What Works Best to Clean My Lens

[cargo123]

I just got a 67 UV filter for my 17-85 Lens. I noticed there is a thumb print on the lens. What is the best method for cleaning it. I try to just use an air sprayer for the dust part. Is this dangerous?

[robertwgross]

The standard approach is to buy a lens cleaning kit. They go for ten bucks at any camera shop.

Typically, they include a small bottle of lens cleaner solution, a blower-brush, a piece of soft cloth, and some lens tissue.

---Bob Gross---

[tim]

I use a microfibre cloth I bought from a place that sells glasses, and I just got a lens pen that works really well.

[kawter2]

anybody get a slight film that is hard to get off? I have the whole giottos kit and also the kodak lens spray stuff, and man sometimes it just feels like you are just moving it arround

[robertwgross]

anybody get a slight film that is hard to get off?

What are we talking about here, road tar?

---Bob Gross---

[kawter2]

What are we talking about here, road tar?

---Bob Gross---


nope, not road tar. It is a slight haze, mostly purple & blueish

[robertwgross]

You might want to be careful there.

Virtually any lens coating material, which tends to be on the inside surfaces of the glass, has a natural appearance of brown, purple, or blue. This tends to be Magnesium Fluoride.

If you scrape off something that is supposed to be on the lens, you have a problem.

Typically, you have left some body oil from sweat on the outer surface, so cleaning it off with something non-aggressive should do it. Did you try lens cleaning solution?

I saw a Nikon shooter with a rather expensive f/2.8 lens, and he had let something get on the front element of it, and then he tried to clean it off. It permanently damaged the lens. You have been warned.

---Bob Gross---

[ron chappel]

Any kind of gentle cleaning with normal cleaners is harmless to your lens coating,but just be carefull-as Bob points out there is potential to do expensive damage if something abrasive or strongly chemical is rubbed around.

If you have something that seems to be just moving around then there is most likely one of two possibilites.-
Alot of cleaning fluids will leave marks if left on too long-you must wipe most of it away before it evaporates.
Judging by the cleaning fliuds on the market there seem to be several theories about what is the best cleaning fluid-one that evaporates slowly to give you a good chance to wipe it across the lens surface or one that evaporates so quickly that it won't leave marks.In practice both are ok,it's more how they are used that makes the most difference
If there is some kind of oil/grease on the glass then the best way is to use a NEW peice of lens paper/cloth each time (*this is important!*).It's allmost impossible to get some substances in one go-only abit will come off each time.

[Tom W]

"If there is some kind of oil/grease on the glass then the best way is to use a NEW peice of lens paper/cloth each time (*this is important!*).It's allmost impossible to get some substances in one go-only abit will come off each time."

Good advice, Ron. I tend to use tissues rather than a cloth for this reason - use them once, and toss 'em. I'm not sure what to do with the microfiber cloth once it gets dirty from multiple uses.

[HJMinard]

I haven't used it, but in a previous forum thread many members were raving about the ability of this stuff (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=64495&is=REG) to completely remove any residue.

[Mr. Pickles]

A Dremel Tool will get anything off your lens or filter. Rubbing Compound of the white cotton tip works, and for stubborn areas, the sandpaper discs work well.

HEY, I WAS KIDDING...........

[PhotosGuy]

Don't put the liquid on the lens - put a drop on the tissue first, then wipe the lens.

[Tom W]

I haven't used it, but in a previous forum thread many members were raving about the ability of this stuff (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=64495&is=REG) to completely remove any residue.

""Although invisible to the naked eye, when removed from the lens it provides a remarkable change and a significant light entry increase (up to 3/4 of an f-stop, in most cases).""

I'm a bit skeptical of their claim of "up to 3/4 of an f-stop". That would be a pretty significant amount of residue.

[ron chappel]

I tend to use tissues rather than a cloth for this reason - use them once, and toss 'em. I'm not sure what to do with the microfiber cloth once it gets dirty from multiple uses.

Yes ,well said. Microfibre cloths are great for quick wipes,etc but for any serious gunk removal one quickly uses up the cloth.
Photos' guy also says something that i don't think had been mentioned yet-allways apply the liquid to the paper/cloth,not the lens

[mjordan]

I bought the ROR (Risidual Oil Remover) from B&H that was talked about in another thread and it works as good as advertised. I use it on my lenses, filters, glasses and even some glass items I was taking pictures of. The only thing that wasn't mentioned until I read the label was that you can't use it with a micro fiber cloth. So I use a good quality lens tissue when I need to use the ROR and just use a micro fiber cloth to touch up at other times when a brush won't remove the dust particals. You are suppose to be able to just wash in water a micro fiber cloth to clean it. But I don't use mine to clean off actual particals (that's what a brush or blower is for) and just use it for the occasional residue that gets on it. I'm still on the first one of several that I bought last year.

Mike

[Reminisce]

Lenspen is one of the best things i've ever bought for my camera. They sell them from different brands at various camera stores, including Wolf and Ritz. Or you can buy them online, they work better than any lens cleaning kit I ever used, I have 2 now... one for home and one in my camera bag.

www.lenspen.com

[robertwgross]

If you read through this thread, you will see that all of the advice converges.

First, you take a light blower brush to the lens and see if that knocks off any dust.

If that doesn't work, then you can flick it with a microfiber cloth or lens tissue.

If that doesn't work, and if it is an oily thing like a drop of dried sweat, then you go after it with something that will dissolve it, like an alcohol or lens cleaner solution. One drop of lens cleaner on a lens tissue will get most problems. If you can't get it off in a minute, then there is something serious going on. Maybe road tar.

The idea is to abrade the lens surface as little as possible. It will stand up to most normal things, like a little soft clothing brushing up against it, but if you scrub away at it, something bad may happen. I saw that one very ugly-looking Nikon f/2.8 lens that had been screwed up, and that made me a believer.

---Bob Gross---

[drisley]

As HJMinard mentioned, ROR is extremely good!
Get a pack of PEC PADS (say that many times fast), and you are in business.
Do not use microfibre towels with ROR. I'm not sure why, but it explicitly states this on the bottle of ROR.