cleaning L lens

Hi, anyone knows how to safely clean ef 300 l usm non is front element? I don't intend to clean it regularly but it came with small finger print on it. The seller company told me I should use authorised service to clean it and shouldn't do it myself (like they know me..XD). Since I am not sending the lens back and there are only few authorised serivces where I live, does anyone have experience with cleaning this type of lens? I assume decades ago there were no lenspens and alcohol based tissues. Thanks for the reply!

If you have a local camera store they should have some cleaning fluid that is safe for camera lenses along with the lens cloths. For me 90% of the time a microfiber lens cloth does the trick.

Don’t overthink it. Get some Isopropyl Alcohol and a microfiber cloth and you’ll be good to go.

eddieb1 wrote in post #19515374
Don’t overthink it. Get some Isopropyl Alcohol and a microfiber cloth and you’ll be good to go.

Agree with eddieb1. The optical coatings on the lens surface are pretty tough, and isopropyl alcohol will evaporate without leaving any residue.

If you’re still concerned, a company called Photosol (Photographic Solutions) makes a product called Eclipse, which is a highly purified isopropyl alcohol. They also sell non-abrasive cleaning pads called Pec Pads. Both are available at well-stocked camera shops, and online.

For cleaning lenses I used to use Kodak lens cleaning tissues (now Tiffen branded) wetted with Kodak lens cleaning fluid (which I don’t think is sold anymore … but I have a large bottle of it).

Now I just use a pre-moistened Zeiss lens wipe, where the tissue is similar to the Kodak/Tiffen one but soaked in a lens cleaning solution. 120 wipes for $7.49 at B&H.

I like using the disposable wipes more than using isopropanol with a microfibre cloth. We always have a big box of them handy since everyone in my family wears glasses.

be careful cleaning the lens. don't overdo it. some lenses have soft coatings like the 24-70L II. very easy to damage.

I have found that by just breathing lightly on the front element and then wiping it with a micro fiber cloth gets the lens clean quickly and easily. Don't have to scrub or soak the lens. For the few really old lenses I have picked up (mostly for old film cameras) that have been abused, I have some 99.9% isopropyl and I just wet the micro fiber and clean it that way.

Thanks for the replies! The repair service also advised regular cleaning kit on the front element.