Cleaning of Used equipment

Hello all,

 

I recently purchased a EOS 10s with a Canon 35-80 zoom (yeah I know

its a cheap one), and a Sigma 24mm f2.8 prime, all used. Each of the

components has seen some use, with the Sigma lens being

the 'roughest' (some slight scratches on body, but glass is fine

with the exception of some fingerprints, and other minor cosmetic

issues).

 

Whats the best for cleaning off:

 

Fingerprints?

 

Slight dirt on the body of the lense (light dust)?

 

Facial grease on camera body?

 

Dust specs on lenses and filters?

 

My thought was:

 

To use rubbing alcohol on the filters to get the fingerprints off.

 

ArmourAll on the Sigma 24 prime lense body (its one of

the 'rubberized' kind of lense body).

 

Rubbing alcohol on the body and the eyecup.

 

Blower bulb brushes to get rid of dust specs.

 

Any other suggestions?

 

Is it worth it to take to a camera shop to have them clean it, or

would they do exactly what I just said???

 

Thanks!

Dan Magnusson

First blow off the dust, without touching the glass using the bulb. For the lens glass, get some lens cleaning fluid and lens cleaning tissues (as the names imply, they are designed to clean lenses). I generally use a very slightly damp cloth on the camera body (or I would if I ever cleaned it). I haven't tried amour all any of my stuff but it sounds like a very bad idea. Also, lens cleaning solvents are fine for glass but you don't want to use them to clean your plastic camera body. I wouldn't bother with a camera shop except to buy the cleaning products.

I would not even have my camera anywhere near me if I was using Armour All. I think that they make a cleaning product which is different from the "protectant" but I'd just leave that for cleaning the car.

 

Try a mild cleaner on the lens body if you think that it needs it. You may have to check if it's safe for rubber. Also, don't spray it on the lens, use a cloth.

 

I'm sure you will get some more complete answers shortly.

Unless they are really dirty, I'd leave them alone. My guess is that more damage has been done to lenses by "cleaning" them than by dropping them.

I use micro fiber cloth for normal lens cleaning and take care not to get finger prints on the lens (after blowing away the dust).

 

However, for the rare occasion when lens front element/filter gets dirty I use pec pads and eclipse fluid and I got good results with this combination (no swirls). For details see the link below:

 

http://www.photosol.com/

 

Rubbing alcohol may not be a good idea for lens cleaning since it is not pure isopropyl alcohol (70%) and hence can potentially damage lens/filter coatings.

 

-Raju

Never, ever, EVER use Armor All. Not on your lens, and not on your car. It actually

accelerates the breakdown of many kinds of plastic. Also, the film can get onto the

contacts and onto the glass, possibly degrading the lens coating.

 

Rubbing alcohol (17%) and Q-tips, along with a lint-free cloth is all one should ever

use on the camera body. Only use 'optical cleaning solution' on lens surfaces. Most

fingerprints wipe clean with a circular twist of the lens cloth.

 

Exactly how dirty is this stuff anyway?

Armour all is not going to damage anything!

<br>I use it a little on some camera gear these days but not much.It looks nice and glossy but as soon as anyone touches it there will be fingerprints on everything.It's also a pain to clean off optical surfaces.I just clean the camera/lens with any mild cleaning fluid and a toothbrush.Allmost anything will do just DON'T use one of those abrasive bathroom cleaners.Cover any optical surfaces first and clean them seperately with proper lens cleaning materials (you can buy cleaning kits for several $).

<br>The plastic used in camera/lens parts is very chemically inert so there is little that will harm it.

Just as a side note: Armor all dries what it is put on. Yes, over time it will destroy plastic, or leather. Just a known fact.