p.1 #1 · How do you clean your front lens element?
I recently abandoned my front UV filters after having a situation where a shot was ruined at night due to flaring of several filamented light sources in the background. With the filters on I was careful about cleaning, but now I feel I have to even more careful not to create microscratches on the front element.
I was shooting at the beach the other day and can see small spots where sea mist has dried. I assume I will have to use a solution at this point instead of just a blower and brush.
What is the best technique for cleaning the front element?
If I need to clean the lens, I use this procedure:
1. First blow off any loose material with a good blower. Don't use your breath. I avoid compressed air too. A nice big blower is a good investment.
2. I use microfibre cleaning clothes and a bit of the spray my optometrist gives me with each pair of new glasses. Spray a bit on the cloth, and wipe gently. I don't spray on the glass itself because it's too much.
3. Gentle wiping with the slightly damp cloth is all it takes for 99% of dust, fingerprints, etc.
4. If there's serious oil, I use ROR (Residual Oil Remover) on a microfibre cleaning cloth.
p.1 #4 · How do you clean your front lens element?
Always use an air blower to remove as much from the surface as you can with air. Next use a fine hair brush to do a quick brush of the surface to remove anything that might to stuck to the surface. Then I just use lens cleaning fluid on a micro clothe to clean the surface.
If you have dried sea salt on the surface be very careful because quite often there might also be some fine sand as well.
p.1 #5 · How do you clean your front lens element?
Start with a blower. If a properly directed blow doesn't remove a stuck particle, then carefully remove it with a lens pen brush.
Finish with a disposable Zeiss lens wipe.
If you use a microfiber cloth, remember to wash it after every use. Otherwise you'd be rubbing your lens with all the dirt from previous cleanings.
p.1 #6 · How do you clean your front lens element?
I think we've all more-or-less developed similar routines. I use a blower quite extensively to start. Or, when my daughter was younger, ask her to do it. She loved the blower bulb...as a teenager, she's less thrilled by it
Then it's the brush from my LensPen to get the more stubborn stuff. I wipe with a clean microfibre cloth and then I use the cleaning tip of the LensPen. I use a circular motion with both of those, whether or not that makes any difference, it is what I do.
If there is still some streaking or I can tell there's a stubborn fingerprint or something out there, I bring out the big gun, Residual Oil Remover (ROR). The fluid is magic. I put a bit on a microfibre cloth, wipe the lens clean then quickly use the dry part of the cloth to wipe any remaining fluid or streaking. I also use ROR on my glasses and sunglasses if they get really dirty too. Basically, I panic when I don't have ROR somewhere in my travel kit so I always make sure I have a bottle around. It doesn't take much so it lasts a long time.
The key is also, I think, nice big microfibre cloths. I use the small ones I get with sunglasses or glasses for the wet, ROR part of my cleaning routine, but I have bigger cloths that I use on the lens element, switching to a clean part of the cloth with every wipe.
p.1 #7 · How do you clean your front lens element?
I'm a fan of the Zeiss wipes as well. Been through several hundred and haven't seen any scratches etc. ROR is great for stubborn spots, or Eclipse, the sensor cleaning stuff works well too on a Pec Pad.
RT-- wrote:
Start with a blower. If a properly directed blow doesn't remove a stuck particle, then carefully remove it with a lens pen brush.
Finish with a disposable Zeiss lens wipe.
If you use a microfiber cloth, remember to wash it after every use. Otherwise you'd be rubbing your lens with all the dirt from previous cleanings.
p.1 #8 · How do you clean your front lens element?
I've used the Zeiss wipes before, but many times when I'm done I can see streaks on the lens - or, more specifically, areas where I can see an iridescence where it dried.
p.1 #9 · How do you clean your front lens element?
For folks who use microfibre on the front element or on the filter, do you reuse them or just throw them away after one use? I reuse them on my filters and over time they cause hairlines on the filters.
p.1 #10 · How do you clean your front lens element?
saxguy wrote:
I've used the Zeiss wipes before, but many times when I'm done I can see streaks on the lens - or, more specifically, areas where I can see an iridescence where it dried.
