what do you use to clean the lens? (cleaning cloth question)

[m-tinkerbelle]

hi everyone!

Yesterday I was standing near a fountain and very tiny drops of water managed to reach the lens (I still couldn't buy a filter to protect the lens, they're sold out here ) and they left tiny stains after they dried by themselves

which kind of cleaning cloth do you use for cleaning the lens? (I have a nikon d3100, nikkor lenses 18-55mm /55-300mm)

is there a kind of cleaning liquid that i should buy for these lenses? (I was once advised not to use any kind of liquid, but I'm interested in YOUR opinions )

thanks!

 

[tripodjw]

I carry a couple of glasses (spectacles) cleaning cloths with me - but i think any decent quality micrfibre cloth for cleaning glass will do the trick.

This can pick up water drops/dust/smudges while you are out and about. Just make sure it is a clean cloth so you don't drag harder dust particles across the lens and scratch the glass.

If there's a stubborn greasy smudge i tend to breathe gently on the glass to create a bit of condensation and then use the microfibre cloth.

Before every major photo outing i use a lens pen (has a brush at one end and a microfibre/charcoal tip at the other end) to thoroughly clean all my lenses.

I've not scratched a camera lens yet.

HTH

 

[m-tinkerbelle]

I carry a couple of glasses (spectacles) cleaning cloths with me - but i think any decent quality micrfibre cloth for cleaning glass will do the trick.

This can pick up water drops/dust/smudges while you are out and about. Just make sure it is a clean cloth so you don't drag harder dust particles across the lens and scratch the glass.

If there's a stubborn greasy smudge i tend to breathe gently on the glass to create a bit of condensation and then use the microfibre cloth.

Before every major photo outing i use a lens pen (has a brush at one end and a microfibre/charcoal tip at the other end) to thoroughly clean all my lenses.

I've not scratched a camera lens yet.

HTH

thank you for replying!!! A guy told me not to buy a cheap microfibre cloth made for lenses because it could scratch it. Maybe he just wanted me to spend as much money as I could XD

I'll buy a regular microfibre cloth in a photography lab then

thanks!

 

[Marlton Mom]

Certain people (formerly) on this board, who shall remain nameless, used to use their tongues. This is certainly not the recommended method how ever.

Some of us use a "Lens Pen". Here is a link to a mind numbingly boring video that will explain the basic idea of what a "lens pen" is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzcj2HX5QHE

I also went to the drug store and found Lens wipes for eye glasses. I save these for the especially messy slime-ings like when my camera took a dive into a sheet cake.

I also keep baby wipes in my bag for cleaning off the LCD screen in the back of the camera. My nose Loves to slime that screen.

I'm going to make my millions inventing a baby wipe attachment that you can wear on your nose while using your camera so that you can save the step of always having to wipe off the nose prints.

Marlton Mom

 

[photo_chick]

Umm... most of the time my t-shirt. (do as I say, not as I do) I also keep those eyeglass cleaning packets in my bag for stubborn stuff.

I've never heard not to use any liquid, in fact my first EOS kit came with a bottle of liquid from Canon just for cleaning the lens. But logic does suggest that it's probably better to put the liquid on the cloth and not spray it on the lens.

 

[m-tinkerbelle]

thanks girls!

what the guy said was because (according to him) you're only supposed to use cleaning liquid if the manufacturer recommends it, an ONLY whatever liquid the manufacturer recommends. I was in bit of a shock because spending like 400€ in a cleaning kit is a bit too much for me XD. He was like "buy the most expensive stuff you can buy or your lenses will DIE"
this guy was from the spanish nikonistas group. I ended up leaving the group, I grew tired of their snob comments XD

So thank you for being honest and giving me advice I can actually follow ;D

a greasy "T" zone is becoming my biggest problem with the DSLR world I'm growing tired of trying to get all of that grease away from the LCD screen

I used some baby wipes for the LCD yesterday but these wipes had some greasy aloe vera thing that made things even worse XD. I ended up using my absolutely soft polar fleece sweatshirt to clean that

I might buy a Hama basic cleaning kit and that lens pen for keeping it in my bag along with the camera for those lenses I hope I can find some filters tomorrow

thanks again everyone!

 

[ukcatfan]

A micro fiber cloth is not the best method. If there is something abrasive on the lens, then the cloth traps it and you then rub it all over the surface creating scratches. A lens pen is the best method in my opinion. You first brush off as much as possible and then use the pen end to remove smudges. It has always worked well for me. I advise against breathing on the lens, because you could actually add particulate matter to the surface.

 

[photo_chick]

thanks girls!

what the guy said was because (according to him) you're only supposed to use cleaning liquid if the manufacturer recommends it, an ONLY whatever liquid the manufacturer recommends. I was in bit of a shock because spending like 400€ in a cleaning kit is a bit too much for me XD. He was like "buy the most expensive stuff you can buy or your lenses will DIE"
this guy was from the spanish nikonistas group. I ended up leaving the group, I grew tired of their snob comments XD

It's glass. It really doesn't scratch that easily and you won't damage it that easily with cleaners meant for glass. Polycarbonate eyeglass lenses are more susceptible to scratches and damage from cleaners so the way I see it is that if it's safe for those it's safe for my lenses.

