Cleaning Kits

[Psytrox]

Hello,

Is there any noticeable difference between cheap and expencive cleaning kits? I found one from Amazon Amazon.com: Giottos Rocket-Air Blower Professional AA1900 Large + Lenspen Lens Pen Cleaning System + Accessory Kit for Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax and Sony Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo , this seems to have all of the basic stuff that is needed. But is this just as good as the some equiptment from a more expenicive manufactor?

 

[KmH]

The rocket blower, small blower/brush, and lens tissue are worth having.

I would not recommend using a lens pen, micro fiber cloth, or cotton tipped swabs on a camera or camera lens.

I would recommend assembling your own kit:
Tiffen Lens Cleaning Tissue - Pack of 50 Sheets

Hakuba Large High Volume Blower Brush

Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster Large (Black)

Carl Zeiss Optical Inc Lens Spray Cleaner (3-Ounce Bottle)

Rule #1 when cleaning a lens or camera - Be gentle and light handed.

 

[Psytrox]

Thanks for the advice. What exactly is the Hakuba Large High Volume Blower Brush for? And how do you use it? Why shouldnt I use a lens pen?

 

[KmH]

The brush part is detachable. You first blow as much dust and what not off the lens/camera by squeezing the blower, then gently use the brush, particularly around the outside edge of the front lens element, and finish off with more blown air.

Use the liquid cleaner only when the blower and brush don't remove all the contaminants on the lens. Always spray the lens cleaner on a lens tissue to just dampen the tissue, not directly on the lens. Otherwise some of the lens cleaner could wind up inside the lens.

The end opposite the brush of the lens pen can become contaminated with dust particles, such that when you use it, it can scratch the lens coatings or the lens glass itself.

The same applies to microfibre cloths, which is why I only use quality, disposable, lens tissue.

 

[Psytrox]

If i get the Airblower with the brush at the end, would that mean that i don't need the Rocket blower?

What are those lens pen's called that have an electric moter, that makes the spin around first called? Or is that what the lens pen is called? Are they advisable to use?

 

[KmH]

The Giottos rocket blower is used for the outside of the camera body and the outside of the lens body. It can also be used to blow dust off the camera's image sensor when necessary.

I do not recommend using any kind of lens pen.