Lens Clens
Sep
15
2011
Figured I’d post up a small blurb about lens cleaning. I think most people probably get the el-cheapo lens cleaning kit that their local camera store sells, or if they get a camera package that comes with a cleaning kit, they use that. Which is ok, as long as your lens isn’t dirty. If you’re using coated filters (and nobody should be using lenses without filters, unless your lens physically can’t accept a filter), good luck cleaning them with the generic solution.
Lens Clens has been around for a few decades, and I recently bought a 1 pint bottle of it. With any luck it should last me many years, as at a little over $50 shipped it sure isn’t cheap.
Here’s a link: http://www.lensclens.com/products.html
When you’re cleaning your filters, it’s important not to scrub reallllly hard as you can actually rub off the coating. What I’ll do first when cleaning a lens/filter is to take a Giottos Rocket Blower and get rid of any large dust/particles on the glass, then take a Nikon Lens Pen and sweep away the rest with the bristled end. I then put Lens Clens on a cleaning pad and clean the lens, and then take another cleaning pad and dry the lens from the excess solution. After that is complete and the lens is clean, I’ll take a microfiber cloth and gently buff the glass until all the streaks/haze is gone. If need be, I’ll clean the lens again if I’m not happy that all the streaks are removed.
Depending on the filters you’re using, some are easier to clean than others….it really depends on the type of coating they have. My B+W’s seem to be easier to clean than the Hoya ones.
Remember, keep your glass clean; nothing worse than missing out on great shots because your glass is so dirty you can barely see through it!