shattered UV filter and resulting lens scratch

[punch]

the drug store sells 95% rubbing alcohol, which is much stronger a solvent than the more typical 70% stuff. If you don't live in a state that banned it, you can also get 99% ethanol from the liquor store (White Lightning or Everclear brand spirits). I am not sure if ethanol or isopropyl would work better. I clean my lenses periodically with Onyx brand acetone which you can find in the cosmetics section at wal-mart. Acetone is actually a VERY strong solvent, which will strip away paints and finishes, so I can't really recommend it. Rubbing alcohol should be safe.I just use a cue tip and run it in a circular motion over the lens and then use a lens cloth to remove any stray fibers. Peanut oil is deff going to be a pain to remove.Why can't these kids use the barrel to focus like a normal person? Why do the fingers ALWAYS have to go on the front element?

I have 95% iso at work in the hood. I'll try that. Thanks again.

 

[mjhoward]

the drug store sells 95% rubbing alcohol, which is much stronger a solvent than the more typical 70% stuff. If you don't live in a state that banned it, you can also get 99% ethanol from the liquor store (White Lightning or Everclear brand spirits). I am not sure if ethanol or isopropyl would work better.

I clean my lenses periodically with Onyx brand acetone which you can find in the cosmetics section at wal-mart. Acetone is actually a VERY strong solvent, which will strip away paints and finishes, so I can't really recommend it. Rubbing alcohol should be safe.

Well... there goes your front element coating! Have you noticed increased flare and aberrations after removing the coating?

 

[rokvi]

Have children first then you can talk about raising them...

 

[Derrel]

Why was your toddler playing with a high priced lens?

You *obviously* do not have a kid.Or kids. lol!

 

[Overread]

Best thing for removing Oils would be a LensPen. They are made specifically to remove oils from the front of a lens and provided that you clean the front using a clear air blower and brush to ensure there are no debries, you should have no problems at all with the pen.

Rubbing alcohols and other stronger chemicals can be too strong and strip front element coatings on many lenses - best to avoid them and stick to regular camera specific cleaning solutions.

 

[unpopular]

^^ which are almost always isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)

 

[snowbear]

Soooo... when I look at my lens, it still looks streaky. I'm assuming that's the peanut butter oil... hard to get rid of. Any tips?

Let a Labrador Retriever lick it off.

 

[o hey tyler]

Well Ok, Unpopular... If you say so.

Because of my good habits and common sense, my camera gear will remain fully intact through my kids toddler years. I guess that would be due to my lack of carelessness with said gear.

 

[blackrose89]

Well Ok, Unpopular... If you say so. Because of my good habits and common sense, my camera gear will remain fully intact through my kids toddler years. I guess that would be due to my lack of carelessness with said gear.

So every time a child a drowns, burns their hand, breaks a bone it's always the fault of the parent? There are NO accidents when you're an attentive parent? Good to know! Looking forward to a lifetime of serenity and accident free events when I have children!

 

[unpopular]

I can 100% assure you that SOMETHING you like will be broken. Maybe not your camera, but something.

 

[Gaerek]

Well Ok, Unpopular... If you say so.

Because of my good habits and common sense, my camera gear will remain fully intact through my kids toddler years. I guess that would be due to my lack of carelessness with said gear.

I would consider myself an extremely attentive parent. That didn't stop me from turning my back on my daughter for literally 5 seconds while she opened the Disc tray on my XBox and stepped on it. Do you know how much Microsoft charges to replace the DVD drive on an XBox? I do now! It's $99, if anyone was wondering...heh. When you have a 2-4 year old running around, you'll understand that letting your guard down for mere seconds is enough for something very expensive to break.

And yes, I'm well aware that my XBox shouldn't have been near the floor. That's only the most recent example of something going wrong. As a parent, you have to be attentive 100% of the time to prevent accidents like what I and the OP have mentioned. The toddler only needs a few seconds for something disastrous to happen. Thankfully, she has yet to damage, or attempt to damage any of my photo gear, but I did (in a moment of laxness) see her pretending to be like me and taking pictured with my camera. Luckily nothing happened, but my heart skipped a few beats, lol.

 

[Overread]

I'm betting if they don't break it whilst younger a Wii (or whatever its called in the future) remote controller will be sent flying through something (window, TV, glass cabinet holding all those protected DSLR lenses).

^^ which are almost always isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)

True true, but it all depends on the strengths

 

[punch]

No one escapes parenthood unscathed. It's just a fact of life. A really, really sad fact.

But they also do cute crap and that's worth it.

 

[Overread]

The worst I recall doing was making a salt cake whilst learning how to cook. It wasn't totally my fault either, I mean how are the untrained supposed to know that tsp means teaspoon and not tablespoon when it comes to adding the salt to a chocolate cake

edit - oh and working out what the cigarette lighter in the car was far - burning finger tips!

 

[manaheim]

Why was your toddler playing with a high priced lens?

you're not a parent, eh?

I am. I have two children... and when they were young enough to not know better, my gear was well out of their way, and starting around 3 years of age or so, they were educated very pointedly on not touching things that do not belong to them in my office, and most specifically my camera gear. And even then, I still have kept it mostly well out of their way.

There's NO reason why you shouldn't be able to keep your kids from playing around with an expensive piece of equipment.

Of course, I also don't put protectors on the corners of my coffee table, latches on the cabinets and drawers, fences around the wood stove and outlet protectors either. Somehow, both my kids and my camera gear have survived their early childhood.