I've got some older lenses I still use regularly, a few over 20 years old, and not a scratch on the glass on any of them. And I'm rough on them. Use common sense and you should be fine.

 

[m-tinkerbelle]

It's glass. It really doesn't scratch that easily and you won't damage it that easily with cleaners meant for glass. Polycarbonate eyeglass lenses are more susceptible to scratches and damage from cleaners so the way I see it is that if it's safe for those it's safe for my lenses.

I've got some older lenses I still use regularly, a few over 20 years old, and not a scratch on the glass on any of them. And I'm rough on them. Use common sense and you should be fine.

thanks a lot Danielle!

 

[SrisonS]

I've always used a microfiber cloth without ever having a problem. I've even breathed a little on the lens for tougher spots. It may not be the best, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. And I've never noticed any damage to the lens. The ones from an eyeglass store are great (I usually get Walmart eyeglass section ones). But I've found that the 3M microfiber cloths to not be so good. They tend to leave lint all over the place; from my experience anyway.

But lens pens are great too. I'd suggest going with a Nikon one though. I bought an off-brand lens pen one time, and it actually left particulates on my lens. So I ended up having to use the cloth to wipe that up.

So probably keep both in your bag.

 

[m-tinkerbelle]

another vote for the lens pen then ;D

thanks! I don't think I've seen those nikon cloths though. I'll check some designed for eyeglasses then

 

[mom2rtk]

I also keep baby wipes in my bag for cleaning off the LCD screen in the back of the camera. My nose Loves to slime that screen.

I'm going to make my millions inventing a baby wipe attachment that you can wear on your nose while using your camera so that you can save the step of always having to wipe off the nose prints.

Marlton Mom

I have the same problem. I thought the upside of being.....shall we say........ older than a teen..........is that I wouldn't have to worry about that oily T-zone. Apparently I was misinformed!

Let me know when you get to market with the new invention so I can pick one up!

 

[GrillMouster]

The glass on lenses is pretty hard, but it's the coatings on the glass that I worry more about when it comes to cleaning. The coatings help reduce glare and chromatic abberations, improve contrast etc.. If you're overly agressive in your cleaning you could wear the coating off.

For dust, etc., I just use a blower brush. Dust on the lens usually doesn't show up in the image. If the blower brush doesn't do it, and I have a lenspen handy I'll use the brush end (not the buffing end) to gently brush off the dust. If I need a little more, I'll just fog up the lens with my breath and gently rub with a microfiber cloth that I don't use for anything else. I always make sure there's nothing like sand or grit on the lens or cloth before wiping. If that doesn't work, then I'll use the buffing end of the lenspen.

If it's something gooey that can only be removed through a wet method, then lens cleaning fluid dropped onto a lens cloth or microfiber cloth (not directly onto the lens) would be my choice.

The thing about water droplets is that if left untreated for too long, will etch glass.

 

[scoot241]

Tiffen Lens Cleaning Tissue plus some lens spray that I don't recall the name of right now:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/510286-REG/Tiffen_EK1546027T_1_Lens_Cleaning_Tissue_50.html

 

[m-tinkerbelle]

thank you all! I'll search for similar products here

as for the "off-topic-oily nose" thing, I'm in my thirties and I still have an oily T-zone XD. I was worried about it in my teen years and all I got from doctors was "don't worry, everything will go away as soon as you reach adulthood". It was a complete nasty LIE in my case XD. I learned to live with it though... but ...I've become a photoshop freak because of that

I thank the heavens for photoshop

 

[mom2rtk]

"don't worry, everything will go away as soon as you reach adulthood". It was a complete nasty LIE in my case XD. I learned to live with it though... but ...I've become a photoshop freak because of that

I thank the heavens for photoshop

Well that explains it........... In spite of having ....... let's just say a few.......years on you.......... I STILL have not reached adulthood. Everything makes SO much more sense now!

OP....glad you got your answer.

 

[Marlton Mom]

Tiffen Lens Cleaning Tissue plus some lens spray that I don't recall the name of right now:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/510286-REG/Tiffen_EK1546027T_1_Lens_Cleaning_Tissue_50.html

In that Greek Wedding movie the Dad used "Windex" for EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING....

I wonder if he had a camera.....

~ Marlton Mom

 

[Marlton Mom]

Let me know when you get to market with the new invention so I can pick one up!

Oh goody, a victim, I mean volunteer to test the beta version. I'm thinking of adding Windex. Do you wear glasses too???

~MM

 

[mom2rtk]

Oh goody, a victim, I mean volunteer to test the beta version. I'm thinking of adding Windex. Do you wear glasses too???

~MM

Sure do. And I've been having trouble seeing things clearly lately. You think Windex is the answer???

 

[m-tinkerbelle]

OT: you're all making me laugh and I have a toothache

I have reached my physical adulthood, who mentioned mental state anyways? I'm some sort of a living Peter Pan