Rubbing Alcohol on Nikon Glass

[frankie_frank1]

<p>Will that damage the Nikon's coating?</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>Ethanol is fine for cleaning lenses, but I don't know what else may be in "rubbing alcohol".</p>

[bms]

<p>It may be ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, with any number of additives (perfumes, acetone) as far as I know..... probably not the best idea when lens cleaning fluid is fairly cheap.....</p>

[Rich B NYC]

<p>I don't recall where I read it, but "rubbing alcohol" has been said to contain a bit of mineral oil. Supposely this acts as a lubricant. Whether this is true or not I really don't know.<br>

What I do know is that I'd rather spend two bucks on some lens cleaning fluid rather than engage in some crap shoot regarding what's in a bottle of rubbing alcohol. I still have about half of the Kodak fluid that I bought over 20 years ago. Used properly (like 1-2 drops at a time) it's not exactly a big investment.</p>

[rick_donnelly]

<p>Don't use rubbing alcohol, which is isopropyl alcohol plus water plus various impurities which vary from brand to brand. It won't harm the glass, but it can leave film deposits behind which negate the cleaning. Your can buy pure isopropyl at most drug stores - ask the pharmacist - or better yet use a lens cleaning fluid.</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>Rubbing alcohol is based on isopropyl or ethyl alcohol, but has other incredients such as denaturants (methanol, pyridine, etc) and perhaps mineral oil. It is also fairly dilute (78% by volume in water), making it a poor solvent. In short, don't use rubbing alcohol - it won't work well and may harm the lens or leave a film.</p>

<p>You can get high-purity isopropyl alcohol in 91% strength from any pharmacy. You can also get pre-soaked pads (used for injection prep) which are easy to carry. It is a better germicide than 100% IPA. I find it evaporates too slowly, resulting in streaks and spots. IPA can be used for gross cleanup, but is not completely satisfactory.</p>

<p>You can also buy 100% methanol from most pharmacies. However it tends to contain formaldehyde and its polymer, paraldehyde as impurities, which leave a white deposit when it evaporates. Eclipse fluid is highly purified and very suitable for cleaning lenses which are already very clean. The trick (see below) is to keep the Eclipse fluid clean.</p>

<p>The best solution for streak-free cleaning I've found is sold by LensCrafters for cleaning plastic eyeglass lenses. It is mostly alcohol (methanol and ethanol ), has just the right viscosity, wets the lens thoroughly and dries quickly.</p>

<p>In any case, don't put it directly on the lens. Moisten a lens tissue and use it that way. Bunch up the tissue so you don't put pressure on the lens, and don't scrub it like a dirty pot. You want to lift away dirt, not scrub it off. Don't touch the wet part of the tissue, nor the part that will touch the lens. Skin oil is picked up by the alcohol and deposited on the lens, causing perpetual streaks. Methanol is notorious for this effect.</p>

[tri-x1]

<p>If you want to clean your lenses, a clean microfiber cloth will remove most lens smudges without any strong fluids. And it won't scratch the lens coating. I consider microfiber one of the most useful inventions of the past 50 years.</p>

[ramon_v__california_]

<p>i'd avoid wet cleaning as much as i can. microfiber (the good one sold at adorama) most of the time will do the job. i make it a habit to have it in my pocket on every shoot. excellent for my eyeglasses also. i think vodka is better than alcohol. regular rubbing alcohol will leave film or smudges on your lens.</p>

[mats nilson photography]

<p>I have no affiliation with them at all, so I'm not cunningly trying to advertise anything, but you really should try <a href="http://www.photoniccleaning.com/">First Contact</a>, expensive though it is. I actually haven't tried it myself, but it seems to be identical to a product by the name of Opticlean which I've been using for many years, but which seems to be discontinued. While it does contain ethanol as well as acetone and some other organic solvent, it's harmless to glass and coatings - but obviously extremely harmful for plastics! It works by dissolving any soluble stuff, (such as the grease from finger prints) and incorporating that along with any solid particles (such as dust and sand) into a polymer. Once it has cured, it can be lifted off, leaving an absolutely pristine surface. Best of all: you don't wipe anything over the surface, meaning that you don't grind those grains of sand into the optical surface, like you do with a cloth. Sounds scary, but I've never tried anything remotely as effective and never had the least bit of a problem.</p>

[alex_lofquist]

<p>Some years ago while I was in Nairobi, I needed to clean the optics on my Nikon F4S. I asked at one of the local "chemists" for rubbing alcohol, but they didn't understand what I wanted. Eventually they decided that I needed "spirits" which was available there. Well when I got back to my hotel, and began cleaning, I noticed that it left a film over everything. Apon closer examination I detected the aroma of oil of wintergreen. What a mess! Somewhere I was able to find unadulterated isopropyl alcohol which did take care of the situation. <br>

Another cleaning agent is ROR (residual oil remover).</p>

[nsfbr]

<p>I find the lenspen the best way to keep lenses clean apart from blasting them with clean air. I find that the sensor version is also quite good at cleaning sensors that require more than a blast of air.</p>

[jose_perez3]

<p>I have always used Nikon Moist Lens Cleaner Cloths (#8175) on any smudges/smears that a mircofiber cleaning cloth won't handle. The Nikon moist lens cleaning clothes (they are really a form of paper 5 in. x 6 in.) are individually wrapped and come in a pack of 21 for just under $5. The box says they contain Isopropanol. They are nice because you can throw a few in a photo bag, glove compartment or even your pocket and not have to worry about lugging around a bottle of solvent. They are sealed so they won't evaporate. I think Nikon should know what chemical to use on their lenses so as to not damage the lens coatings. I've had good luck with them.</p>

[arthuryeo]

<p>I would not even think about using anything to clean expensive lenses except liquids that are made by reputable manufacturers such as Zeiss and the like.</p>

 

[michel_poirier]

<p>If you use high quality & pure isopropyl alcohol, it should be good.<br />isopropyl alcohol is the recommended cleaner to be used on fiber optic before splicing because it evaporates completely leaving absolutely no residue.</p>

[osfania]

<p>I have used the pre-packaged Zeiss towelettes. They do not leave any residue that I can find. A box of them sells at Wal-Mart for under $4 and should last you months. The Zeiss towelettes are relatively dry, not loaded down with solution, so you need to use them expiditiously, but the drying time is equally as fast.</p>