Cleaning the Lens

[fatsheep]

I just bought a pack of lens cleaning tissue and a bottle of Kodak Lens Cleaner from my local camera shop. The guy at the shop just said to put a tad of the lens cleaner on a tissue and wipe the lens.

1. Is there anything else I should know about cleaning the lens?

2. What about a blower? Is that something I should probably have too? Can I just use compressed air (gently) in the mean time?

3. Last but not least, how do you protect a lens from the elements (rain, sand, etc...)? Do UV filters work? If so, can I use them with a point and shoot camera?

Thanks in advance,

- sheep

 

[nicfargo]

Sheep,
You should be fine with that tissue and cleaner. I don't know what type of lenses you have (Fuji by the looks of your siggy) but certain high end Canon & Nikon lenses are only weather sealed with a filter on the from element. This may or may not be the same with Fuji lenses...I don't know. As far as compressed air, I know it's bad for a sensor, but I'm not sure about a lens. I wouldn't think it would damage anything...but what do I know?

 

[Mitica100]

I just bought a pack of lens cleaning tissue and a bottle of Kodak Lens Cleaner from my local camera shop. The guy at the shop just said to put a tad of the lens cleaner on a tissue and wipe the lens.

1. Is there anything else I should know about cleaning the lens?

Use only approved lens cleaning tissue and not any other type of tissues. Special microfiber cleaning patches also work very well and you can find them in camera stores. Start with gently blowing the dust off the lens and then add some cleaning fluid to the tissue, start working from the center of the lens going in concentric circles or spiral towards the edges. Finish the same way with a very clean and dry microfiber cloth. Do not apply pressure to the lens when cleaning.

2. What about a blower? Is that something I should probably have too? Can I just use compressed air (gently) in the mean time?

...see above...

3. Last but not least, how do you protect a lens from the elements (rain, sand, etc...)? Do UV filters work? If so, can I use them with a point and shoot camera?

I use UV or Haze filters to protect the first lens surface from the dust, rain, sand but I take them off when shooting. Do they work with a P&S camera? They should, provided you find the size of the filter.

Good luck.

 

[jstuedle]

As far as compressed air, I know it's bad for a sensor, but I'm not sure about a lens. I wouldn't think it would damage anything...but what do I know?

Canned air is compressed until in liquid form in the can. If a full can get tipped slightly when spraying, the liquid can be vented and it is VERY cold. A sports shooter in Louisville Kentucky has shown me a 300mm f/2.8 that he spritzed with canned air the front element and liquid hit it. The center of the first element had a pea sized crack that looks like a big chip ready to fall out of the glass. (he was using the tube that is supplied with the can, directing the liquid to a central spot) Canned air should be used with great caution around any part of and SLR, IMO.

 

[jstuedle]

IMO it's cheap insurance to keep a UV filter on all your lenses. You can search the threads to see/read a couple of horror stories I wrote about. The filter saved the day.

 

[fatsheep]

Use only approved lens cleaning tissue and not any other type of tissues. Special microfiber cleaning patches also work very well and you can find them in camera stores. Start with gently blowing the dust off the lens and then add some cleaning fluid to the tissue, start working from the center of the lens going in concentric circles or spiral towards the edges. Finish the same way with a very clean and dry microfiber cloth. Do not apply pressure to the lens when cleaning.



...see above...


I use UV or Haze filters to protect the first lens surface from the dust, rain, sand but I take them off when shooting. Do they work with a P&S camera? They should, provided you find the size of the filter.

Good luck.

How can I check if a certain lens paper is approved?
Do I need to use a microfiber cloth to dry the lens or can I just use another tissue?

Canned air is compressed until in liquid form in the can. If a full can get tipped slightly when spraying, the liquid can be vented and it is VERY cold. A sports shooter in Louisville Kentucky has shown me a 300mm f/2.8 that he spritzed with canned air the front element and liquid hit it. The center of the first element had a pea sized crack that looks like a big chip ready to fall out of the glass. (he was using the tube that is supplied with the can, directing the liquid to a central spot) Canned air should be used with great caution around any part of and SLR, IMO.

That makes sense. Just for that, I think I'll get a blower.

 

[Sideburns]

IMO it's cheap insurance to keep a UV filter on all your lenses. You can search the threads to see/read a couple of horror stories I wrote about. The filter saved the day.

Actually, it's difluoroethane that messes stuff up. Air doesn't come out cold really...but the propellant used, freezes things if it comes out in liquid form...

I sprayed my lens a little from far away, and a tiny bit of liquid (like a piece of mist) got on the element...and left a spot as if you were to blow and get spit on it...so I had to breath on the lens and wipe it off with lens tissue.

I usually just "HHHHHH" and wipe with lens tissue. Real easy.

 

[fatsheep]

When I cleaned the lens with the lens paper and cleaning solution, it left some light streaks that are only visible under a bright light and at the right. Is this normal? It doesn't seem serious enough to affect picture quality...