Cleaning your lens

[david_lau4]

Was wondering how people clean there gear espcially Lens. What tools and brands you guys endorse. I

have been looking and trying things all my life and cant seem a product thats all that good.

[mendel_leisk]

I've found a Lens Cleaner supplied by my optometrist, described as being "For Anti-Reflective lenses", works well with filters, better than isopropyl alchohol: streak-free results. I always keep a UV on all my lens, so haven't had to clean actual lens. The name is "Proteckt Lens Cleaner", is just a local product I think, no web hits.

[bruce_margolis]

Here are a couple articles about cleaning that may be helpful.....

 

http://www.picturecorrect.com/photographytips/cleaning_dust_digital_camera_sensor.htm

 

 

http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm

[mendel_leisk]

Both of the above links are devoted 100% to sensor cleaning, nothing on lens cleaning. Interesting and informative still, but just save anyone the time of going through it.

[mendel_leisk]

Pec Pads with Ecclipse fluid? Here's the main page:

 

http://www.photosol.com/

[philg]

This is covered in http://www.photo.net/learn/ (bottom left of the page).

[yann1]

The best would be to always keep a filter on the lens and then never clean it, the less you touch it, the better it is.

Kodak has a good product available, I blow the lens first then use Kodak fluid with a special paper.

[leicaglow]

I agree with Yann, but only put the cleaner on the lens tissue or microfiber cloth and not on the lens. I often wonder how much lens fungus is the result of improper cleaning.

[matthew_newton]

I use lens cleaner and a clean dry tee shirt or rag (again clean and soft). If I don't have any lens cleaner laying around I will just fog the lens with my breath and lightly rub it with a clean cotton shirt or rag. As a couple of people mentioned I try not to do this when I can.

 

If I were (happened once) get abrasive material on the lens I would blow it off the best I can and then use a lens brush to attempt to clean it off before lightly cleaning with lens cleaner and a cloth. Generally in situations like this a filter stays on the lens...but once when I was at a dune beach I didn't have any filters handy since I just grabbed my camera and lept into my in-laws boat last minute without my camera bag...so I only had the camera, roll of film in it, 50mm f/1.8 lens, and the lens cap with me. Still managed to get some good pictures...but I took me about 5 minutes of being careful later to clean the lens of blown sand (no damage to the lens and I have a spare letter model 50mm f1/.8 zuiko lens for my OM-1 in case I damage it).

[edward_karaa1]

I get best results from Zeiss Lens Cleaner combined with the special lens cleaning cloth from the same company. I never wash the cloth, just throw it away when it's dirty, and get a new one.

[david_lau4]

I have discovered Rosco, its amazing!!