Cleaning a circular polarizer

[tomsky]

Hi, I'm revelling in my D20 purchase but have a problem with marks on my polarizer filter. At first I tried to clean it using lens cleaning fluid on a tiny cooton bud/swab, but this seems to have made it worse. I have tried using the swab and water only but this seems to leave residual marks behind. Have I dmaged the polarizer using the fluid cleaner? Would a lens pen work? Any and all suggestions heartely welcomed.:p

[lancea]

It can be really tough to get a filter squeeky clean. I use Lenspens, and they do a pretty good job. There's always streaks remaining but I don't think they matter. I never use cotton with cleaning fluid. Always use tissues. If I get a fingerprint on a filter and I have fluid at hand, I'd always use that first to clean off the oil, then finish off with a Lenspen.

[SkipD]

Get yourself a pack of lens tissue. Just don't handle it in a way that transfers the oils from your fingers to the lens or filter that you're cleaning. You will appreciate the greater surface area provided by a tissue over a Q-Tip sized swab. You can also use the tissue with different areas of it for subsequent passes so that you aren't just pushing the offending material around the lens or filter, but in fact are removing the material.

Use the lens tissue with an appropriate lens cleaning fluid, and it should be very easy to get the surfaces perfectly clean - no streaks whatever. I've done it for many years using essentially the same type of supplies. I don't need any of the new-fangled cleaning gadgets.

For cleaning dust off a lens or filter, I just use a large squeeze-bulb blower. No contact with the glass is normally needed.

[tomsky]

Many thanks lancea & SkipD, I have managed to get the vast majority of the stains off using the tissue paper and a micro-fibre cloth - took some time but gradually (thankfully) it got better. Phew, what a relief! Good, now I can go out with my camera & enjoy some Scottish weather! :lol:

[lancea]

Glad you got it cleaned up. Not sure what it is about filters, but they attract my fingers - especially when brand new :)

[tomsky]

I'm finding that out too! Thanks again.:D

[felix21685]

tom lets see some of those pics u took today :)