Cleaning Your Lens

[Flintstone]

This might sound like a stupid question but how do you clean the lens when they are dirty besides taking the easy way out by sending the lens for the service center for cleaning? Any particular method for cleaning lens without having the dismantle the lens? Any thing to avoid doing whilst cleaning the lens?

[Kelvin K]

Are you talking about front element of a lens? If yes, use a len tissue or a dedicated cloth for len cleaning. I use mostly latter & damp it slight with water. Before that process, I use a blower to blow away any hard particle to prevent scratching. Then I leave my lens to air dry before storing it in a dry box. As simple as this.

[nabghani]

Clean only the lens element when necessary, better yet just clean the filters only ... I use one of those micro fibre cloth for lenses after air blowing dust & particles ... apply Kodak lens cleaning liquid when it's really grimy. The less you touch the front/back elements the better. Should never be necessary to dismantle the lens ... this is a job for skilled technicians ... even then only when it's an absolute must. :D :D :D

[khoking]

cleaing front element of lens:

0. Use blower to blow blow first...
1. Use breath + cutton (I gave up on microfibre cloth)
2. Use Kodak / Kinetic cleaning fluid + cutton. Remember apply the fluid on the cutton not directly on the lens. Just half a drop is enough
3. Clean in a circular motion from center towards the most outter part. Use cutton bud for the outest part.
4. Blow with blower again to clean out any residuary stuff on the surface.

* avoid cleaning if really necessary. Most of the time you will make your lens worse than it original is.

* situation where you MUST clean the lens:
1. finger prints on the lens surface
2. oil from the lens surface
3. heavy dirt / mud on the lens surface

For dirt in the inner part of the lens, leave it to the expert that has the right tool :)

[bimmer]

"half a drop"?? hm...

Are there any DONTs or MUST NOT? I remember decades ago i used Amway lens cleaner with anti mist on my spectacles and after a few years the multicoating on my glasses simply dissolved! Amazing!

[Brian]

Originally posted by bimmer@Aug 13 2004, 10:27 AM
"half a drop"?? hm...

Are there any DONTs or MUST NOT? I remember decades ago i used Amway lens cleaner with anti mist on my spectacles and after a few years the multicoating on my glasses simply dissolved! Amazing!
1) Don't use eyeglasses soft cloths on your camera lens. They sometimes contain oils that work great on glasses but smear on lenses...and the smears don't go away.

2) Don't use a blower too heavily. You'll end up pushing particles into the barrel (they are not airtight, y'know).

3) Be especially careful with the base. Little scratches on the front element won't effect picture quality. Little scratches on the base element will.

4) Don't put your lens in the dish washing machine...or the clothes washer, either

5) Don't use sandpaper or steel wool.

6) If your friend sneezes on your lens, don't use bleach to "de-SARS" it.

7) If you're on the beach and you get sand on your lens, don't wash it in the ocean.

8) If you use toilet tissue, make sure it is clean prior to wiping your lens with it.

9) A hammer is an efficient way to get to those inner elements. If you don't have a hammer, a brick will do...but you need to be more careful.

10) If you're in a desert and without cleaning fluid, urine contains ammonia, spit does not.

[freelancer]

Originally posted by khoking@Aug 13 2004, 08:04 AM
* situation where you MUST clean the lens:
1. finger prints on the lens surface
The acid from the fingerprints will eat away the lens coating if you don't get that off fast enough :hammer: