What to Clean With?

Trapshooter · February 14, 2011

What can you use to clean the filter on your lenses? I have a micro-fiber towel for dust but it will not remove the smudges and I do not know what to use. I do not want to use any type of chemical that will damage the filter and I do not want to scratch it. Thanks for your help.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Art Scott · February 14, 2011

Zeiss pre wetted lens cloths from your neighbot hood walmart optical center or sams club....inexpensive and works real real...I have even cleaned a sensor filter when i was in a bind and had nothning else to clean with,,,,,,,,,also good for eye glasses and lenses...............................

aquaticvideographer · February 14, 2011

I also use a micro-fiber towel wetted with a little bit of Tiffen lens cleaner fluid, both of which I purchased from my local camera shop.

I've heard that it's best practice to use compressed air to blow dust off of the filter/lens surface before wiping but I haven't picked up a can recently.

The fluid + micro-fiber towel seems to work well and it's a cheap way to do it. Towel cost $5, more solution than I will ever need cost $5.

paddler4 · February 14, 2011

If I can, I first blow the surface clean with a rocket blower, or if I can't do that, I brush it lightly. Then I use old-fashioned lens paper with lens cleaning solution. May be better options now (would be curious to hear), but I have been doing this for decades, and it usually works well. I use a microfiber for the lcd, but they accumulate dirt over time, and I want something pristine for the filter.

insanefred · February 14, 2011

I was told by Tokina/Hoya lens service department that they highly recommend Eclipse and Pec pads. I have yet to use them, but I will soon.
For in the field use, I just use Sight Savers, and so far they work great!
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT] Or whenever I have more time, I use ROR with a micro fiber clothe.

Overfocused · February 14, 2011

All micro fiber cloths are not equal, just as not all filters are equal. You must find a brand you know works. Most cheap brands do not make cloths of a high quality and their fiber manufacturing methods actually leave them of little more effectiveness relative to a standard cotton cloth. They don't do what they're supposed to because they're manufactured cheaply.

There are generally 2 categories of microfiber cloth, 1 aimed for dusting, and one for polishing. There are solutions in the middle as well, but I'd recommend a blower + polishing cloth that does remove fingerprints.

Starfiber (also known as aquastar) is one of the best brands out there:

http://www.starfibers.com/shop/cleaning/glass-cloth.html

I have a "window and mirror cloth" as the package reads from Aquastar, and it literally sucks up oils, removing them without and liquids, rather than spreading it around the lens like most microfiber cloths do. Even cloths from name brands such as Kinetronics do a poor poor job. I have a $12 "anti static microfiber cloth" from Kinetronics, and frankly, its crap. It doesn't remove oils, it smears them around, and it does not suck up dust statically charged to the lens, at all. Its just... crap! lol. Last month I got sick of all my cloths having such a low effectiveness at removing oils, and I finally found Starfibers and gave them a shot. They work extremely well unlike any cloth I've ever used in the past, and I've used quite a few.

BTW, don't wash microfiber towels with detergent, it ruins the effectiveness of the towels by clogging the small particle-snatching pockets in the structure of the fibers. Most of the time you can just swish them around in a bowl of hot water, or if its a dusting cloth just shake it out outside. It is wonderful seeing oils disappear without fluids in a few rubs that take just seconds.

edit - Here's the exact item I bought: http://cgi.ebay.com/3-STARFIBER-Microfiber-Cleaning-Cloths-Glass-/250773834488?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a63490af8

One side is for polishing, and the other is good for dusting. It's been fantastic. The dusting side leaves a little bit of lint if you don't wash the cloth first, but, that lint doesn't cling like the lint from other towels I have and wipes right off. Its so nice

studio1972 · February 15, 2011

Whatever bit of clothing I have attached to me at the time!

cmason · February 15, 2011

I use a micro fiber in a pinch, and a for a really sparkly clean, I use the Eclipse and PecPad from my "Copperfield cleaning kit"

knapph · February 21, 2011

Zeiss Lens Cleaners
I will second the Zeiss cleaners from WalMart. Always keep a few in whatever camera carrier I have with me. Also good for glasses and cell phone screens.

ImageX Photography · March 29, 2011

Trapshooter wrote: »

What can you use to clean the filter on your lenses? I have a micro-fiber towel for dust but it will not remove the smudges and I do not know what to use. I do not want to use any type of chemical that will damage the filter and I do not want to scratch it. Thanks for your help.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Lenspen

chrisjohnson · March 29, 2011

ImageX Photography wrote: »

Lenspen

I use a cloth marketed by Optex, made in Korea. Seems to work fine. Needs to be breathed on; in extreme cases I use a dab of 96% alcohol mix from my local pharma store.

What to Clean With?

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