DIY Lens Cleaner

[MJ2020]

Has anyone tried to make a lens cleaner solution? I use altura which contains no alcohol and a small bottle (2oz) costs around $10. The listed ingredients are sodium sulfite 1%, ammonia 0.5%, and water.

 

[Space Face]

I make my own. I call it spit

 

[480sparky]

I wear mine. Tucked into the waist of my pants.

 

[petrochemist]

If you try making it to that formula, you need to be very careful what you use for 'water'.
Normal distilled water still has dissolved impurities that will leave residues on your glass, tap water is a complete non starter.

In situations where truly pure water is required there's typically a resistivity specification of 18 megaohms. I think triple distilled water might just meet this, but I used resin exchange cartridges when I made my own. At work our usage has now dropped so we buy in ultra pure water at up to £13 a liter (roughly $5 a pint)

 

[mjcmt]

I'd be careful of your lens coatings. Is it worth it?

 

[MJ2020]

If you try making it to that formula, you need to be very careful what you use for 'water'.
Normal distilled water still has dissolved impurities that will leave residues on your glass, tap water is a complete non starter.

In situations where truly pure water is required there's typically a resistivity specification of 18 megaohms. I think triple distilled water might just meet this, but I used resin exchange cartridges when I made my own. At work our usage has now dropped so we buy in ultra pure water at up to £13 a liter (roughly $5 a pint)

Thanks for the good info. I was planning on using "smartWater" which is vapor distilled water. But I see that it also contains calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and potassium bicarbonate.

 

[JBPhotog]

Ask yourself if the coatings on your lenses are worth the price of a bonafide bottle of lens cleaner that cost @$10? It doesn't take too long to come to the conclusion that replacing lenses is not the economical approach.

Seriously, I have owned a 37ml bottle of Kodak lens cleaning fluid for @ 45 years and it still has a few drops in it. I also bought a bottle to ROR @ 10 years ago and it is going strong. So little of it is needed to actually clean a lens properly therefore, lens cleaning fluid is not the place to be looking to save money.

 

[MJ2020]

Ask yourself if the coatings on your lenses are worth the price of a bonafide bottle of lens cleaner that cost @$10? It doesn't take too long to come to the conclusion that replacing lenses is not the economical approach.

Seriously, I have owned a 37ml bottle of Kodak lens cleaning fluid for @ 45 years and it still has a few drops in it. I also bought a bottle to ROR @ 10 years ago and it is going strong. So little of it is needed to actually clean a lens properly therefore, lens cleaning fluid is not the place to be looking to save money.

I have expensive lenses but I also have other lenses and cameras that I wouldn't mind cleaning with a DIY cleaner. I was hoping to create a discussion on formulas and alternatives to commercial products. It's not about saving money but experimenting and staying away from consumerism. BTW, I use about 1oz a year only cleaning the lenses I'm going to shoot. Some are big lenses.

 

[480sparky]

I have some expensive lenses, and I have some über-cheap lenses. But the cheap ones aren't easily replaced.... some would cost several month's house payments to get another copy these days.

It's simply not worth my time to experiment with lens cleaners. For the cost of lunch at the Golden Arches Supper Club, you can get decent cleaning solutions at any camera store (brick-n-mortar or online).

 

[JBPhotog]

Ask yourself if the coatings on your lenses are worth the price of a bonafide bottle of lens cleaner that cost @$10? It doesn't take too long to come to the conclusion that replacing lenses is not the economical approach.

Seriously, I have owned a 37ml bottle of Kodak lens cleaning fluid for @ 45 years and it still has a few drops in it. I also bought a bottle to ROR @ 10 years ago and it is going strong. So little of it is needed to actually clean a lens properly therefore, lens cleaning fluid is not the place to be looking to save money.

I have expensive lenses but I also have other lenses and cameras that I wouldn't mind cleaning with a DIY cleaner. I was hoping to create a discussion on formulas and alternatives to commercial products. It's not about saving money but experimenting and staying away from consumerism. BTW, I use about 1oz a year only cleaning the lenses I'm going to shoot. Some are big lenses.

You have to consider that commercial fluids are heavily filtered and will not contain any crystalline chemicals that can scratch the coating on your lenses. A DIY cleaner will not be possible to achieve the same standards.

 

[Derrel]

How is Everclear?

I seldom(read never) need lens cleaner...normally use a huff of breath..still have some Kodak lens cleaning fluid from 1987...last used it when the Bill Clinton impeachment hearings were on. I remember i accidentally got some fried chicken grease on the front of my old 50mm f/2.

I remember hearing that a really good lens cleaning fluid was sold by Edmund Scientific.

Since i adopted microfiber cleaning cloths around 2001, i have had absolutely no use for any type of liquid lens cleaner.

 

[greybeard]

I huff on it and wipe it with my tee shirt. I have a UV filter on all my lenses. I know, I know, it just makes me feel better doing it this way.

 

[AlanKlein]

I huff on it and wipe it with my tee shirt. I have a UV filter on all my lenses. I know, I know, it just makes me feel better doing it this way.

I have all these cleaning materials in my bag and then do your approach most of the time in the field. I might blow on it first to get the major dust off. Then huff and wipe. I don;t wear a t shirt anymore so I'll use a clean handkerchief in my back pocket.

Officially when less rushed, I use Zeiss lens cleaner with a lens cleaning cloth to clean my glasses as well as the lenses. If I foolishly ate an ice cream cone while shooting pictures, I might need a drop of ROR.

 

[mrca]

Distilled water and Qtips. Work in circles. I keep a filter on my front element. I just sold some lenses that were 10 years old and when I took of the clear filter, the front element looked like new. I don't mind cleaning and possibly scratching a filter. And I have 3 broken filters on my desk where the filter took the impact and not a front element.