What do you use to clean your lens? Lens Cleaning Tissue?
 

Looking into a system of regular lens cleaning for my EX-1.
Just curious what others are doing as far as regular lens cleaning maintenance.
Particularly while out on a shoot for quick and easy cleaning.

Disposable tissues look promising. Can they be used alone or do they require some sort of cleaning solution?

Was considering something like this:
Tiffen | Lens Cleaning Tissue - 50 Sheets | EK1546027T | B&H

Thanks.

kj

Lens cleaning fluid (some sort of alcohol, I think) and lens tissue to polish it off.

Jessops - Lens & Camera cleaning kit

That said, I am mainly cleaning a UV filter - the fluid and tissues does well at removing the smears left by my handkerchief etc in the field!

Nick

kim wipes, canned air, pAncro cleaning fluid

Good quality Chamois Leather or a micro fibre lens cloth. Be very careful with tissue, it can scratch the coatings if you rub too hard and canned air is really good at blowing dust inside the lens assembly if not used with discretion. A camel hair brush or an old fashioned bulb type blower will work well with dust with less risk of blasting dirt and dust into the camera. For the camera body a soft paint brush works well to remove dust from all the nooks and crannies.

Whatever you use to clean a lens, make sure it is clean. Keep your lens cloth in a zip-lock bag if you can. It only takes one speck of grit, sand or dirt to scratch a lens.

Lots of great advice in this thread.

I use a Giottos Rocket bulb (there are now THREE sizes, the smaller one doesn't have enough power) to blow off most particles. They're great and double as cushioning material in your bag. I did have a problem in 2005 with a newbie Los Angeles airport security agent that called in a bomb threat. She opened the bag, saw the rocket bulb, and her face went white as she stammered over the walkie-talkie. The security manager chuckled and let me go after some routine "So, how long have you been a photographer?" questions.

Compressed air is mentioned often, but wow, after trying it to clean my computer keyboard, I wouldn't want to freeze my lens and risk that white residue ruining the lens coatings. I used to use generic lens cleaning fluid or breath and either lens tissue or a micro-fiber cloth. The micro-fiber cloth was great until it lost moisture in the fibers after about two washes and become hard and scratchy.

Nikon recommends one drop of cleaning fluid and using the tissue as a kind of wick. Lens tissue is ok, but I needed 2-3 per clean.

There are Hakuba cleaner+brush combo pens with a circular felt tip on one end and a brush on the other. They are convenient for working off a stubborn water spot from an outdoor shoot. However, the felt pads wore down quickly on the edges of the circle and exposed the plastic base. Horrible. Also, if you rub these pens on a light surface, you'll see that the agent is graphite-colored.

Very recently, I switched to PecPads and Eclipse solution. You can't mail order the Eclipse solution due to some bizarre hazardous material shipping restrictions, so pick it up at your local pro photo store.
Cleaning Digital Sensors, Cleaning Digital Cameras - Photographic Solutions, Inc. - Digital & Photographic Cleaning Solutions

I use the Zeiss Lens cleaning cloths... They are awsome and cheap!!

90 individual packets of pre-moistened, non-abrasive lens cloths
• High-tech ammonia-free formula cleans effectively without leaving streaks or residue
• Designed for single use


The local WallMart optical center carrys them... in a box of 50...but below is an online link for 90 for about a dollar more.


90 Zeiss Lens Cleaning Cloths | Mighty Vent

Kodak Lens Cleaning Paper! Have used it for decades with no problems and only the best results. Use it with the cautions expressed in the forgoing posts, and you can't go wrong.

This is one of those questions you will get a thousand different answers to. I have been on sets with top end DPs and ACs (camera assistants), and am friends with the guys from the local Plus8/Panavision house, and I can tell you the advice I've gotten from them and what I've seen from observing these guys in action.

First off--they all say that any type of cloth that you reuse is a no-no. Granted the first time you use it, it's clean, but what about the second time? That's right, it's got all the crap you wiped off the first time, and now you're grinding it into your lens!

So you want some kind of disposable tissue. I was referred to Kim Wipes, and they seem to work pretty well. They're soft, not starchy and stiff, and they don't leave much behind after a wipe. A lot of tissues leave more crap than the take away, it seems.

