Hi guys, may I ask what solution to use to clean my lens, as this lens of mine cannot put on filter, headache man
Cleaning Solution for my Olympus 7 to 14mm lens,.
- Thread starter hanjudgement
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Use isopropyl alcohol or IPA for short or another name is rubbing alcohol.Try pharmacy like guardian or even watsons but they usually come in small bottles. I used to use from paint shop or hardware shop called methalated spirit or locally knowned as "fire wine" in chinese but lately they don't label as such any more. Now it's labeled as methanol..cheap at $2.90 for a big bottle like soy sauce that will last for many years. Do not mistake alcohol based chemicals and buy THINNER which is very strong and will melt plastics. This is not pure Alcohol and is not for drinking as it has additives added to prevent alcoholics from abusing it.
For application use cotton buds if lens diameter is small like the back sides or like me I use toilet paper folded or even better/softer grade ones. Rubb gently in circular motion. If oil stains still on lens rubb again if it is still wet enough.Change applicator /cotton bud if already "dirty" with 1st.use/run as it contain dust particles that can scratch lens surface/coatings to make your life easy.It takes practice to become proficient at cleaning lens.
IMPORTANT : Before using alcohol use blower brush to blow big dust particles first from lens surface by holding lens upside down so that the dust don't get blown into insides of lens barrel and fall downwards because of gravity. Hope you don't have slippery fingers!
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One-Eye-Jack,
Where did you get the $2.90 bottle of IPA? Where was the percentage of water in the mixture.
I not manage to find any in paint shops in Yishun.
Found one Tiger brand, online. I think 10 litres, like those kerosene rectangle can.
Don't want to buy this much for home safety reason.
Thank You
EisMann
Where did you get the $2.90 bottle of IPA? Where was the percentage of water in the mixture.
I not manage to find any in paint shops in Yishun.
Found one Tiger brand, online. I think 10 litres, like those kerosene rectangle can.
Don't want to buy this much for home safety reason.
Thank You
EisMann
Hello TS. It is very easy to clean a lens element.
1) Get a rubber blower (get a proper sized blower) to blow away all the dust & loose dirt that is sticking to the lens element. If it looks clean enough let it be.
2) If the lens is still dirty & needs a wet clean proceed below with caution.
3) Purchase optical grade methanol or ethanol ( rubbing alcohol from pharmacies or alcohol that is sold by hardware shops have impurities & adulterated with perfume). Optical grade alcohol can be purchased from major photography stores at downtown.
4) Lens tissue.
5) Find a well lighted & minimal dust area to work.
6) Wash your hands with soap.
7) Blow away any loose dirt from the lens element.
8) Remove a clean sheet of lens tissue from its packing.
9) Fold it to a manageable size, do not touch the area of the tissue which you'll be using to clean the lens element.
10) Drop a few drops ( 2-3 drops) of cleaning fluid on the tissue, too much cleaning fluid & the tissue will be too wet & it'll leave cleaning fluid stains on the lens element.
11) Hold the tissue at an angle & gently place it on the center of the element.
12) Apply gentle pressure on the tissue & in a slow circular motion, wipe from the center of the element to the edge of the element. While you are wiping observe that the cleaning fluid is drying from the lens element just as the tissue moves away. If you wipe too fast or too slow, it'll leave cleaning fluid marks on the lens element.
12.1) Use the lens tissue for only one cleaning job, discard the used tissue. Use a new piece of lens tissue every time if you need to redo the wet cleaning again.
13) If you are inexperienced, please practice on cheap coated filters. Check the filters for scratches after you have cleaned them.
1) Get a rubber blower (get a proper sized blower) to blow away all the dust & loose dirt that is sticking to the lens element. If it looks clean enough let it be.
2) If the lens is still dirty & needs a wet clean proceed below with caution.
3) Purchase optical grade methanol or ethanol ( rubbing alcohol from pharmacies or alcohol that is sold by hardware shops have impurities & adulterated with perfume). Optical grade alcohol can be purchased from major photography stores at downtown.
4) Lens tissue.
5) Find a well lighted & minimal dust area to work.
6) Wash your hands with soap.
7) Blow away any loose dirt from the lens element.
8) Remove a clean sheet of lens tissue from its packing.
9) Fold it to a manageable size, do not touch the area of the tissue which you'll be using to clean the lens element.
10) Drop a few drops ( 2-3 drops) of cleaning fluid on the tissue, too much cleaning fluid & the tissue will be too wet & it'll leave cleaning fluid stains on the lens element.
11) Hold the tissue at an angle & gently place it on the center of the element.
12) Apply gentle pressure on the tissue & in a slow circular motion, wipe from the center of the element to the edge of the element. While you are wiping observe that the cleaning fluid is drying from the lens element just as the tissue moves away. If you wipe too fast or too slow, it'll leave cleaning fluid marks on the lens element.
12.1) Use the lens tissue for only one cleaning job, discard the used tissue. Use a new piece of lens tissue every time if you need to redo the wet cleaning again.
13) If you are inexperienced, please practice on cheap coated filters. Check the filters for scratches after you have cleaned them.
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Hello, if you go to paintshop and ask for IPA they don't know what that is (too bombastic..haha).
In chinese it's hway chew (fire wine) but label can be methalated spirit or methanol.
If you are attas (snob) and want optical grade or medical grade then buy it from photoshop or Watsons or any department store cosmetics/health counters.There is no water or perfume (costs money) added as it's odourless and colourless clear volatile (flamable) liquid.I have no problems with so called impure alcohol from hardware shop.Can try Homefix or Handifix but pay double per bottle. Cheers!
