Best product for cleaning lenses

B

bigmouthmedia

Active member
I know it's probably an easy answer, but I'd like to know what product(s) people use for cleaning lenses of fingerprints, etc and dust.
I have a ton of camera shops around so it's not an issue, would just be nice to know if there's particular brands to look for, etc.
 
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I used to use ROR, "Residual Oil Remover." I used to buy it locally.

I just looked it up on the B&H web site and it has excellent reviews, better than any other cleaning fluid. But there is one comment from someone who claims to have 21 years experience as a Service Tehnician saying to just use 99% Isopropryl Alcohol.

I remember reading something similar years ago and buying cleaning compounds in bulk at the hardware store for a few dollars per quart, versus $7 for 2 oz of ROR. I'll have to look around to see what I bought.

Lately I have been using the sealed Zeiss wet wipe packets for general cleaning, including some lens cleaning, but they aren't great for lenses and filters.

I know that some people swear by the charcoal lens "pens"- there was a video on the Lens Rentals blog endorsing those for sensor cleaning. I bought one and have used it a couple of times on a lens, but I'm still somewhat skeptical. I very rarely clean my lenses if I can avoid it. (I use a UV filter on every lens.) I have seen a lot of lenses with abrasion marks from cleaning.

For sensor cleaning I use Eclipse Fluid and Sensor Swabs.

Good luck!
 
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Grug said:
Warm breath and lens tissue has always worked fine for me.
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95% of the time I use Grug's method.

The other 5% of the time I mostly use those little ZEISS Lens Cleaning Wipes packets. I've read the threads warning against them but believe it's FUD.
 
unadog said:
...a Service Tehnician saying to just use 99% Isopropryl Alcohol.
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There's always some idiot saying to use isopropyl alcohol. If you don't mind stripping the AR coatings off your lenses, go ahead. Me, I mind. I've seen the results of isopropyl on a camera lens; it wasn't pretty.

What the heck is so difficult about using a lens cleaner designed for AR coatings? Why is this so hard?

On the other hand, what's so difficult about keeping your lenses clean? I've got camera lenses that I haven't ever cleaned, some close to 20 years old. I haven't cleaned them because I haven't gotten them dirty.
 
David W. Jones said:
Mark gave it to you earlier.... A little breath and a microfiber cloth.
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I buy microfiber clothes in bulk & keep one with each filter. But many a time I breath on a filter, or occasionally a lens, & just wipe it with my shirt. So far so good.

On occasion I've briefly stuck a camera, sans lens, out the window of a fast moving vehicle in order to clean the sensor. Wouldn't recommend it but in a pinch it's worked.
 
Bern Caughey said:
On occasion I've briefly stuck a camera, sans lens, out the window of a fast moving vehicle in order to clean the sensor. Wouldn't recommend it but in a pinch it's worked.
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That is such a bad idea. Look at how much crap gets on the grill of your car. A big fat bug going splat! right into your sensor would be much worse than having any dust on it.
Bern Caughey said:
I buy microfiber clothes in bulk & keep one with each filter. But many a time I breath on a filter, or occasionally a lens, & just wipe it with my shirt. So far so good.
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Yeah, in a pinch I've done it too. The danger with any kind of cloth on a lens, be it a shirt or chamois, is that there might be a tiny spec of sand or other grit on there that you are now rubbing into your lens and scratching it.
I'm not a stickler for treating my gear like it's a priceless fragile antique, but neither do I take unnecessary risks. Wiping a random cloth that's been hanging around is actually an unnecessary risk. Use a blower and brush to get rid of the dirt, then a clean/new/sealed/one time use cloth to do the actual cleaning if there's any kind of grease on there.
 
I like this post: http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?116946-Lens-cleaning-Dos-Dont-s-and-D-ohs!

The best wipes are arguably kimwipes: http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Clark-Kimtech-Kimwipes-Delicate-Disposable/dp/B00RORBXA8 . Use once while dampened, from center to edge, and then throw it away. Microfiber (and other wipes) can work better, but you really don't want to risk a scratch from a trapped piece of something. Kimwipes work well enough, and are cheap enough to just use once.

Different lens cleaning solutions can be for different purposes. For instance, the best thing to remove spittle is just by using your own breath on the element. Distilled water with a drop of dish soap can remove grease.

This is what I use as my main cleaner: http://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Isopropyl-Alcohol-Cleaner/dp/B005DNQX3C/ . It's cheap (especially if you can by it locally) and works well.

From what I understand, modern lens coatings are tough enough to handle just about anything. It's the older coatings that you have to worry about. And even then, it may not be the cleaning fluid that you have to worry about - the coatings themselves may be weak enough that just about anything is going to take them off.
 
IMO the charcoal lens "pens" are next to useless. I have tried several of the popular brands only to find that they leave a light haze on my filters. The included soft brushes are good. I now use a little breath and a microfiber cloth. A drop of lens cleaning fluid is for anything more stubborn.
 
Thank you for starting this thread. I have been curious about this. For years I have used Zeis wipes, microfiber cloths and I also have a soft shirt I use once I'm back from the job. Yet I have never known what was really good or best. I'm going to look at some of the suggestions listed.
Like mentioned elsewhere I try to be careful and a lot of times manage to keep the lens from needing to be cleaned. But especially if shooting outdoors in dirty environments, you cannot avoid some contaminants. All my lenses have protectors on them so I guess I should add I am actually cleaning the filter and not the actual lens.
 
bigmouthmedia said:
I know it's probably an easy answer, but I'd like to know what product(s) people use for cleaning lenses of fingerprints, etc and dust.
I have a ton of camera shops around so it's not an issue, would just be nice to know if there's particular brands to look for, etc.
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Didn't see anyone mention canned air.

Canned air is a highly useful tool. Dust and debris can be removed by using canned air alone with no need for any physical contact with the glass. If available to you, use canned air before performing any other cleaning. The general rule that I was taught by Doug Hart is to clean your lenses as little as possible. In his opinion many people over-clean. When you are at a wide stop the lens is never going to "see" tiny dust particles. Lenses can develop cleaning marks or cleaning "swirls" from cleaning, particularly from cleaning with coarse fiber material. The plastic diopters on the old beta cams would often develop cleaning abrasions that could eventually interfere with the ability of the operator. So, clean sparingly...use canned air first, and then use a microfiber with Pancro lens cleaner. Never put lens cleaning fluid directly on the glass. Always put the fluid on the lens tissue / microfiber. Store your microfiber in a small ziplock or someplace where it is less likely to pick up debris. Microfiber can be washed but considering that microfiber cloth is relatively cheap it is better to simply replace them periodically. Lens caps are your friends. The old school rule was for an AC to always have the cap for the currently working lens on their person, not off in a case. Have the cap in your pocket for whatever lens is on the camera and cover the lens when you know there is a gap in shooting. Don't forget to periodically use canned air on the inside of the cap. Happy shooting!

p.s.- In my experience those bulb blowers are practically useless. Not enough force behind the action of bulb blowers to do much.
 
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