the lens (which is not as bad as it sounds btw.) and some even left really nasty residues which were harder to remove than the fatty fingerprints I was aiming at. On the rare occasions where it is really asked for I now rather use a cloth dampened with pure Isopropanol which removes fat but doesn't attack paint and glue.

Stefan

[Alex_W]

i use a brush, a small pump, a special cloth from hama and sometimes my t-shirt. After every couple of related shots i put the lenscap back on when i have to carry the camera around.

[scott]

I think your best bet is to avoid cleaning your lenses if possible. Keep a UV protector on at all times. To keep the UV lens clean, use a brush and a lens pen.

If you see some dust on your lens, use a blower brush to spiff it up. For major cleaning, I use just a bit of lens solution and a 3M microfiber cloth, which has never hurt a lens (just keep it clean).

Good Luck,

Scott

[skahde]

I think your best bet is to avoid cleaning your lenses if possible. Keep a UV protector on at all times. To keep the UV lens clean, use a brush and a lens pen.

At one time I had a highly reputed and tack sharp prime-lens which became rather succeptible to flare any time I used a UV-filter on it, although both were of about the highest quality available to the public. At this point I asked myself which was the bigger problem, a bit dust and dirt and a small risk of damage or flare in my pictures. Then I realised I rarely had to clean the filters and never damaged a single one and then removed all UV-filters from all of my lenses. I still have a nice but no longer (if ever) usefull collection.

After this point I never had a single occasion where I wished I had a UV-filter on my lens but to each his own.

Stefan

[odyssic]

There are also multicoated clear lens protecting filters which probably wouldn't cause as much flare... at least they don't for me.

Steven

[David M. Leugers]

Lens tissue sucks. If blowing on the lens with clean air doesn't get it , then I use a brand new clean cotton swab (such as a Q-Tip) and breath on the cleans to fog it. This is good for average cleaning and brightening of the coating, but if there has gotten any foreign matter such as sticky finger prints or heavier deposits, then a top quality lens cleaner can be used sparingly with a cotton swab. I follow up with the breathing trick and swabs. This has always worked for me and without ever scratching or damaging a lens. Careful cleaning can rescue many a nasty looking lens as long as the glass is still good underneath the scum.


David M. Leugers

[odyssic]

A more radical approach to remove grease is to use activated charcoal from a health food store (or other). (Some call me crazy when I say this, but feel free to test it on an old lens). Put a tiny amount on a new q tip, shake of excess. And then slightly lift the grease. Oddly it comes right up as charcoal absorbs pretty much anything. And I've done it on all sorts of lenses (in emergencies) and never had any scratching. Though usually I polish afterwards with a microfiber cleaning tissues. Important point is to keep switching q tips and turning them so you're using the clean side and not just smearing things around. Most dust won't hurt a lens, but sometimes people are overzealous about cleaning it off and they smear it around and grind it into the coating. I have a mild case of lens glass paranoia so I always use the protective filter. It helps me sleep expecially when expensive lenses are involved.

Steven

[teadub]

I think your best bet is to avoid cleaning your lenses if possible. Keep a UV protector on at all times. To keep the UV lens clean, use a brush and a lens pen.

If you see some dust on your lens, use a blower brush to spiff it up. For major cleaning, I use just a bit of lens solution and a 3M microfiber cloth, which has never hurt a lens (just keep it clean).

Good Luck,

Scott

this is exactly what I do too (3m microfiber cloth / lens solution). UV filter is a good idea, as well. you beat me to the post Scott, I was going to say the very same thing!

[Aseesl8er]

I think your best bet is to avoid cleaning your lenses if possible. Keep a UV protector on at all times. To keep the UV lens clean, use a brush and a lens pen.

If you see some dust on your lens, use a blower brush to spiff it up. For major cleaning, I use just a bit of lens solution and a 3M microfiber cloth, which has never hurt a lens (just keep it clean).

Good Luck,

Scott

this is exactly what I do too (3m microfiber cloth / lens solution). UV filter is a good idea, as well. you beat me to the post Scott, I was going to say the very same thing!

Where can I get the the microfiber and solution? do they sell them online?

[skahde]

Put a tiny amount on a new q tip, shake of excess. And then slightly lift the grease. Oddly it comes right up as charcoal absorbs pretty much anything.

That's exactly how the Hama lenspen works and less odd than it seems, obviously.

Stefan

[scott]

Where can I get the the microfiber and solution? do they sell them online?

Amazon, and probably elsewhere:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 6?v=glance

The local photo shop (that recently went out of business) had them on the counter.

Scott

[John_Pytlak]

I agree that it is best to remove loose debris by gentle brushing with a soft clean "camel hair" lens brush. If you get fingerprints, water droplet residue, or other deposits on the lens, use a good lens cleaner and very gentle wiping, being careful not to let any lens cleaner seep into the lens. NEVER wipe a lens with a dry tissue or cloth. Don't use the silicone-treated wipes intended for eyeglasses.

A "skylight filter" offers protection for the expensive lens front element, and also helps color reproduction and haze penetration by filtering out the UV light.