cleaning silicon? smudge off lens

[MonkMayfair1937]

Any ideas? I noticed some smudges on either side of the lens - I used a Zeiss wet cleaning wipe, but that didn't clear it. Surprisingly, photos seem to be unaffected. I only noticed the smudges tonight. While trying to find the cause, I discovered a blob of silicon on the back of the lens cap (about where the moving parts are) and it's about right where the smudge is happening. I hope the silicon didn't scuff the lens. I don't know how long it's been there or how it got there. It either was there from I bought the lens last year, or could have come from where I set the lens cap down, although there's been no silicon around there. The only silicon I've used in the past few years has been outdoor, and it wasn't that soft, springy kind.

Camera Sony alpha 77 lens Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II.

 

[ac12]

Silicon grease is a PiA to clean.
Once you use any kind of cloth to clean the silicon, throw it away, as you are very unlikely to be able to wash it off.
I don't remember what I used to clean silicon grease, may have been alcohol, lighter fluid, or one of the other solvents I have.

 

[Original katomi]

Take care that you don’t take the coating off the lens

 

[MonkMayfair1937]

I drove out to a camera shop (increasingly hard to find) and using their spray and cleaning cloth, fixed the problem. I was very impressed with their crew. I wish that they had been the ones who sold me the original camera - the original guy sold me the wrong lens.

What lens cleaning spray would you recommend in general? I purchased theirs as a thank-you, but the place is too far away for it to be practical to replenish it there.

I also looked at the Nikon 5600. I was somewhat surprised how tiny it is.

 

[Original katomi]

Have a look at getting the one they sold you on line or get them to post to you

 

[dxqcanada]

The Sony SAL1650 is a better lens ... though much more expensive.

 

[MonkMayfair1937]

I'm happy enough with the current lens, which I had bought online last year. It was the old zoom lens, which was really ill-suited for regular photography. That's my fault for not doing my homework before buying the camera in 2012.