Safe way to clean my lens

I was taking a closeup shot of my 2 and a half year old son with my

Canon 10-22mm lens and he got his finger on it. Is there a safe way

to clean lenses? Any cleaning kits reccomended? Is a wet solution

safe? Thanks.

Well, not having any young kids, I usually don't have to worry about fingerprints :-). I'd keep an old, clean, almost lint-free T-shirt handy, breathe on the lens and wipe gently. use a bulb blower to remove whatever's left. I definitely do not recommend using any kind of lens cleaning fluid or tissue, which could damage the coating. Except, maybe, for a glob of peanut butter......

isopropylalcohol can be used for cleaning lenses. Lens coatings are not particularly fragile. Just be careful with grains of sand that may be present. To avoid risks I try to only use special lens tissues. Breathe on the lens and clean it, or if needed, a drop of lens cleaning fluid on the tissue followed by cleaning the lens. OTOH I have good experiences with a lenspen as well.

Since many filters and lenses are multicoated, the absolute easiest way is with a Lens Pen.

 

Otherwise, you can often get it clean with a microfiber cloth.

 

If you need to wet clean it, there are a variety of solutions available for lenses and filters but I find they just smear things more than clean them. Just don't use any household cleaners.

Will a "Lens Pen" be able to lift up and off any oils left by finger prints?

I would avoid liquids as well. If you have a filter on the lens, then you can use anything and not threaten the lens. If you dont' have a filter on the lens, then clean the lens per above suggestions, and then:

 

Buy UV filter for lens.

 

Put filter on the camera.

 

Do not remove filter until 2016 - when child is 12+ years old.

If you try alcohol, avoid common rubbing alcohol. It often has additives that smear things around and leave residue.

My thinking is to not touch the actual lens surfaces unless absolutely necessary, which means using a high quality UV filter on the front of the lens. I only remove my "Haze" filter when taking long exposures.

 

Instead of re-using the same cloth again and again I prefer lens tissues and a professional lens cleaner. The different brands of tissue and cleaner do not mean much to me, I buy whatever seems to be reasonably priced. And I use an air compressor, wih a tank and two filters, to blow any loose particles off before using a tissue.

 

Scratching up a $60 filter hurts, but not nearly as much as scratching up a $1500 lens.

Hello Will, I would go with the microfibre and breath method. If there is stuff that doesn't come off, go with the isopropyl alcohol; IPA is a lot more forgiving than most other solvents.

 

I think the uv filter is not a bad idea, if your camera and son are going to be in close proximity for any amount of time (like the next 20 years! ! !). He's a nice looking boy.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Pete

A microfiber cloth is the first line of defense. They are quite remarkable in their ability to remove grease spots without the need for solvents.

 

If you need a solvent either a commercial lens cleaning product or pure alcohol (methanol, ethanol or isopropanol) are good (though note that methanol is toxic).

 

See http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/lens_filter_cleaning.html

1. Blow the dust of the surface of the lens.<br>

2. Use special microfiber cloth.<br>

3. Put a drop of lens cleaning liquid on the cloth.<br>

4. Start cleaning the lens surface starting in the middle and with a circular moves, end at the end of the lens ;)<br>

5. Polish the lens surface using clean, dry, unused piece of microfiber cloth.<br><br><br>

 

I don't use UV filter. Lens hoods protect front lens well.

***1. blow OFF :)

Zeiss Lens Cloths, premoistened with isopropyl alcohol. Fairly large box of them at Sam's Club for about $8. Leaves no visible residue. Single use only.

 

Work only small sections at a time, and use a clean area of the cloth with every gentle wipe. Don't press hard and don't swirl it around.

Scotch tape will lift off a fingerprint. Seriously...

Is there any way to clean a lens cloth, if you think it has too much dirt in it, from maybe

carrying it in my bag for too long.

Hmm - I would avoid breathing on the glass. Like using some other materials mentioned your breath may carry some residues (metabolic residues in the case of breath) that you will need to clean off as well. It might not seem likely, but some of the same things you can smell on someone's breath may also condense on your lens along with the vapour - ketones, aldehydes, even some oils. Stick with a professional cleaner and lens paper or microfiber.

Tim

I think the best way to clean a lens cloth, is to wash it by hand, in the sink, with a mild liquid dishwashing detergent. Let it air dry. When dry, put it in a sandwich bag and you're good to go....

Prevention is better than cure.

Get a UV filter - especially for photographing toddlers.

<p>One of the major drawbacks (complaints, cons or problems?) to microfiber cloth is that it leaves tiny fibers on the lens or filter. You can't even blow them off with pressured air. It's almost as if they're magnetized to the glass. (Perhaps they become charged -- like static cling -- and stay on.) They're not noticeable on any photos, but if you look through the lens when it's not attached to the camera, they are VERY noticeable -- and they refract A LOT of light. It's like looking at the Milky Way. So, your contrast will suffer. I'd suggest using a soft brush instead. Or a soft cloth (soft linen is fine) that doesn't shed. BUT the best advice I have is to IMMEDIATELY put a filter on the lens the second you take it out of the box. Only take off the rear cap when changing lenses and do it as fast as possible to keep dust from getting in. </p>