Best way to clean my Lenses?

cominatcha

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Hi All,

Bit lost with this :thinking:

What is the best technique to clean my lens?

What should I have in my rucksack that can clean my lenses basically if the need arises?

Some people use their shirt (In extreme desperate conditions only), I've heard of lenspens? also using an air blower then applying a cleaning liquid on a very soft cloth.

I know everyone has there own preference and technique but....

Is there something specific I should be looking into buying, brands or products that will help? Any pointers would be appreciated.

Thankyou :thumbs:
 
I carry a Spudz microfibre cloth and a Lenspen. Lenspens are brilliant for lenses, I mainly use the Spudz for the LCD and for any moisture I get on the lens front element.
 
Another vote for the Spudz. Got one yesterday for a Marumi DHG CPL which was hellish to clean but the Spudz did the business! :thumbs:

Agreed - forgot to say I use the Spudz on any filters rather than the Lenspen.

Also use a blower (bulb type, not compressed air) for shifting dust, and a soft paintbrush (with the metal trim wrapped in insulating tape) for dusting off the camera body.
 
If you search on amazon - Lenspen Original £3.99 + £2.00 delivery. I purchased 2, 1 for home and 1 for the bag, delivery still £2.00. Havn't found anywhere cheaper, even on e-bay.
Regards
 
I use a rocket blower first, then a soft brush and finally a lens pen. Never had to use fluids, a puff of breath followed by the lens pen seems to do the business. Always use a blower and/or brush before the lenspen or cloth, you dont want to rub any solid particles against the lens surface.
 
I use a canon 5d with 24-105 and 70-200 f4 Lis with Hoya pro 1 protective filters which I clean with microfibre cloth. For fun I use a Panny GF1 with 20mm f1.7 and a £6 7dayshop multicoated uv for protection, this I clean with my shirt tail (fresh daily!). If it gets marked I'll bin it.

Incidently the 7 day MC filter appears to perform very well, with possibly a tiny bit of added flare as opposed to the free non-MC filter thrown in when I bought the camera which can create high levels of flare.

I rarely clean rear elements with a puffer brush.

John www.phototuition.net
 
If you search on amazon - Lenspen Original £3.99 + £2.00 delivery. I purchased 2, 1 for home and 1 for the bag, delivery still £2.00. Havn't found anywhere cheaper, even on e-bay.
Regards

Awesome find. Gona get one of those for sure. :thumbs:
Thanks for the link.
 
lenspens are great, that and a good qualit microfibre cloth thing will be fine for lenses

joe
 
Alot of great suggestions here. Using the kit so much at the moment gota look after them aswell :)

I'm sure if it hasnt done so aleady this thread will help a good few people.

Looks like for me a must will be a micro fibre cloth specifically for glass...like the spudz as suggested or other is needed.

Also I like the idea of the lenspen, looks to be a must also.

There is also an option of an air blower. (May have a look at that)

Oh...and lastly a clean shirt (must be fresh daily mind) to give those 'L' lenses a wipe :lol:

Thanks All
:thumbs:

Ordering a lenspen and a spudz tomorrow.
 
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6816 these 3M microfibres are very good.

Other than that, if it's got a UV filter on it, tshirt/kitchen towel for front of glass, wet sponge for exterior... don't sweat front element waaay too much, it's all waaay out of focus anyway...
 
If I'm away from home I use a rocket blower first then a microfibre cloth with a breath of air I always found that that did the job ok for me. At home I use same method but I replace the breath of air for some lens cleaning spray.
 
Blower and 3M microfibre cloth- change when required- the replaced one will be used for wiping flashes, LCD etc.
 
Brillo pad and Ajax powder..........:)
 
For 'in-the-field' cleaning I stuff a couple of calumet lens cloths in my bag - the soft micro-fibre ones, as well as a flannel face cloth for the camera body and lens barrels.
I used to use a chamois, but find these better.
I also carry a toothbrush and a paintbrush for dusting off the body outers and digging out any mud and stuff (where I tend to go lately, I've found sweat and dust combine into a very tenacious 'concrete' that lodges around the controls and in the rubber grips - wet toothbrush is the only thing that'll shift it).

A pack of lens tissues might also be useful, but since I have UV filters on all my lenses, I don't worry about it too much - I just give them a bit of 'breath' and scrub away with the clean microfibre cloth if needed.
 
Kittens are quite effective if you get the right end. Failing that you can throw the lens away when it's dirty and buy a new one :)
 
You dont get dirty Canon lenses because their owners are caring careful people
 
You dont get dirty Canon lenses because their owners are caring careful people

Who sit and home talking about how much IQ they're not getting instead of acctuaally going out and taking photos...

Nikon photographers actually walk the walk...
 
Who sit and home talking about how much IQ they're not getting instead of acctuaally going out and taking photos...

Nikon photographers actually walk the walk...

nikon photographer walks the walk, is arrested for indecent exposure :p
 
nikon photographer walks the walk, is arrested for indecent exposure :p

That's you, that is - I can afford clothes, unlike you Student-types who drink all your grant-money in the first week of term and then have to pimp yourselves out to Romanian truck-drivers for meals of beans-on-toast...:D
 
Another thumbs up for the Lenspen - I bought one at the Focus show last year and love it to bits! It's the only thing I've ever found that doesn't leave smudges or traces on the lens surface. Also worth having a rocket blower in the bag too - that gets pulled out before the Lenspen as I prefer not to touch the lens surface if I can help it.
 
Personally, I avoid touching the lens whilst out in the field, although I use a rocket blower occasionally if the rear element has any spots as these can transfer to the sensor. Small specks of dust on the front element won't show up anyway.
I use a wet lens cleaning fluid on a slightly damp tissue to gently remove smears, with a blower to finish if there's any lint left afterwards.
I use Hoya Pro 1 lens protectors on most of my lenses so it's that surface that gets cleaned rather than the lens itself.
 
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