Is this bad for the lens??

[Phazan]

I was just wondering, what to do if certain things happen to the lens. I was taking macro pictures of water, today, and I got a few drops on the lense. Should I just let it dry? Or do I need to do something about it? Also, I heard fingerprints can be bad for the lens too. What should I do if I get a really small one? Is it safe to leave it if you can't see anything when the picture turns out? Thanks for any help!!!

 

[Alex_B]

get some good cloth for cleaning lenses and do it.

breathe on the lens and rub gently with the cloth.
if you don't rub on the lens like a devil, it should be non-destructive

if the water was clean, let it dry and wipe off the residues. if it was mud however, there might be sand in it and you should be careful.

lenses have rather sturdy coatings these days, damage is not easily done.

 

[rmh159]

Yeah I wouldn't sweat it. Use a cleaning kit that you can buy almost anywhere that sells cameras and a bit of common sense and you should be ok. It's probably a good idea to keep it as clean as possible even if you don't notice it affecting your pics.

 

[ahelg]

If you're paranoid like me you could always put a UV filter on your lens to protect it.

 

[Alex_B]

If you're paranoid like me you could always put a UV filter on your lens to protect it.

but then you buy expensive filters like me and you wonder how to best clean them without scratching.

 

[EBphotography]

Lens cloths are very nice, but like Alex said, be careful of dirt.

 

[Phazan]

Ok, thanks guys for the help. I have been paranoid with this camera ever since I got it! I find myself checking 5 times to make sure the batteries are in the right way!
But, is there anything I can clean it off temporarly with that I might already have at home?
Thanks for all the help.

 

[Alex_B]

Ok, thanks guys for the help. I have been paranoid with this camera ever since I got it! I find myself checking 5 times to make sure the batteries are in the right way!
But, is there anything I can clean it off temporarly with that I might already have at home?
Thanks for all the help.

are you wearing glasses? if so, you could use the cloth you clean them with ...

 

[Phazan]

^No, I don't wear glasses, but I DO have a cloth that is used to clean woodwind instruments. It's used to take all the fingerprints to make them look nice. Will that work?

 

[PetersCreek]

Careful there. If it's similar to cleaning cloths I've used, such a cloth could be impregnated with silicone to inhibit rust and make the instrument look shiny. Not good for use on optical surfaces.

You want a plain, unenhanced, unadulterated microfiber cleaning cloth. Your cloth could fit the bill...but me...I'd obtain one specifically for optics. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Funky]

Today i got mud on my 28-110 and i had to rub it off with my shirt...it hurt me to see but i had to.

 

[jack lumber]

Can anyone one please tell me the correct way to wash a microfibre cloth.
Would it be better to use distilled water and a mild soap,,,or can I just toss it in with the blue jeans?

 

[ironsidephoto]

i put UV filters on all of my lenses full time just for this reason.
you can't tell a difference in the image, really. acutally i think the picutres look better with them. and they can be cleaned more easily and replaced for a whole lot cheaper than a lens. but i don't think you should have any trouble with that little bit of water.

 

[kwjones]

Can anyone one please tell me the correct way to wash a microfibre cloth.
Would it be better to use distilled water and a mild soap,,,or can I just toss it in with the blue jeans?

When I got my glasses, they told me that I could wash it with my normal laundry AS LONG as I didn't use liquid fabric softener, and to let it air dry instead of tossing it in the dryer with everything else and a dryer sheet. Fabric softener and dryer sheets will leave a residue on the cloth that doesn't come off of glasses very easily. I would say to hand wash it in the sink with some woolite, rinse well, like 3 or 4 times, and air dry, but that's just my opinion. I've used shampoo and hand soap before when I didn't have any liquid laundry detergent.

I've got some Zeiss lens cleaner towlettes that my mom sent me, like the kind you use on your hands and face, but I only use them on my glasses. I find that they tend to leave a residue behind as well even though they're supposed to be designed for coated optics. I keep a few in my camera bag just to clean my glasses before I start shooting pics.