As said before use blower brush to brush away big dust particles before using alcohol.In your case
cotton buds for mirror box of camera.If there are residue fibres then brush it away upside down!
One-Eye-Jack,
Thanks for sharing.
I was introduced to IPA only when I worked in Pharma industry.
I like it as a cleaning agent because it is not corrosive and safe to use on all kinds of surface without damaging them whether plastic, glass. No worry of rust formed for metal surface.
Watson or Guardian is selling like $6.00 or $10.00 for a 100ml bottle, no much bigger than EyeMo.
Is IPA known as "fire wine", kerosene?
Long, long time ago, I think I had used a bit to clean my old prescribed, multi-coated plastic lenses.
Guessed what happened? My plastic lenses became more blurred. On closer look, the surface looked the "paint" starting being removed.
EisMann
Thanks for sharing.
I was introduced to IPA only when I worked in Pharma industry.
I like it as a cleaning agent because it is not corrosive and safe to use on all kinds of surface without damaging them whether plastic, glass. No worry of rust formed for metal surface.
Watson or Guardian is selling like $6.00 or $10.00 for a 100ml bottle, no much bigger than EyeMo.
Is IPA known as "fire wine", kerosene?
Long, long time ago, I think I had used a bit to clean my old prescribed, multi-coated plastic lenses.
Guessed what happened? My plastic lenses became more blurred. On closer look, the surface looked the "paint" starting being removed.
EisMann
IPA : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol
IPA is not "fire wine" or kerosene. Kerosene is a solvent used in cleaning combustion engines
and is used by painters to thin down acrlylic (gloss) paints and feels oily and stinky.Although the recommended solvent is THINNER.
IPA by chemical composition has higher alcohol content but in practical use methelated spirit (fire wine) or methanol can be used just as well. Personally I would not pay $6 or $10 for 100mL of IPA.
But that's your choice. At the local hardware store I can get methalated spirit or methanol for $3 for a 750mL bottle that will last for years.
You thought it's IPA but for sure it's not. It's probably thinner that you used or mislabeled as IPA. Thinner "has" an odour but is different than IPA,methelated spirit or methanol.
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Thanks for sharing all these info.
So IPA is safe to use for cleaning the lenses?
We used a lot of IPA in wafer fab industry but mainly cleaning on metal surface.
Was told IPA is not safe to clean the camera's sensor.
So IPA is safe to use for cleaning the lenses?
We used a lot of IPA in wafer fab industry but mainly cleaning on metal surface.
Was told IPA is not safe to clean the camera's sensor.
About IPA...if you search online there are numerous posts that ask this question..safe or not?
Many say IPA contain additives like perfume, water and oil especially rubbing alcohol or medical grade IPA. What about industrail grade IPA well they say it also contain water and oil? Most importantly is IPA purity that is 99.99% alcohol or less say 70% which one say it's good enough? So what's the truth? Many say avoid IPA then use what? Some say ethanol (pure acohol) found in drinking alcohol. Methanol is not drinkable.
The truth is for industrial grade it's 99.99 pure. Like IPA used for semiconductor/ wafer fab factory. Next question is where to buy this? Easy..find industrial chemical company that sells to semicon of scientific labs for analytical use. Yes..what's the price like and minimum quantity size that is commercially available? A 5 litre can..who wants this much?.. so do a MO (mass order)?
Back to square one.. el pee pee el? Then question of how to preserve or ensure purity does not degrade over time..siong!
Now let's be practical,if don't trust or believe then pay service center to do cleaning.Or use camera shake /vibrating function..save money?
Or use common sense like this forum.See LAST post of page1. He is a phd chemist! If he say it's good enough for him then it's good for normal people..settle.
https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/238305-sensor-cleaning-with-isopropanol/
https://petapixel.com/2016/08/23/step-step-guide-cleaning-camera-sensor/
Edit: What I can say is if really use IPA on sensor I would make sure IPA is fully evaporated by not powering up untill the next day yes..kiasu don't short circuit or kill your precious expensive camera!
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Er......e69087,
why do you need to clean the camera sensor?
The current camera's shake or vibration function is good enough to remove any dust gathered during lens changed.
If not, a blower and soft brush should do the job.
You have worked with IPA. You know it will not attack the base material, for this case, stainless steel.
What about the surface coating?
I am sure your training or education will make you ponder before you apply IPA, methanol or methylated spirit straight to the camera sensors or lenses.
EisMann
EisMann
Simple, go down TK Foto and buy the Zeiss lens wipes, can use for glasses as well. I use that for stubborn oily marks but mainly use lens pen to clean for stubborn marks, but mainly use micro fiber cloth
IPA eats most polymer coating, so do not use. I am not sure what is coated on the sensor surface.
Thanks for information. Exactly, I'm not sure what's on the camera sensor. Read somewhere that Fuji camera sensors have different coating from the rest.
As far as I know there is NO polymer (plastic) on lens coatings.From logic the method of "application"
by vacuum deposition is similar to semiconductor or wafer fabrication like camera image sensors.
The materials used are different types metals.Not implying IPA or alcohol based solvents are safe for plastics. In general some of the metals are harder than glass!
See the pdf by Zeiss on this matter.Last link.
How lens coating work.
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-166.html
http://www.vistaview360.com/photography/optical_coating.htm
http://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/knowhow/knowhow17.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-reflective_coating
http://lenspire.zeiss.com/en/wp-con...reduction-of-reflections-of-camera-lenses.pdf
I am using this!
Seems like a simple and easy way; but since these are not dry wipes, is there any expiry date printed on the packaging? Thanks
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