cleaning glass

DoctorIt

so should i use vinegar and newspaper?

Funny I should join this forum this morning when last night i was randomly searching for tips on lens cleaning. I work in a research lab and have ready access to acetone, lenswipes, and even a filtered source of compressed air. From what I read up, I'm in an ideal situation, right?

What do you guys do? Any tips on the finer details?

Shay Stephens

DoctorIt wrote:

so should i use vinegar and newspaper?

Funny I should join this forum this morning when last night i was randomly searching for tips on lens cleaning. I work in a research lab and have ready access to acetone, lenswipes, and even a filtered source of compressed air. From what I read up, I'm in an ideal situation, right?

What do you guys do? Any tips on the finer details?

If you refer to cleaning the glass of a lens, then I would recommend steamy breath and a microfiber cloth. Others will recommend using a lenspen.

Remember that a lens will typically have a coating of some kind. So solvents that could potentially eat away that coating should be avoided like the plague. And any tissue or cloth you use should be soft and non scratching and for use with a lens.

DoctorIt

Shay Stephens wrote:

If you refer to cleaning the glass of a lens, then I would recommend steamy breath and a microfiber cloth. Others will recommend using a lenspen.

Remember that a lens will typically have a coating of some kind. So solvents that could potentially eat away that coating should be avoided like the plague. And any tissue or cloth you use should be soft and non scratching and for use with a lens.

On the topic of solvents, I obviously know that organic solvents will eat away lens coatings. But when your four legged furball subject sneezes on your lens, a brush ain't gonna do it. I read that acetone is ok, and in fact the basis for most "lens cleaning solutions" sold in shops, as well as what professional cleaners use if you send your lens away. I'm no chemist, but I work with them everyday, and we have microscopes worth mucho $$$. If acetone is ok for those optics, isn't it ok for my Canon lens?

Shay Stephens

DoctorIt wrote:

On the topic of solvents, I obviously know that organic solvents will eat away lens coatings. But when your four legged furball subject sneezes on your lens, a brush ain't gonna do it. I read that acetone is ok, and in fact the basis for most "lens cleaning solutions" sold in shops, as well as what professional cleaners use if you send your lens away. I'm no chemist, but I work with them everyday, and we have microscopes worth mucho $$$. If acetone is ok for those optics, isn't it ok for my Canon lens?

The lens pen has a brush and a cleaning compound, it's not just a brush. But pure acetone or regent grade acetone and pure anhydrous alcohol are used with success too.

I am the most leary of acetone especially around plastics. I am more comfortable with pure alcohol, and have no reservations against steamy breath. Use only as much solvent power as is needed. If you have something on the lens that will only be removed using acetone, then by all means use it, but I wouldn't use it for regular cleaning (a personal choice).

DoctorIt

Shay Stephens wrote:

The lens pen has a brush and a cleaning compound, it's not just a brush. But pure acetone or regent grade acetone and pure anhydrous alcohol are used with success too.

I am the most leary of acetone especially around plastics. I am more comfortable with pure alcohol, and have no reservations against steamy breath. Use only as much solvent power as is needed. If you have something on the lens that will only be removed using acetone, then by all means use it, but I wouldn't use it for regular cleaning (a personal choice).

I'm going to check out this lens pen - sounds pretty cool.

I will add one thing - plastics are something I know a fair bit about and I can assure you that acetone will not harm the thermoplastics used in your lens. My research is in polymer processing, and I routinely use acetone to clean surfaces that I'm either placing samples on, or even on the die surfaces as samples are made.

thanks for the tips! i'll be less hesitant to breathe on my lens and give it a wipe for routine cleaning (with my nice Zeiss, cloth of course). And again, I was just using a solvent cause my dog snotted all over it. Ewwww. The resulting pic was fun though:

ian408

Erick,

Just put some peanut butter on the lens and let fido clean it for you

Cool dog! It looks like the doggie is sticking its tounge out at you...

Ian