Lens cleaning tips/fluid

Formula MC + lens cleaning tissue

Formula MC + lens cleaning tissue

Best thing is to avoid any cleaning as there are nearly always cleaning marks..
Use a cheap UV filter to practice first so that you get it just right..
And don't forget to follow the instructions on the Formula MC bottle.
 
Cleaning fluid shouldn't damage the coating but it would be best to check what fluid you are using.

A UV filter is a good idea as they are much cheaper to replace than the lens itself but it may be necessary to remove the filter if other filters and gadgets are to be used.

I always carry a microfibre lens cleaning cloth with me. I get mine from opticians as they are everywhere if you need to get a new one when you're out and about. They are in-expensive too, usually about £3.00 or £4.00. Change them on a regular basis. Don't use the same cloth to clean the camera lens as you use to clean your spectacles (for those that wear spectacles) as you will end up with grease smeared on the lens.



When cleaning, always vigorously shake the cloth first to get rid of any particles of dust or even worse, grit that the cloth may have picked up. Gently wipe the lens. For stubborn marks, a little gentle breath may help (purists may hate this idea but it works for me and my brother who have been doing this for nearly thirty years). Don't spit on the lens. It may be necessary to rub a little harder on stubborn marks, this is ok. A good photographic rubber blower can get rid of dust but they are a little cumbersome to have on location (particularly run-and-gun). If the cloth is clean, marks, even grease will be removed with care and patience.

Clean the lens often as dust lands on the glass all the time. I find using a microfibre cloth I rarely have to use fluid.
 
I wouldn't use a microfiber cloth to clean lenses. You risk scratching your coatings if a particle gets caught in it. First of all, make sure your lens doesn't get dirty, always put your lens cap on it if you don't use it. Use a hand blower (not compressed air) to clean the lens surface from dust and if that doesn't work, get some lens paper and cleaning fluid (Follow the cleaning instructions). Lens paper is much "smoother" than a microfiber cloth, and you can use a new clean sheet every time you need to clean a lens....
 
Cordvision,

I'm going to have to disagree there. Microfibre cloths are from what I understand the best way to clean a lens. And I use the old hot breath method and it seems to work better than lens fluid that sometimes stained my glass would.

And sorry but "Make sure your lens doesn't get dirty" doesn't cut it. Dust/dirt will eventually get on the lens when its in use whether we like it or not. Heck it may have gotten dust on it just by sitting in the box or while it was being made/boxed up at the factory (cardboard dust, etc.) Maybe you worded that part wrong but yes keeping a lens cap on the camera when in storage/taking a lunch break or whatever is a very good idea indeed.

Assuming your method is better though I am curious what brand/type of lens paper and fluid you recommend/use yourself.
 
It is impossible to stop the lens getting dusty even when using the lens cap. As soon as the lens cap is removed dust is attracted to the glass. You could film for just thirty seconds and attract enough dust to cause a problem. The lens cap itself will pick up dust which can then be passed to the lens.

It pays to check the lens constantly throughout a shoot. Most particles won't be noticed under normal shooting as the focus point is far in front of the camera but when you start to shoot towards bright light etc. which quite often happens the dirty lens will show up and the footage will look unprofessional to say the least.

Microfibre clothes are recommend for coated lenses and as I said earlier, it is good practice to shake the cloth (of any material) before touching the lens with it. The cloths are inexpensive so change the regularly. Never wash the cloth as detergents can leave abrasive particles.

Check the lens constantly!
 
Sure, a lens gets "dirty" eventually but you can to a lot to slow this process. I think lens paper has just a slight advantage over microfiber cloth because you can use a new tissue every time you have to clean a lens (no particles in the tissue that can potentially scratch the coating).
I personally use this cleaning fluid http://www.filmtools.com/ulclarlenspr2.html
and Rosco lens tissues http://www.filmtools.com/roslentispad.html

Some people prefer to clean their lenses with kimwipes (careful, there are different types of kimwipes)
 
A few years back I had a camera assistant point out that a number of my 4X4 glass filters had some very fine scratches on the surface. He was right, there were! I had always used a few drops of lens fluid on a clean sheet of lens paper, and carefully cleaned with that. Next, I would use two or three more clean sheets of lens paper to "polish" the surface and remove any marks left from the lens cleaner. No more.

Now, I still use lens paper with a couple of drops of lens fluid, but the next item is a micro cloth. I will not use lens paper again as the final "polish". It can and does scratch but not the microfibre.

I use four or five of the microfibre cloths and, every now and then, toss them into the washing machine. Excellent results.

I also use compressed air, but the can is never moved. I have a "Cobra brush" that fastens to the top of the can and has about a two foot hose between the can and brush. This means that I can safely move the "brush" around at any angle , blasting away at dust, and not worry about any nasty discharge from a shaken can. I believe the product and the air is from Miller-Stephenson. I can check the model number, etc, if anyone is interested.

Michael
 
What do you guys have against compressed air? I use that and a Lens Pen, best invention ever, and also sometimes lens tissues.
 
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