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I know this is quite a basic question, HOWEVER I was wondering if ppl out there had a preffered lens cleaning cloth etc? I have one but it seems to take a long time to get the lens pefectly clean. Anyone use/recommend a good lens cloth/brand? Thanks in advance.

Geoff,

I have found the Zeiss lens cleaning cloths invaluable. They don't scratch, work well to reduce marks (caerfully!) and are lint free. They cost around $7 - $10, depending on where you buy them.

Cheers

Michael

30 grit?

I've never bothered with lens cloths. I have some cleaning cloths that I got with glasses in the past - if they're good enough for the multi-coated glasses then IMO they are good enough for lenses.

Just a quick breath on the lens, and an equally quick wipe normally does the trick

Giotto for quick dust removal or a lens cloth from the local pharmacy, and when desperate pecpad and eclipse for greasy finger prints (yeah it does happen occasionally).

Cheers

I currently use a cloth thing that came with an ultra cheep lens cleaning kit. It leaves a fair bit of lint behind but can usually be blown off.

Sometimes i use a microfibre sunglasses bag.

Do u use a light spray of windex? Or will that hurt more than help?

Admajic,

NEVER use windex on lenses, PLEASE!!!!!

It has been known to obliterate the lens coating.

Cheers

Michael

Hell, it's even recommended that you don't use Windex et al on car window tinting as it can damage the tint!

I certainly wouldn't trust it on lenses.

Windex? On lens glass? NO WAY!!!

I use kimwipes

shutterbug wrote:I use kimwipes

Kimwipes?
What about Kathwipes?

Geoff wrote:Windex? On lens glass? NO WAY!!!

Don't you worry too much?
Just a light breath over the glass and with a soft cloth.

When my lenses were covered with salt spray last weekend I used a pec pad and some sensor cleaner which did the trick. I've also used Kimwipes.

stubbsy wrote:When my lenses were covered with salt spray last weekend I used a pec pad and some sensor cleaner which did the trick. I've also used Kimwipes.

I do the same

stubbsy wrote:When my lenses were covered with salt spray last weekend I used a pec pad and some sensor cleaner which did the trick. I've also used Kimwipes.

This has no ill effect on the lens coating?

The pec pad + sensor cleaner advice is well timed... I was careless a week or two ago when handling my 10.5 and accidently touched the front glass....

Have held off doing anything till I worked out how best to clean it... will try this.

DON'T FLOOD THE LENS WITH IT, or it might go inside

Got a good lens cleaning kit from Quality Camera a while back. It came with really good lens cloth, lint free tissue, à la pecpads, a small bottle of Formula MC and a little brush. All in an easy to carry container that I just keep in my mini-trekker. It was from copperhill, of sensor cleaning fame.

Info on the Formula MC can be found at http://www.pecaproducts.com/. From memory, it was around the $24 mark.

They also have the same cleaning kit:
http://www.pecaproducts.com/cleaning_kits.htm

HTH,

André

Appreciate the reminder, shutterbug - I do recall reading someone's woes in that regard.... will be extra frugal with the solution.

Cheers

ETA: I have both sensor cleaning fluid (from Birdy ) and Formula MC - do people recommend one over the other?

cyanide wrote:Appreciate the reminder, shutterbug - I do recall reading someone's woes in that regard.... will be extra frugal with the solution.

Cheers

ETA: I have both sensor cleaning fluid (from Birdy ) and Formula MC - do people recommend one over the other?

I don't use Formula MC, I have and gave it away.
I found Eclipse Fluid is more handy and easy cleaning.

Thanks, Birdy

I put the fluid onto the pad so it's hard to get too much on the lens.

The purest form of cleaning water soluble contamination is to use distilled water. Where do you get distilled water? From you. When you breathe on a lens the misting that appears is pure distilled water - cheap and effective. If the contaminants are oil based then an alcohol based cleaner must be used.