Best way to clean lenses

[I Simonius]

I have seen written elsewhere that it is advisable to use lint free cloths in preference to lens tissues to clean lenses, but no explanations

Can anyone explain why and what the best ones are?

And how best to clean say a fingerprint off the lens ( or off the filter if there is one being used)


Thanks :D

[summerwind4]

i seldom have to clean the front elements, but when i do, i use formula MC and a brand new microfiber cloth...........i do not reuse the cloth either, i just purchase a new one (actually i buy several at a time) as they aren't that expensive.
for a smudge like a fingerprint, i'l try a light fogging and then the cloth. that usually does the trick.
although, the last time i had to clean a print was when training the wife and son how to use the cameras..............at that time i had a minolta S414 and didn't really care much about it.

[Reminisce]

I use Lenspen, best cleaning solution I ever used. You can order them at www.lenspen.com or find them at your nearest Best Buy or Wolf Camera. They have them there under different brand names (ie. Quantaray at Wolf Camera)

[SkipD]

I would NEVER use anything to clean a lens that puts the same surface on the lens more than once. Thus, I use ordinary lens tissue - typically Kodak brand - and a little lens cleaning fluid. I use this method only if a squeeze-bulb blower didn't do the job adequately. One time in ten do I need to pull out the lens tissue and fluid.

[gasrocks]

Yes, lenspen is worth getting. I also use it for wiping the sensor clean. Most people tell you not to use an liquid - always the chance you put too much directly on the lens and it seeps inside. Tissues (in general) are a little rougher and some won't use those. I carry a piece of an old 100% cotton t-shirt, well worn, well washed. Works well on lenses and camera bodies and my self (actually I carry 3 peices: diff sizes and diff colors so I won't use the lens cloth on the body and won't use the body one to wipe my face, etc.) Microfiber cloths are also great. Have one of those with you.

[Andrew Pratt]

I just use the soft fabric that came with my glasses as I usually have it on hand and I know its designed for cleaning glass.

[ttmatsu]

Microfiber cloth - as the last poster wrote - usually comes with your glasses from the optician or optometrist. Costco sells them along with lens cleaner at the optician counter. With the super coated filters, lens tissue tends to just spread oil or smudges. Anything than can't be blown off usually just requires a quick wipe from the microfiber cloth. BTW, they are meant to be reused over and over and as anyone that wears glasses can tell you, last a long time before washing is required so the person that uses it just once and throws it away is going way overboard.

[drisley]

I find the lenspen to work tremedously.
But, I have to admit, I often wonder if there is a chance of micro abrasions with it...
As far as other solutions, ROR fluid used with pec pads is a great choice, one of the best.
I have these items too, but I find the lenspen to be so fast and convenient I use it most.

[I Simonius]

I find the lenspen to work tremedously.
But, I have to admit, I often wonder if there is a chance of micro abrasions with it...
As far as other solutions, ROR fluid used with pec pads is a great choice, one of the best.
I have these items too, but I find the lenspen to be so fast and convenient I use it most.

Micro abrasions is my worry with lens tissues

[drisley]

Check this out!
I was reading online about this liquid that you paint on your lens, and then it dries, and you "peel" it off! Apparently it works amazingly well.
OPTI-CLEAN (http://www.dhinds.co.uk/pages/fullProd.php?id=424)

Has anybody here tried this before?
According to some astronomers, this stuff leaves the lens "atomically clean".
However, I think you can only buy it in Britain at the moment.

[FScott]

Check this out!
I was reading online about this liquid that you paint on your lens, and then it dries, and you "peel" it off! Apparently it works amazingly well.
OPTI-CLEAN (http://www.dhinds.co.uk/pages/fullProd.php?id=424)

Has anybody here tried this before?
According to some astronomers, this stuff leaves the lens "atomically clean".
However, I think you can only buy it in Britain at the moment.

Wow! That's wierd stuff. It is advertised as "the polymer system used for cleaning silicon wafers". Hmmm last I remember cleaning silicon wafers involves: hydroflouric acid dip, acetone wash, DI wash, Methanol wash. That would not be good for a camera lens as the HF will etch the glass and the aceotone will dissolve the coatings. Anyone brave enough to try the "polymer system"? Let me know how it works out...

p.s. If I really have to clean a lens I do the following in order stopping with the one that works. Mostly I leave the front surface alone:

1. Zeiss lens brush
2. microfiber cloth and breath
3. lenspen
4. Zeiss lens cleaning solution and microfiber cloth

-- Scott.

[drisley]

It is BASED on the system used to clean silicon wafers. It's not necessarily the same chemically .

I found out about this in an astronomers' forum, and people have been raving about it there.
I can't imagine camera lenses being any more fragile than what is used in telescopes. In fact, if you think photographers are finicky about their lenses, it's nothing compared to these guys :) And actually, they also talk about how in fact lenses are no where near as fragile as we may think. One guy used a dremel to etch a figure on a lens as a test, and he said it took a LOT of force before he could even scratch the surface.

"The optics cleaner has been reviewed in many professional and amateur journals with universal acclaim. Caliope has made the polymer cleaning system available since 1989. In this time it has won many awards including 'Best Photographic Accessory' several times from Practical Photography magazine. Most major photographic manufacturers endorse, implicitly or explicitly, the lens cleaner with their products."

The other cool thing is that if you don't plan on using your lens for a while, you can leave the coating on to protect the lens for many months.
If I could buy some here, I wouldn't hesitate to get some.

[drisley]

Oh, and as somebody else somewhere stated, opti-clean really probably is overkill.
I just found it rather interesting.

[Tom W]

I guess I'm old-fashioned. I use a drop of ordinary lens-cleaning solution on a NON-SILICON lint-free lens tissue. I discard the tissues after each use. But before I clean the lens, I use the rocket blower and a brush to remove all abrasive dust and dirt that is on the front of the lens. Otherwise, you'll rub that dirt against the glass and you will get scratches.

[drisley]

Tom, I think that is probably the easiest, and best all round solution.
Are Pec Pads non-silicon lint free?

[Tom W]

Yes, pec-pads are non-silicon and lint-free. Probably more lint-free than the KimWipes I use for the lenses, but a good deal more expensive as well. I got a boatload of them when I got the CopperHill sensor cleaning kit, which I've only had to use once.

[FScott]

I think you all mean "silicone-free" not silicon-free. Silicon is an element and SiO2 is what many types of glass are made of. Silicone is a polymer used in adhesives, cleaning solutions, and ummm implants. You don't want it in your cleaning solution as it leaves a residue and emits Volatiles. Pec pads are advertised as 99.9999% contaminant free. That's 1 ppm of "non-wipe" material which is okay as long as that 1 ppm isn't sand. I love marketing talk. They are nice wipes though...

p.s. I stand corrected on the opti-clean stuff although I still don't see how it has anything to do with silicon wafer cleaning.

-- Scott.