I use the pre-packaged Zeiss wipes exclusively to clean lenses - Walmart sells a box of 100 for around $5. The trick to prevent streaks is to unwrap and unfold the wipe completely then use a rocket blower against it for about 10 seconds. That will dry off the excess alcohol. You then have about 20 seconds to use the wipe before it dries too much.
p.1 #11 · How do you clean your front lens element?
I buy HOYA HD3 super 32 layer coated and hardened UV filters for my lenses that accept filters. They’re anti static, resistant to scratches/abrasions and 4X stronger than optical glass. Then, in the field, I exhale on the filter and wipe it with a cloth-often my T shirt. HD3 filters are really tough!
p.1 #13 · How do you clean your front lens element?
As others, always start with a Blower or brush first. Get rid of the dust/sand. If I need liquid I start with Eclipse (Methanol) - dries very fast, dissolves most things, no residue. Wipe with clean microfiber. If I really can't get some smudge off a lens pen or ROR type cleaner. I've found most normal solutions leave a smear behind.
oh... and as others have said, don't get obsessive. It takes a LOT of dust and such to make a visible difference in the shot. Less so on the back element, don't forget to check it periodically.
p.1 #14 · How do you clean your front lens element?
If I recall correctly, don't some lenses have that T* coating or something that discourages the use of alcohol based wipes? Wondering if that's just outdated advice or if there is a worry off rubbing off manufacturer applies glass coating.
p.1 #15 · How do you clean your front lens element?
Zeiss wipes can leave streaks on the lens element that can lead to even more cleaning.
1. Use the blower first to detach any dry debris. If the spot remains,
2. Use a lens pens carbon tip to clean just the spot(s). ( Don't use the lens pen brush which can cause smear and even more cleaning)
p.1 #16 · How do you clean your front lens element?
To the OP... The beach is an example of one of the few places a UV or other "protective" filter makes sense. It's a bit ironic that you gave up the filters, went to the beach, and got some spots. I never use filters unless I'm in blowing sand, dust, or spray, salt or fresh water. Check Roger Cicala's blog. He has an article showing how UV filters degrade the image. Here's a link https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2017/05/yet-another-post-about-my-issues-with-uv-filters/
p.1 #17 · How do you clean your front lens element?
SoundHound wrote:
I buy HOYA HD3 super 32 layer coated and hardened UV filters for my lenses that accept filters. They’re anti static, resistant to scratches/abrasions and 4X stronger than optical glass. Then, in the field, I exhale on the filter and wipe it with a cloth-often my T shirt. HD3 filters are really tough!
The trick is not to use cheap filters and you never going to have a problem with image quality. Use Hoya or B+W and not only they not going to have any affect on your image but they will be water drop resistant and extremely easy to clean with just about any lens wipes. I put filter on every new lens I buy the day I get the lens, so I don't have a first hand experience with cleaning front glass, but Zeiss glass wipes work great on cleaning my filters and I assume they will do a good job on a front lens glass as well.
p.1 #18 · How do you clean your front lens element?
LBJ2 wrote:
Zeiss wipes can leave streaks on the lens element that can lead to even more cleaning.
1. Use the blower first to detach any dry debris. If the spot remains,
2. Use a lens pens carbon tip to clean just the spot(s). ( Don't use the lens pen brush which can cause smear and even more cleaning)
p.1 #19 · How do you clean your front lens element?
samosh wrote:
The trick is not to use cheap filters and you never going to have a problem with image quality. Use Hoya or B+W and not only they not going to have any affect on your image but they will be water drop resistant and extremely easy to clean with just about any lens wipes. I put filter on every new lens I buy the day I get the lens, so I don't have a first hand experience with cleaning front glass, but Zeiss glass wipes work great on cleaning my filters and I assume they will do a good job on a front lens glass as well. ...Show more →
I was using Breakthrough X4 UV filters. That's the one that caused the flaring issue I had during night time shooting with Edison bulb filaments in the near background.
p.1 #20 · How do you clean your front lens element?
LBJ2 wrote:
Zeiss wipes can leave streaks on the lens element that can lead to even more cleaning.
1. Use the blower first to detach any dry debris. If the spot remains,
2. Use a lens pens carbon tip to clean just the spot(s). ( Don't use the lens pen brush which can cause smear and even more cleaning)
