Cleaning lenses?

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Ben M

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Hi, I was wondering what people use to clean their lenses? I have been meaning to get something to clean my lenses since I bought my camera a couple of years ago, but I've never got around to it. My lenses (well not the actual lens, as I've got UV filters on them) are a bit dirty, but not enough to be noticed in photos. Do you just use a lens pen or something?

Thanks:)
 
Rocket blower first
Then lens pen or micro fibre cloth,
Then blower again.
 
So do people clean them in different ways? Would cleaning them with a glasses cloth risk scratching them? And where could you get a lens pen and a rocket blower cheap?
 
In order -

Rocket Blower
Microfibre Cloth
Lenspen
Cloth + Cleaning fluid

You can pay a fortune for cleaning fluid in little bottles. Or you can do what I do - propan-2-ol (500ml for £9) and mix it 1:1 with distilled water. That's a lifetime's supply of cleaning fluid for less than a tenner. And virtually identical in ingredients to the shop-bought stuff.
 
Ben M said:
So do people clean them in different ways? Would cleaning them with a glasses cloth risk scratching them? And where could you get a lens pen and a rocket blower cheap?
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Hi Ben

This is what I do - use a rocket blower to ensure there is nothing on the lens element that would scratch it, then use a glasses cleaning cloth to polish the front element.
 
Well I tried a Brillo pad but it made an awful mess on the floor so now I use a lens pen then a microfiber cloth (a quality one), the other thing I do is the same as for my camera bodies, a very small amount of WD40 sprayed onto a clean cloth then just gentle wipe the lens/camera body.
Russ
 
I use a Giotto rocket blower, Calumet's cleaning kit, which includes the dropper solution, tissue pack and chamois cloth.
 
Breath helps breed fungi, just what you don't need in an expensive lens!
 
BrynBoru said:
Breath helps breed fungi, just what you don't need in an expensive lens!
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?? How??

Unless you sneeze or cough onto your lens your breath will contain virtually zero particulate matter - especially fungal spores (which are only going to be in coughs and sneezes if there's something very wrong with you - even then, they're highly unlikely to be the same sort of fungus as will happily grow on a lens).
 
The spores are everywhere in the environment. What is in your breath for sure is moisture, without which fungi do not thrive. Dust and moisture are a great combination for fungal growth. Breathing on glass is a good way to turn it into a petri dish There's any amount of info on the web if you care to research it. Fungal infection is not just a problem in tropical regions, but anywhere you permit the conditions for fungal growth.
Anyone who imagines they have pristine breath should do some research on airborne infections.
 
BrynBoru said:
Breathing on glass is a good way to turn it into a petri dish
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Really? Here are a few questions -

1. Do you know what they put in a petri dish to make things grow? They put loads of yummy things for the bugs to eat - like agar.

2. Are your lenses coated with agar?

3. Go and breathe on a lens - what happens? You should see water vapour condense on the lens - that's distilled water, It containe zer yummy things.

4. Now, wait a moment - what happens to that water? Does it form a nice damp puddle? Does it soak into the spongy surface of the glass? Or does it evaporate almost immediately?
 
What's the best way to clean the lens/body contacts?
 
jimmy83 said:
What's the best way to clean the lens/body contacts?
Click to expand...

Rub the contacts with a piece of metal, preferably another contact. The contacts on a lens or camera that is, even lightly, used shouldn't ever need cleaning. If you get an error message suggesting they do need cleaning then a bit of cloth dampened with alcohol (isopropyl or ethyl alcohols will be good).
 
hollis_f said:
Really? Here are a few questions -

1. Do you know what they put in a petri dish to make things grow? They put loads of yummy things for the bugs to eat - like agar.

2. Are your lenses coated with agar?

3. Go and breathe on a lens - what happens? You should see water vapour condense on the lens - that's distilled water, It containe zer yummy things.

4. Now, wait a moment - what happens to that water? Does it form a nice damp puddle? Does it soak into the spongy surface of the glass? Or does it evaporate almost immediately?
Click to expand...

So pretentious
 
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