Cleaning a lens

[mib2]

Hi All

What are you guys using to clean a lens.

Cheers
Dave R

[Ian]

Re: Cleaning a lens

Hi All

What are you guys using to clean a lens.

Cheers
Dave R

A good quality micro-fibre lens cleaning cloth

If it's just dust, one of those rubber blowers (without the supplied brush) can dislodge some of the dust and that may be enough. If not, I usually make the lens cloudy with my breath (be careful not to blow as this may add droplets of saliva onto the lens) and then first of all wipe any debris off to the side and then wipe away clean, and then gently polish the lens to avoid moisture marks.

Ian

[Stephen]

Re: Cleaning a lens

Hi All

What are you guys using to clean a lens.

Cheers
Dave R

A LensPen, which I got free when I purchased a new lens from dealer in HK on Ebay. It has a retractable brush on one end then a small circular pad at the other which you wipe the lens with to remove marks. It works very well and I've seen them around elsewhere since I got mine. 7Dayshop sell them

[mib2]

Re: Cleaning a lens

Hi Ian

Sadly thats what I did - saliva - DOH.

Dave R

[Autumn]

[Pol]

Re: Cleaning a lens

A LensPen, which I got free when I purchased a new lens from dealer in HK on Ebay. It has a retractable brush on one end then a small circular pad at the other which you wipe the lens with to remove marks. It works very well and I've seen them around elsewhere since I got mine. 7Dayshop sell them

Same here. We got several of those 7dayshop lens pens one time when they were on a special offer. So that we have one in each camera bag and a spare in the glove compartment of the cars and/or camper.

David also has 7dayshop micro cloths.

Pol

[Pol]

Re: Cleaning a lens

Looks more like he was cleaning the camera sensor there rather than a interchangeable lens.

The pads are called sensor pads, or you can also get digipads. The fluid looks like it's a bottle of Eclipse fluid. The pads and fluid are used for 'wet cleaning' of the dSLR sensor. it's the dirty sensor that generates the dust spots.

Pol

[Autumn]

Re: Cleaning a lens

Looks more like he was cleaning the camera sensor there rather than a interchangeable lens.

The pads are called sensor pads, or you can also get digipads. The fluid looks like it's a bottle of Eclipse fluid. The pads and fluid are used for 'wet cleaning' of the dSLR sensor. it's the dirty sensor that generates the dust spots.

Pol

Thanks for putting me right Pol. As I said I don't have a DSLR so don't know all the ramifications. I wrongly imagined that Dave was referring to the sensor.

[Ian]

Re: Cleaning a lens

Looks more like he was cleaning the camera sensor there rather than a interchangeable lens.

The pads are called sensor pads, or you can also get digipads. The fluid looks like it's a bottle of Eclipse fluid. The pads and fluid are used for 'wet cleaning' of the dSLR sensor. it's the dirty sensor that generates the dust spots.

Pol

I'd be very hesitant to be wipe the sensor filter like that. And as Pol says only very specialist tools should be used - certainly not a lens cleaning cloth As many know here, I happen to use Olympus DSLR kit and the anti-dust system is so effective that I have not once had a dust problem in five years with these cameras.

But back to lenses - the main thing to avoid is getting grit trapped between your cloth and the lens, so carefully wipe the visible debris to the side and then off the lens or use a blower. Once there is no more dust on the lens you can then use your cloth to wipe any remaining marks off. It's also important to keep your lens cloth clean, too. They seem to be ok washed along with your clothes in a washing machine, or just hand wash them in a little hand wash detergent if you like.

I have one of those lens pens Stephen has but it's never been out of its packaging - I will now have a look at it more closely

Ian

[Pol]

Re: Cleaning a lens

I have one of those lens pens Stephen has but it's never been out of its packaging - I will now have a look at it more closely

Ian

I never used anything other than lens pens, I wouldn't trust myself with the cloth. I leave those to David and he mainly uses them for filters, only very occasionally a lens.

