Hi everyone. I was wondering, what is the best way to clean the glass on a lens( dust, fingerprints etc..)Sounds simple I know, but I have been hearing a wide range of ideas so I figured I would go to the ones that do it in the field, not in a studio or a store! Thanks in advance! Randy
when i'm in the field i tend to just breath on them and wipe them clean with my cotton shirt, sometimes however i use special swipes that are used for cleaning glasses.
The most important thing is to remove any sand or grit before you rub the lens. Use a blower and then a fine brush, such as the brush on a lens pen. Then clean the lens with a chamois end of the lens pen. If necessary, following the lens pen, rub the glass with a microfiber lens cloth.
I prefer to clean a lens outside in bright sunlight where I can best see any dirt or smudges. I also keep a lens cap on the lens whenever I know I wont be using it for a few moments, to help keep it clean.
In the field I always have a blower brush and a lens cloth. I use the blow brush then breath on it then use a lens cloth to clean it (I never personally use my shirt, well I have done but prefer a lens cloth as a shirt tail can put small scratches on the glass!). I always clean from the centre and work outwards.
I've been using the same bottle of Kodak lens cleaner for the last 38 years. Blow any lose dirt and grime off the lens with compressed air (always hold the can upright and level and make sure the nozzle is clean and dry with a couple of short blasts before you aim it at the lens). Inspect the lens to see if there are any smudges that require further cleaning. If yes, put one or two drops of Kodak lens cleaner on a clean microfiber lens cleaning cloth and wipe gently with a circular motion. Use another clean part of the microfiber cloth to gently buff the lens clean.
To help avoid most lens cleaning, I now put a B-W UV filter on every lens and only remove it when I'm replacing it with another filter (polarizer, ND, etc.). I've been grateful for the filters twice in the last year...once when a large glob of food appeared on the filter at a wedding reception dinner (yuk) and once when unpacking the cameras from the back of a car and finding the filter had somehow been smashed, but the lens was unscathed. It's better to clean a $60 filter than the front element of an expensive lens.
If I'm hiking I carry a small brush that looks like a lipstick in case a UV filter absolutely needs to be cleaned while I'm out, but I'd much rather wait until I get back and can use the canned air.
In 40 years of lens cleaning, the only change I've made is to use a microfiber lens cloth instead of Kodak lens cleaning paper, and I've yet to scratch or damage a lens.
Discussion
6 repliesWim.
I prefer to clean a lens outside in bright sunlight where I can best see any dirt or smudges. I also keep a lens cap on the lens whenever I know I wont be using it for a few moments, to help keep it clean.
To help avoid most lens cleaning, I now put a B-W UV filter on every lens and only remove it when I'm replacing it with another filter (polarizer, ND, etc.). I've been grateful for the filters twice in the last year...once when a large glob of food appeared on the filter at a wedding reception dinner (yuk) and once when unpacking the cameras from the back of a car and finding the filter had somehow been smashed, but the lens was unscathed. It's better to clean a $60 filter than the front element of an expensive lens.
If I'm hiking I carry a small brush that looks like a lipstick in case a UV filter absolutely needs to be cleaned while I'm out, but I'd much rather wait until I get back and can use the canned air.
In 40 years of lens cleaning, the only change I've made is to use a microfiber lens cloth instead of Kodak lens cleaning paper, and I've yet to scratch or damage a lens.