Cleaning our precious lenses...


Status
Not open for further replies.

stunna88

New Member
Apr 3, 2009
310
0
0
Hi guys, juz wanna know if it is perfectly ok to use the damped tissue (bought in any optics/spectacles stores, usually used to clean our specs) to clean our lenses?

Thanks for ur response :D
 

lens tissue?

if it is damp, you might want to check if the liquid on it is abrasive, because it might degrade lens coating over time.

just get a blower and a microfibre cloth, always blow first, to make sure any potentially abrasive particles that are large enough to cause damage are gone.. and then wipe it GENTLY with microfibre cloth

if need be, use isopropyl alcohol (from any guardian) and add it on the cloth, and wipe gently. this is definitely very safe
 

Lenspen. About $13 saves you all the hassles.
 

do u guys usually clean the UV filter top too? mine has been covered with the filter from day 1. from then on it has accumulated quite some specks of particles.. but i didn't bother to touch it since it doesn't seem to show up in my pictures. how about yall?
 

I used micro-fibre cloth at the beginning..
Then I switch to Lenspen, so far this is the best cleaning tool for me. Was able to clean away stubborn stains left on the lens. :)
 

wow...lenspen seems cool
i checked the website

is the brush attached to lenspen safe for the lenses?
 

one bad thing about lenspen is that it is still expensive

you can't use it forever, after prolonged cleaning, maybe 1-2 months the effectiveness will be reduced

also, still use blower and brush first, otherwise if you use the lenspen and rub abrasive remnants around on your front element, then you will be very sad..

personally, i used to like lenspens, but i gave up after a while, microfibre cloth can throw into washing machine.. lenspens once you touch the tip by accident with your finger, is gone case, you can throw the thing away because it will just spread your finger oil everywhere
 

At home I use brush, blower and lenspen combination. Outdoor I will use the disposable Zeiss cleaning tissues.
 

one bad thing about lenspen is that it is still expensive

you can't use it forever, after prolonged cleaning, maybe 1-2 months the effectiveness will be reduced

also, still use blower and brush first, otherwise if you use the lenspen and rub abrasive remnants around on your front element, then you will be very sad..

personally, i used to like lenspens, but i gave up after a while, microfibre cloth can throw into washing machine.. lenspens once you touch the tip by accident with your finger, is gone case, you can throw the thing away because it will just spread your finger oil everywhere

so the best combi is still blower then cloth?
 

I use blower, brush (if you can afford it, sabel hair is fantastic, but not necessary) and chaomois - the natural type. If you've ever had to wipe off grease and gunk from glass, nothing beats natural, soft, untanned leather! Sometimes, I do use a solution that's made for Swaroski optics, which I believe is essentially nothing more than diluted dish washing detergent (untinted) and isopropyl alcohol.
 

somehow i always thought that isopropyl alcohol not very safe..paranoid that it would damage lens coating.. only isopropyl safe? Anyway on another note, i was selling my lens recently, brought it out from aircon room to show the buyer, and the B+W UV filter immediately fogged up, and he used his t-shirt to wipe... talk about heart pain...haha!
 

somehow i always thought that isopropyl alcohol not very safe..paranoid that it would damage lens coating.. only isopropyl safe? Anyway on another note, i was selling my lens recently, brought it out from aircon room to show the buyer, and the B+W UV filter immediately fogged up, and he used his t-shirt to wipe... talk about heart pain...haha!
yes isopropyl is safe cuz its organic. lens coating is usually deposited metal ions which can be eroded by aqueous based reagents
 

somehow i always thought that isopropyl alcohol not very safe..paranoid that it would damage lens coating.. only isopropyl safe? Anyway on another note, i was selling my lens recently, brought it out from aircon room to show the buyer, and the B+W UV filter immediately fogged up, and he used his t-shirt to wipe... talk about heart pain...haha!
I was very skeptical about IPA too. However, after trying it out, I dare say its the most effective solution for oils, stains and fingerprints. From my experience, it is chemically safe for the glass coating as well. Use it together with pecpad disposable tissues.
 

somehow i always thought that isopropyl alcohol not very safe..paranoid that it would damage lens coating.. only isopropyl safe? Anyway on another note, i was selling my lens recently, brought it out from aircon room to show the buyer, and the B+W UV filter immediately fogged up, and he used his t-shirt to wipe... talk about heart pain...haha!
That guy is one probably of the few that are not obsessed with cleaning their lens or just dosen't give a darm, i know of a couple of guys that are almost closed to the level of being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder when it comes to lens and sensor cleaning.

If you think about it, i had used mine shirt to clean mine oakley glasses with transitions lens for a couple of years now without even a single scratch, optics for camera lenses should be of a higher quality. I personally used a 3M lint-free cloth for cameras, the lenspen kit and some commercially available lens wipes to clean 'em.
 

Indoor, I will use a micro-fibre cloth + brush combo... when shooting halfway outdoors, brush and lenspen combo... find the lenspen very convenient... but abit ex though... ;p
 

yes isopropyl is safe cuz its organic. lens coating is usually deposited metal ions which can be eroded by aqueous based reagents

denatured ethyl alcohol (EMS) 95% same?
 

Status
Not open for further replies.