For SERIOUS L Collectors' Eyes Only !

I picked up one of those kits from Copper Hill and they work great - it's got some sort of cleaning solution and a pad with a bunch of cleaning papers - and a cloth and lipstick-brush - all rolled up in a little container.

But honestly, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Keep a lens hood on and if you're shooting in rough environments use a filter or something.

I've never had to clean my backside, ...

But I would use a lenspen without hesitation.
I just read Doc Frankenstein post re: scratching his lens (rear element) with a lens pen.

IMHO, the lens pen does not do the scratching, but as with ANY lens cleaning aparatus other than a blower, if a piece of dust or grit that is hard enough gets into the mix, it most certainly can result in a scratch.

I think the Good Doctors logic is not without reason though, the lens pen is a re-useable apparatus, unlike most disposeable cloths/tissues, and thus is perhaps more likely to eventually be "infected" with some outside grit that may be hazardous.

That said, I once thought I had destroyed the precious 200mm with eclipse and pec pads, they left a residue that looked for all the world like a bunch odf scratches. the lens pen was what saved the day cleaning it all.

For a liquid cleaner, I despise eclipse, and far prefer "ROR" (residual Oil remover)

Petkal wrote in post #2119030
What type (brand) of cleaning lenspens do you use on your precious lenses, and what is your experience (tips) with it ?

Gun oil and a brass brush, same as the rest of my shooting gear.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #2121485
I've never had to clean my backside, ...

But I would use a lenspen without hesitation.
I just read Doc Frankenstein post re: scratching his lens (rear element) with a lens pen.

IMHO, the lens pen does not do the scratching, but as with ANY lens cleaning aparatus other than a blower, if a piece of dust or grit that is hard enough gets into the mix, it most certainly can result in a scratch.

I think the Good Doctors logic is not without reason though, the lens pen is a re-useable apparatus, unlike most disposeable cloths/tissues, and thus is perhaps more likely to eventually be "infected" with some outside grit that may be hazardous.

That said, I once thought I had destroyed the precious 200mm with eclipse and pec pads, they left a residue that looked for all the world like a bunch odf scratches. the lens pen was what saved the day cleaning it all.

For a liquid cleaner, I despise eclipse, and far prefer "ROR" (residual Oil remover)

Oh my oh my, Jake, I wish I could have witnessed that.
Yeah, cleaning the rear glass element which is deeply recessed in the telephotos seems like a bit of a challenge. One time use lenspen is perhaps the answer for critical applications.

Peter -- Thanks for starting this thread -- it has made my week!

I'm sure that you have a special cleaning fluid made of duck and seagull poop somewhere... and guarding the formula with your life!

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #2121485
That said, I once thought I had destroyed the precious 200mm with eclipse and pec pads, they left a residue that looked for all the world like a bunch odf scratches. the lens pen was what saved the day cleaning it all.

Sounds like my tale of the 70-300 IS. The Eclipse left a residue that looked like the coating actually coming apart, just like eyeglasses which have been used for far too long and not cleaned properly. I've seen it before on my lesser glasses and I was horrified.

Breathing onto it (bad breath) and microfiber saved me the embarassment of explaining what really happened to Canon's service folks....

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #2121485
I've never had to clean my backside, ...

?

I'd say this has left me speechless, but really it's because I'm laughing so hard I can't speak!

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #2121485
I've never had to clean my backside, ...

Racing Stripes!!!

Ronald S. Jr. wrote in post #2119132
I simply use pec pads and eclipse. It's always worked for me. Never messy, not hard to carry.

Ouch!

Why would you clean your lenses and lose that added creative effect?

Brillo pads and Josephine's Comet.

BTW, do you think Pekka ever envisioned when creating this forum that it'd be used by such a bunch of people with so many screws loose?

mark

Misery loves company.

Aw right, time to bring what could be a very enlightening thread into a serious vein for a moment.

I'm known at work and home as: "Don't touch my screen," referring to my notebooks' screens. I'm so anal on that topic that it's become a joke to all around me. I cringe when I see people pointing their phalanges right into their soft LCD screens. Heck, I forbid my cleaning lady from cleaning my plasma TV and my other LCD TVs.

One time, when my kids were younger (and my hair was a nice dark brown) I was sitting in a hallway of a school while my then 10 year old daughter (now 17 and driving, and driving my wife and me crazy) was practicing with her basketball team. I was doing work on my laptop, when a woman walked up to me laughing.

She said to me, "I just said to your daughter, 'is that your dad outside working on that computer? It's very nice.'"

She tells me my daughter said to her, "Oh, yes, it is. And you can feel free to go over and look at it, but whatever you do, don't touch the screen,'" and the woman walked away laughing.

let me bring this back around to the thread. I never, ever touch my elements on my lenses and will almost emasculate anyone who attempts to. Therefore, I very rarely, if ever, need to clean my lenses.

mark

Wow, what a thread I've missed here in the last day and a half. You guys are too funny.

But I'm having a personal crisis now....am I a mere collector of expensive gear only taking vacuous but sharp photographs of batteries and ducks? Are the photos on my SmugMug site complete garbage? And if so, btw, SmugMug owes me a BIG refund. Am I not making any headway into the inner sanctum of good or even passable photgraphers? Do I delude myself with thoughts of being anything more than a hack? Does my wife tell me she likes my photographs only so she can go buy expensive Italian shoes she'll wear twice in her life? Where do I stand in the grand POTN universe? Will Condyk respect me in the morning? I feel so insecure now. Sheesh, after all these years I think it may be time to revisit my analyst....I may need to go back on the meds. Maybe a brief spell at the sanatorium.....I.....J​ust....can....not....h​andle....the....inner-turmoil and angst!

But in all seriousness (sorry) I find the rocket blower handles 96.375% of my lens cleaning needs. Beyond that, a hot breath and a Kodak tissue or Pec-Pad handle about everything else. And if all else fails I find that pure grain alcohol helps............prefe​rably mixed with orange or grapefruit juice.

MDJAK wrote in post #2122710
Aw right, time to bring what could be a very enlightening thread into a serious vein for a moment.

I'm known at work and home as: "Don't touch my screen," referring to my notebooks' screens. I'm so anal on that topic that it's become a joke to all around me. I cringe when I see people pointing their phalanges right into their soft LCD screens. Heck, I forbid my cleaning lady from cleaning my plasma TV and my other LCD TVs.

One time, when my kids were younger (and my hair was a nice dark brown) I was sitting in a hallway of a school while my then 10 year old daughter (now 17 and driving, and driving my wife and me crazy) was practicing with her basketball team. I was doing work on my laptop, when a woman walked up to me laughing.

She said to me, "I just said to your daughter, 'is that your dad outside working on that computer? It's very nice.'"

She tells me my daughter said to her, "Oh, yes, it is. And you can feel free to go over and look at it, but whatever you do, don't touch the screen,'" and the woman walked away laughing.

let me bring this back around to the thread. I never, ever touch my elements on my lenses and will almost emasculate anyone who attempts to. Therefore, I very rarely, if ever, need to clean my lenses.

mark

Those are some very touching reminescences of your hale days, MD Jak.
Just keep in mind that we all walk a fine line between insanity(evil) and relative normalcy (good).