Lens tissues vs lens cloth? And which blower?

[FatCat0]

I'm making a little lens cleaning kit and there seems to be a fairly large camp that only uses lens tissues, one pass and toss. It seems like a decent enough idea, but the only lens tissues I've been able to find are these:
http://www.adorama.com/KKLCT.html

Pricewise they're perfect, and reviews on non-adorama sites seem very good, but if anyone has any experience with them it would be nice to hear before I click the buy button and end up with 250 pieces of streak-making, falling apart paper =P

Also I've heard some considerably varying views about blowers. Some people insist on rocket blowers, others say they start to break down and cause issues, and I've heard a number of votes for third party ones like this
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/97690-REG/General_Brand_NPHBB_Hurricane_Blower.html#reviews

Input is, again, appreciated

[Hogloff]

I just put a couple of ShamWow towels into my pack and use them to clean lenses and dry the camera if it gets wet. Nothing special, nothing fancy.

[jubu]

I use the Kinwipes Kimwipes from B&H...non-abrasive and when used with ROR cleaner, gets my lenses and filters sparkling clean. Some people don't like the Kimwipes and some do...

I prefer one use and throw away as opposed to using something over and over again on the glass.

[FatCat0]

Cool, I think I'll try the kimwipes.

What about the blower? Any suggestions? Or at least suggestions of what to stay away from?

Thanks =)

[DANATTHEROCK]

I like the little 100 packs of Hakuba (msp?) papers from B&H. I also keep a few microfiber cloths around for light work/dust. For blowers, the Giottos is tops in my opinion. I like the smaller of the two offerings myself.

[Lowner]

I use both tissues and microfibre cloths. I don't use either very frequently.

Unlike others, I always use compressed air, in particular the Kenair Air Duster.

[Ralph Merlino]

Kimwipes and Kodak lens cleaner is all
I have used for many years.

[r.morales]

Kodak lens cleaner [ dry ] If moisture , rain whatever micro fiber .
I cut the micro fiber into strips and fold , then roll .
When using I only use one side fold dirty side , use clean side and toss weither cloth or tissue
I either fog lens / filter with breath or I spray lens cleaning solution on paper / micro fiber .
Unlike most people I have a large rocket blower and a mini . The large I squeeze out air , then use like a vaccum around edges of lens / filter . I don't need to blow stuff into either . Then I use small one to blow off stuff .
BTW - I clean my hands with a clean cotton sock before starting . The sock sucks up some of the fingerprint oil .

[Bearmann]

There have been some reports of some blowers not being clean inside or perhaps getting flaky as they age. The Giottos blowers have a good reputation and I've never had any issues with mine.

[snatiep]

For my lens (filter) cleaning I use these:http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=324674

Very easy to throw in your camera case and ready to use!

[r.morales]

I checked , says item not avaible . No sams within 25 miles of me . I'll check wallmart . thanks

[SkipD]

I'm making a little lens cleaning kit and there seems to be a fairly large camp that only uses lens tissues, one pass and toss. It seems like a decent enough idea, but the only lens tissues I've been able to find are these: http://www.adorama.com/KKLCT.html

Pricewise they're perfect, and reviews on non-adorama sites seem very good, but if anyone has any experience with them it would be nice to hear before I click the buy button and end up with 250 pieces of streak-making, falling apart paper =PThe Tiffen lens tissues are identical in every way (except the brand name on the packaging) to the old Kodak lens tissues. I'm not sure who makes them, but the Kodak lens tissues sold ten years ago or so have virtually identical printing (except for the brand name) on the packages as the current Tiffen product.

I've used Kodak lens tissues ever since I got started in photography back in the mid 1960s. The external glass surfaces in my 40-year-old lenses is nearly pristine. I have always followed a fairly strict procedure for cleaning my lenses, and it may be interesting to you so here it is:

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A squeeze-bulb blower such as a Rocket Blower by Giottos, quality lens tissue (such as that sold by Kodak and now Tiffen), a good lens cleaning fluid, and PROPER TECHNIQUE is the way that I have cleaned my lenses for decades.