I was just looking at 7dayshop and noted their lens pens are on special offer agi .... ie 2 per pack AND at at well reduced price. Ideal for shoving one into the camera bag and maybe another in the glove compartment and yet another in your pocket. The caps on the lens pens are a very good tight fit too. The cap won't fall off in your pocket.

Pol

[Patrick]

Re: Cleaning a lens

I never used anything other than lens pens, I wouldn't trust myself with the cloth. I leave those to David and he mainly uses them for filters, only very occasionally a lens.

I was just looking at 7dayshop and noted their lens pens are on special offer agi .... ie 2 per pack AND at at well reduced price. Ideal for shoving one into the camera bag and maybe another in the glove compartment and yet another in your pocket. The caps on the lens pens are a very good tight fit too. The cap won't fall off in your pocket.

Pol

I very rarely if ever clean my lenses, reason I use a permanently fitted filter on the front as protection (this of course is cleaned), the rear element doesn't show any dirt as the rear lens cap protects it, when on camera the camera protects it. Any dust that may get on it blows away with a puffer.

Patrick

[Ian]

Re: Cleaning a lens

I very rarely if ever clean my lenses, reason I use a permanently fitted filter on the front as protection (this of course is cleaned), the rear element doesn't show any dirt as the rear lens cap protects it, when on camera the camera protects it. Any dust that may get on it blows away with a puffer.

Patrick

A long time ago when I used to sell camera gear (my first paid job back in the early 1980s ) I used to consider an SLR camera with lens or lens-only sale a bit of a failure if I didn't persuade the customer to purchase a Skylight or UV protective filter.

Today, they are out of fashion and you rarely see them fitted. I'm the same and non of my lenses, apart from the 90-250 (it is supplied with a filter as standard), have protective filters.

I wonder if the fashion will return?

Ian

[Pol]

Re: Cleaning a lens

A long time ago when I used to sell camera gear (my first paid job back in the early 1980s ) I used to consider an SLR camera with lens or lens-only sale a bit of a failure if I didn't persuade the customer to purchase a Skylight or UV protective filter.

Today, they are out of fashion and you rarely see them fitted. I'm the same and non of my lenses, apart from the 90-250 (it is supplied with a filter as standard), have protective filters.

I wonder if the fashion will return?

Ian

All of my own lenses have protective filters - all bought separately when I bought the lenses. David always drummed it into me that I should have them (and use them) so I just did as he said.

I sometimes remove them before taking shots though - especially when I'm using a macro lens.

I started removing them, especially the macros, after a photographer and poster I respect had a go at me about ALWAYS using them. He argued that my the fron element of my macro lenses was well receeded anyway.

I always leave the filters attached when I put the lens back into the bag though.... then that keeps everybody happy (including me).

Life's not easy being a wife .......... who talks quite a lot to other men

Pol

[Patrick]

Re: Cleaning a lens

All of my own lenses have protective filters - all bought separately when I bought the lenses. David always drummed it into me that I should have them (and use them) so I just did as he said.

I sometimes remove them before taking shots though - especially when I'm using a macro lens.

I started removing them, especially the macros, after a photographer and poster I respect had a go at me about ALWAYS using them. He argued that my the fron element of my macro lenses was well receeded anyway.

I always leave the filters attached when I put the lens back into the bag though.... then that keeps everybody happy (including me).

Life's not easy being a wife .......... who talks quite a lot to other men

Pol

To respond to Ian first, I got into the habit of a filter as protection from my very early days in photography, it was then standard advise to fit a filter for protection it simply stuck with me.

However as you Pol have said for macro work I don't use a filter either because the front element is so recessed it is quite well protected, just a quick puff is usually enough to clean it.

Patrick

[Autumn]

Re: Cleaning a lens

[QUOTE=Ian;30459]I'd be very hesitant to be wipe the sensor filter like that. And as Pol says only very specialist tools should be used - certainly not a lens cleaning cloth

Actually Ian I didn't know what the cloths were, but Pol says that they are Sensor Cloths, not Lens Cleaning Cloths

Anyway, I am going to take up Reading and Comprehension Classes, as I obviously didn't read the question correctly. Sorry to have got off the beaten track.