G10 lens cleaning

[mrgoner]

I bought a new G10 for my trip to South East Asia. I love love love it--maximum quality & control for a compact that fits my style of travel. Within a couple weeks of use & passing it around to people to take group shots, etc, I discovered a thumbprint on the lens. Being somewhat compulsive about image quality, I decided to clean it, using a chamois that was moistened on one corner and dry on another.

I got rid of the print, however there is a bit of residual smudging around the edge of the lens. Since then, a cursory search on the internet has shown that I probably should have let it be, given the sensitive coating on the lens.

I am currently in Thailand, and I want to take the best photos possible. It is probably possible to suss out a Canon servicer somewhere during my trip--I am trying to ascertain whether I may have adversely affected the lens in my cleaning attempt, ie. should I try to get it serviced. Besides the small residual smudging, I think the lens looks fine--clear and certainly not scratched (I have an iPhone; I'm used to searching for scratching). Can anyone comment as to whether it's possible to superficially check for any lens damage/diagnose picture quality?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Streetshooter]

Man oh' man...I'll probably get shot for this but.....

I use a Kodak lens tissue...then I breathe on the lens and clean it....never had a problem....

[tgara]

Gee, I thought I was compulsive! :)

Seriously, I doubt you scratched your lens with the chamois. As long as you use a soft cloth and a light cleaner, you should be fine. I keep a microfiber cloth in my camera bag at all times. I use it to clean my lenses, viewfinders, and my eyeglasses and sunglasses, and its never scratched.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/119394-REG/Microstar_81007_Micro_Fiber_Cleaning_Cloth.html

I'll also use a LensPen. It works great.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/504331-REG/Lenspen_LENMCP1_MicroPro_Lens_Pen_Model_.html

Good luck!