The Kim wipes should be used in conjunction with the Pancro lens cleaner. This is a fairly pricey bottle of fluid (around $27/bottle---but how often will you really need a new bottle?) that I've seen these guys use to clean lenses on Varicams, F900s, etc., so I think it's safe for the kinds of cams most of us use. From what I'm told, you should only touch your lens when necessary, meaning that if it doesn't look like there's any spots on there that couldn't be blown off by an air blast (see below), then don't wipe the lens down.

As far as canned air, yes, propellant is a danger, but if you're careful it shouldn't be an issue. Certain brands of air seem to be much more prone to spraying than others. I think there are even special nozzles you can get that help with this. At any rate, I always spray from an angle, and in short bursts, as opposed to just holding the trigger down. Also, I give it a few squirts into the air when I first take it out on a given day. I've seen another technique that a DP showed me where you have the cam on a tripod, tilted up, and you hold the canned air above*it, can upright, and bend the straw into an upside-down U, directing the stream toward the upturned lens, and spray with a sustained stream. This apparently works for him, didn't work for me---I got propellant all over the lens, so I never tried his way again.

I tried all those lens pens, air brush bulb thingies, etc., when I first started, and they never seemed to do anything for me.

My 2 cents.

For wet cleaning, I use plain old Windex (the blue stuff) and Kimwipes. I've seen Windex used to clean six-figure $$ optical surfaces at multiple jobs I've had in the past, and NEVER seen any damage or degradation to AR coatings or lenses. I can get Kimwipes from my present job, and have used them for years before that. Just the right amount of roughness combined with low-lint production. In a pinch, I've used facial tissues, but only when there wasn't anything else available. I'm always concerned about anything that has a fragrance built-in to the material.

For dry cleaning, I've got a couple Cartier-branded microfiber cleaning cloths from my stint with them as a watchmaker. They work well, and can be washed when they get dirty with no loss of cleaning properties. Plus, it's worth the look on other people's faces when I whip out the cloth with the large Cartier logo printed in the center and wipe a smudge away.

And for gun-and-run cleaning, I've got a couple of the lens cleaning pens (Tiffen, I think) in my gear bags. Great for knocking that random smear or dust from the lens quickly.

Martin

Sorry, yes. I guess if you cleaned your cloth after each use, you could reuse.

I would never use facial tissues, tissue paper, or paper towels... they are all made from wood fibers, and they aren't as soft as special purpose cleaning cloths or wipes.

I'm using lens cleaning tissues. I like the above advice, and will look into kimwipes.

Few more tips, while we're at it:

I've always heard that you should spray the cloth/tissue with the fluid, NOT the glass (though I know a guy who does the opposite). You're supposed to "mist" it onto the cloth, instead of spraying it in a concentrated area of the cloth. However, I believe a compromise between misting and a concentrated spray works best, because if it's too misted, the tissue/cloth has no moisture, and hence no power to actually remove spots or anything. If it's too concentrated, it's super wet and leaves residue all over your glass.

Some guys say to wipe in circles from the center of the lens out toward the edge, others say to start at the edge and go inward. The theory is that if you wipe from center out, you can push dirt and stuff toward the edges where it could get inside the lens element, but if you start from the edge toward the center, you're pushing all the crap toward the center of your lens, and it has nowhere to go. So, who knows on this one?

You wipe once with the "wet" part of the tissue, then find a dry piece and wipe again to clear any residue off.

The golden rule that I have always been given by lens manufacturers is never use man made fibres or fibres made from wood pulp as they are almost always abrasive, unless it is a purpose made lens cloth or tissue from a reputable manufacturer. I wouldn't want windex within a mile of my lenses as well as being a very aggressive cleaner it also leaves an anti wetting deposit on the glass that is difficult to remove. Despite the fact that the core of my business is filming in severe and extreme weather conditions I almost never need to use any kind of liquid cleaner on my lenses. Rain is cleaned off with a chamois leather which is soft and absorbant and can be washed and reused. I have seen two lenses that have had to have full strip downs after the over enthusiastic use of canned air.

The best way to look after your optics is to prevent them getting dirty in the first place.

As has been said there will be many opinions on this topic and these are just mine :-)

Buy an optical filter and screw it in the front and only remove it when internal reflections cause an issue which is more often than you might think.

