whatup, Dusty?....

Yesterday I had to shoot a congressman and a senator attending some schindig about environmentalism out here in California, in the middle of a farm, and on top of everything, with high winds and dust everywhere.

I am aware of the basic cleaning techniques, but since my two new 1k lenses were full of dust, I was wondering what everyone's effective method of cleaning are. Not the glass surfaces, but rather the lens itself (I would use a regular canned air bottle, but I am afraid it might push fine dust particles deeper down into the lens dials).

Any good suggestions?...

ah'd use a lil weasel piss on 'er!

Mr. Clean wrote in post #2173947
ah'd use a lil weasel piss on 'er!

Huh?

What lenses got dust in them?

I'm fond of using a microfiber cloth quickly sprayed with Endust for Electronics. Good as new - clean, fresh smell and anti-static.

ahh, thanks. Sounds better than the phiss Idea.

Cheers,

Try rocket blower first. Don't use any compressed air, as it sprays a nasty gas into it...

I'm pretty sure canned air wouldn't have enough power to push dust deep inside the lens.However it's easy to clean lenses using other methods so best to be on the safe side.
Lightly brushing the lens while holding a vacume cleaner a safe distance from it would be a great way to get most dust off

mjgravina wrote in post #2174344
ahh, thanks. Sounds better than the phiss Idea.

Cheers,

Ok, I assumed and read that you have dust IN the lens. Is that not the case, just surface dust and semi-joke?

I went through the paint department, at a home improvement store, and found a soft, natural hair paint brush. It is 2" wide. I use it on the outside of my lenses and bodies, not on the glass! It does a great job of removing dust from all the tight spots. I use the brush with a sweeping motion that doesn't push dust into any cracks. The bristles are soft enough that it does not scratch the LCD screen.

The dust is all over the outer surface of my lenses, Bigma, the 70-200 2.8, and 24-70 2.8, and both bodies. I have never been careful with cleaning the outside of these (yes, excluding any glass component or filter) but when I saw them sitting atop my work table, I decided I would sound dumb and ask, rather than let the dust sit and keep on taking photos (eeh, maybe wipe things down with a static wipe). And it is not like sand or anything of the sort, but the finest of California's Central Valley's Almond dirt. The wrong amount of moisture, and the equipment will turn brown rather than stay black.

Anyhow, some pretty good ideas here. Thanks everyone.