What is "proper technique"?

First - the goal is to clean the lens (or filter - I would use the very same process) without grinding any dirt/debris into the lens. To me, this absolutely dictates single-use surfaces for anything that touches the lens. That's why I use lens tissues instead of a washable cloth or - particularly - something like a lens pen.

Here are the steps that I use to clean a lens:

1. Use a squeeze-bulb blower to blow any loose dust off the lens. 90% of the time, step 1 is all that is necessary.

2. Take a lens tissue out of the pack. Fold it once, holding only what was the ends of the tissue. You want to be extremely careful to NEVER TOUCH the areas of the lens tissue that will be touching the lens. This will avoid transferring oils from your fingers to the lens.

3. Moisten the folded portion of the lens tissue with a little lens cleaner. You don't want the tissue dripping wet, but it must be damp.
CAUTION: NEVER apply lens cleaner directly to the lens (though it won’t hurt a filter, you don’t want liquid leaking into the lens’ innards).

4. Wipe LIGHTLY across the lens ONCE with the damp tissue. Then either turn it over or fold it so that you can wipe again, but with an unused surface. You can do this as often as needed, as long as you never wipe the lens twice with any surface of the tissue. This prevents scratches. Again, make sure you never touch an area of the tissue that will touch the lens.

5. Ensuring that the lens is actually clean, use a dry tissue, handled the same way as above, to wipe the lens dry. Since you have already removed the dirt, there's no risk of scratching the lens with the dry tissue.

6. Dispose of the used lens tissues in a proper trash receptacle.

That's it in a nutshell. Simple and effective. I've been cleaning my lenses this way for over 40 years, and all of them have pristine glass (and none have ever worn "protective" filters).

[Wilt]

I gotta wonder about Kimwipes... I have spent hundreds of hours in labs in college, and had my share of hours with head colds where I used Kimwipes to blow my nose. Horridly abrasive to the skin, so I wonder what they do to the coatings of lenses, too. Ever look at college microscope eyepieces after they have been in use for a while with students wiping with Kimwipes?!

[PMode]

Ive found lens pens and rocket blower to be a great alternative to the tissues and cleaner.

[r.morales]

If you use a lens pen , after using cut off the part used . To me they are best used to clean camera of dust , not the lens / filter . A lens pen gets into tight places and seems not to hurt paint finish on camera .
I don't like putting a dusty camera in bag where stuff can float around .

[PMode]

If you use a lens pen , after using cut off the part used . To me they are best used to clean camera of dust , not the lens / filter . A lens pen gets into tight places and seems not to hurt paint finish on camera .
I don't like putting a dusty camera in bag where stuff can float around .

Im not sure what you would cut off a lens pen. The brush is used to loosten the dust and the blower blast it away. The other end cleans of finger prints and is reusable. The lid to the pen is turned to rejuvenate the cleaning end. They are also great for the LCD.

[r.morales]

I cut the brush end .
I went to a demo thingee at the Mac show 4 or 5 years ago . They were demo-ing monitor wipes and sprinkled some kind of black power on a screen ,
They used a lens pen and then showed a monitor wipe after wiping lens pen . It had [ lens pen ] the black powder on wipe and they said you have to cut off bricelles to get off dirt .

[PMode]

I cut the brush end .
I went to a demo thingee at the Mac show 4 or 5 years ago . They were demo-ing monitor wipes and sprinkled some kind of black power on a screen ,
They used a lens pen and then showed a monitor wipe after wiping lens pen . It had [ lens pen ] the black powder on wipe and they said you have to cut off bricelles to get off dirt .

That is not a lens pen for cameras. A lens pen eliminates the need for cleaners and wipes. The brush removes the large dust and the other end cleans the lens with a dry cleaner. It looks like a big marker you can keep in your pocket.

http://www.lenspen.com/media/components/store/products/product_lp_lrg.jpg