Bitterant in Canned Air

<p>I generally use Dust Off to clean my lenses and the filter on the front of the lens after photographing in dusty environments. I have noticed that Dust Off now contains "bitterant". My guess is that this has been added to the compressed air to discourge people from sniffing the canned air and getting "high". How do people figure this stuff out! My question is whether or not the compressed air will leave a very light layer of bitterant on my lens filter. Doesn't sound good.</p>

<p>Blowing particles of quick frozen dirt violently across the surface of your lens doesn't sound too good either!</p>

<p>P.S. canned "air" is never pure.</p>

<p>Canned air - deliberately stinky or not - is generally never a good idea on optics of any kind. The process of compressing the gasses can involve hardware that will transfer some oils to the container, and possibilities of rapid temperature changes from the quickly decompressing gasses means the risk of thermal shock to your glass. <br /><br />Just use a Rocket Blower or similar device, and you not only avoid those problems, you get away from ever having an empty can. You need one of those filtered squeeze blowers around for blowing out the inside of your camera body anyway, so just get the beefy larger one and it'll get rid of blowable dust on the exterior surfaces and glass, too. Safely.</p>

<p>Canned Air is just to violent to most camera equipment.<br>

I'm with Matt on the Rocket Blower. I only use canned air on keyboards and inside computers when I need to open them up.</p>

<p>>>>"P.S. canned "air" is never pure."<<<</p>

<p>Well, really there is no air at all. Infact it is a liquid. Hydroflurocarbon to be exact. I am no chemist, however, this is in the same family as the stuff that make you air conditioner work. So it is not air, but rather an industrial chemical that boils at very low temps. This is what causes the freezeing action if some of the liquid makes it out of the can. One can I had a while back actually listed its contents with the same chemical name at R-134a. This is stuff used in current automotive AC units.</p>

<p>Here is the MSDS for the <a href="http://www.iqproducts.com/msds_folder/252%20CLEANSAFE%20DUST%20REMOVER%20-%20HFC-152a.pdf">"Clean Safe" brand cleaner</a>.</p>

<p>The "Bittergent" also keeps little kids from messing around with it. My 3 year old little girl dicided to mess around with a can I had sitting out. She said her self that it was unpleasent and did not want to mess with it any more. Of course I had a nice little talk with her about such things.</p>

<p>I blow off the out side of my camera and lens with it. Useing short burst making sure to not shake the can. I feel sure the liquid will not hurt the exterior of the camera and I have no reason to fear thermal shock. I would think it very wise to keep the stuff out the camera off the glass elements.</p>

<p>Jason</p>

<p>Canned air products (CO2) are available and not the same as hydrofluorocarbon aerosols (e.g. 1,1-difluoroethane in "Clean Safe") but either will deposit propellant debris and moisture on the lens. The freezing action of both is due to the absorption of heat as the contents decompresses/vaporizes at room temperature.</p>

<p>I agree 100 percent: Never except on computer keyboards and cases.....</p>

<p>The reason camera manufactures don't recommend it is because the high speed gas can bend the shutter curtains or damage the delicate mirror mechanism. However it will not damage the front or rear glass elements since they are mechanically very strong.</p>

<p>CO2 can also be used but you have to make sure it is pure. CO2 canisters are used bicycle tires, fire BBs in air guns, or as canned air and most come in the same type of canister. Unfortunately some of these applications require a oil lubricant to be mixed in with the CO2. So if you use a CO2 canister designed for a BB gun it will leave an oil on your lens.</p>

<p>An additional concern is that as you release the gas from the can, the gas in the can cools off. If you don't allow the can to warm up between uses the gas could freeze as it leaves the nozzle. So always let the can warm up before you use it,keep the nozzle at least 4 inches away from the lens, and use it in short burst. That should insure that no ice, only gas reaches the lens.</p>

<p>I used canned air on my film camera lenses without any issues. I never used it on the shutter or mirror. Today I have a digital and I have found that my sensor cleaning kit also works well for cleaning the lens. So I have not used canned air since I got my digital camera. As to the bitterant I have no idea. Depends on if it is a solid, gas, or liquid. However if it does leave something on the lens it could make lens flair dramatically worse. </p>

<p>When I have dust on my lens I just do this simple routine that will probably be frowned upon by seasoned photographers, but it works for me.</p>

<p>I first dry my lips, breath in with a fast rush of air to dry the inside of my mouth, then I purse my lips shut and form a pocket of air in the front portion of my mouth and let out a pressurized silent"Puh". Note that I don't blow air from my lungs but just release several short pressurized burts until the dust is cleared. If some dust gets trapped between the glass and plastic rim I knock it off with an unused natural fiber make-up brush.</p>

<p>Then I clean up with a clean lintless cloth and optics cleaner fluid I got from Walmart's Eye Center for $1.25 a bottle which includes free refills.</p>

<p>I was wondering about the bitterant too. I think you can find it w/o that possibly, or at least you could last time I checked.</p>

<p>I use the non-bitterant verison on lenses and mirrors, and with careful judicious use, it's fine. don't go crazy, but don't obsess about it either.</p>