Watch out for chemicals in overspray drifts from bug sprays and repellents being blasted about by tormented cast and crews outdoors. The optical coat on my cam looks like a colourblindness chart when viewed from the front, has become etched and it will not polish clean.

It got on there while my back was turned. I knew the stuff was being used but did not think to check and did not notice anything through the camera when rolling. Fortunately it does not show up on the image however I was very unhappy at the time I discovered it some time later after the damage was done.

Ditto

John

Sometimes it seems to impossible to keep the lens clean, even if you put your cam back into its bag with lenscap on! Usually it's got little dusties on it whenever I take it out for a gig. I suppose I could wrap it in plastic and vacuum seal it after each use, but that sounds like a bit much.

I'm having a problem where I can get the lens and filter really clean using a solution (in this case Formula MC) and optical tissue and sometimes a microfiber cloth.

The problem I'm having is stubborn dust that just wants to stick to the lens or filter. Mostly to the protective filter, I'm using a B+W UV multi-coated filter, I think it's a good one.

So when I do shoots with a lot of backlight, or looking nearly into the sun or other bright light source, every little spec shows up as a lens flare or glare. Sometimes nice but I'd like a choice here.

If I use a tissue with some fluid, it will remove most of it, but then I have to polish off the fluid. And then sometimes the dust is back and I'm just smearing the 'magnetic' dust around on the filter. I think I have a bad case of 'static cling' :)

Any hints on this?

The cleaning solution that works really really well for me is ROR

http://www.ror.net/

John

I use a good quality soft chamois leather.

I keep a UV filter on my lens, and clean this with a soft Selvit cloth (claimed to be better than Chamois Leather). This cloth can be purchased from any good Pro dealer and is as good as new when hand washed

I use a big Giottos rocket to remove anything that can be blown off, and then a nikon lens pen to remove anything more stubborn.

I've tried various cloths and liquids in the past but the lens pen seems to do a good job. Anything that costs loads to replace such as the in cam lens or my nikkor 20-35 I clean once and then always use a filter. My other SLR lenses are pretty much as disposable as a good quality filter so I don't usually bother with filters those and just clean them whenever necessary.

A very soft makeup brush (no laughing) to get any dust off, then a soft micro fibre cloth and lens cleaning fluid from a pump spray bottle, can't remember the make.

Paul.

Great thread.

Don't know if this is worth mentioning but I was told by a Camera dealer in Tokyo first blow any particles off the lens, then spray cleaning fluid in the centre of the lens, apply lens cleaning paper to the spot and working in a circular motion spiral out to the edges.

What are peoples thoughts on isopropyl alcohol?

I've used it a couple times on my UV filter and its amazing.. its yet to touch my lens though. In fact the only thing thats touched my Ex1s lens is a bulb blower. I also dont think i'll use it on a polar again.. managed to get a couple of small spots on that.. guess thats why filters in front of your lens are a good thing.

Im using Kimwipe tissues and have had no issues with them. Also am using KenAir which leaves no residue as long as you use it the right way up. Great for getting rid of any excess dust between the lens and the filter when screwing a new one on. I also dont hold the compressed air any closer than about 300mm to the lens surface.

I've ACd on 2 dramas, 1 shooting 35 and the other with hpx3000s and both times every AC had to have KenAir on them and it was used on the lenses a lot.

Currently in the market for a new lens cloth however, a chamois leather one sounds like the way to go.

I use a Giottos Rocket Air Blower (the small one). I think I'm going to upgrade to a larger size this year although this one does a heckuva lot better than my last one.

When I got rain on my lens I did use a micro fibre cloth that I bought from Ritz Camera. Hot breath + micro fibre is the only way I do it. I may try some of the other solutions mentoned here but so far my glass is fine and no coatings are messed up.

WINDEX IS A NO NO!!! And "lens cleaning liquid" is probably just as bad. HOT BREATH WILL DO YOU FINE!!

I just use a blow brush and a lens cloth as and when required. I keep the lens cap on at all times except when actually filming to reduce the gunk getting on the lens in the first place! The lens cap or rather shutter on the EX-3 is so easy to keep closed!

Mind you, I should see if I can squeeze a UV filter on the front of it as that would help and still shut the cover - anyone done this on the EX-3?

i'm using sandpaper, gives a nice old scratchy look

Seems sandpaper might still leave dust unless followed up with some other cleanup method. :)

Joking aside, Dust: It's still my problem, the statically attracted dust that seems to want to adhere to my protective filter (more so than the actual lens surface).

Are there any techniques or fluids that would neutralize what I believe is a static charge which makes this dust clingy?

I have the large Rocket blower, just blows more magnetic dust onto random areas of the filter, as well as high powered canned air, a little better but still some specs. I have good lens cleaner, good tissue, good chamois and good brushes. They all do well, but still leave a bit of the dust there. Do I need to do all my shooting inside a hermetically controlled clean room and wear a special suit to get the dust of my filter? I wouldn't be so obsessed except that this really shows up when aiming at a strong light source.

Again, I like this thread, keep the suggestions coming!

I use a Hoya 77mm UV filter and leave it on my EX3 all the time. The lens hood still fits and other features work OK.

For years I have used my breath and Kodak lens tissue - gently starting in the center and wiping in circles outwards to the edge. I never press hard - especially in the center where scratches could be more noticable. For stuborn smudges I use Rosco lens cleaning solution with tissue. Always use a UV or clear filter. Some high end 'multi coated' or 'harder' glass filters say they clean easier.

I just started using a Lenspen. I like the soft brush. Not sure about the felt wipe - it seems to leave a small residue behind. Good for a quick spot/dust remover for run and gun I guess.

Also, just got the Giotto rocket blower - medium - and it works great.

I use a B&M UV MRC filter and it does fit under the EX1 lens hood. I also just got the B&M Circular Polarizer MRC KSM "Slim" and amazingly it fits under the hood too - just can't rotate it with hood on. These are both 5mm I believe.

Could be a static issue with glass, camera or you. Tried grounding yourself and/or camera? Touching a metal part of an electrical device that is plugged in to a grounded circuit - or the good old cold water sink pipe can safely discharge static.

Glass atoms tend to give up negative electrons and become positively charged. Flowing water generates negative ions - short of spraying your filter with water -have you tried a few good misty breath shots on the filter?

When I filmed on a Coast Guard boat with sea spray issues - clear water in a spray bottle - followed by Kodak tissues - was the only solution to getting salt water residue off the filter. Salt water is not only salt but has oily, filmy residue that most lens cleaners will not remove.

Thanks! At least I know now! Been meaning to actually try it for quite sometime - it only took this thread to do it - go figure!

I returned my tiffen 77mm because I couldn't get the hood back on my EX3 afterwards. Others have told me that it is possible and I just had to fiddle with it more, but I tried pretty hard for while and it didn't seem to want to work. Perhaps I'll test this with the Hoya version.

I'm with Alister. I love a photo quality chamois as it pulls oil and and any smudgy stuff off immediately. You can spend hours with lens paper and only move the stuff around.

To be honest I was told that only difference between photo quality chamois and the cheap auto parts store stuff was that the latter was washed to remove the oils in the original chamois, So i just buy a big piece at the auto store wash it and cut it up into pieces. Haven't hurt a lens yet but it sure does sound heretical and i do scare myself a touch.

NO ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL. ROR is very good.

I have been looking at various filters and will be ordering the
Hoya 77mm SHMC PRO1-D UV as it has a Low Profile Frame so will be a filter that’ll most likely allow the lens hood to be fitted back on.

Please report back - if it works for you, I'll get one as well.

I've been using the Ziess individually packaged pre-moistened lens cloths. It says it is specifically for multi-layer coatings, it's ammonia free, contains isopropyl alcohol, and is for a single use.

I'm not ecstatic about them, as sometimes they streak, but overall they seem to do a nice job.

Hmm, well if Zeiss OK's isopropyl alcohol maybe I'm wrong.

I wonder how much is in them, straight isopropyl streaks for a second and then evaporates leaving no residue. Its awesome.

It looks like highly recommended Pancro contains isopropyl too.

On a related note, I found optical lens cleaning fluid for eyeglasses, etc., at Walmart.

Walmart.com: Wipe N Clear: Anti-Static Eyeglass Lens Cleaner, 8 fl oz: Medicine Cabinet

It smells like it contains isopropyl alcohol as well, but the ingredients are not listed on the bottle. I'm tempted to try it (it's cheap enough), but wonder if anyone thinks it might be dangerous for use on the EX1 lens?