I obtained a most of my information on this from the scientific suppliers.
I bought a 20 litre drum of IPA (industrial grade) for about US$40. I use it for general electronics work. A lot cheaper than buying it in aerosol or 1 litre containers retail priced.
The pricing for technical grade was about 20 times more.
To the previous poster, sure harded multicoated optical glass is supposed to be tough but if you have the right piece of grit hanging around it will scratch it. Q tips are not guaranteed to be clean and this is what I scratched my optics with. Micro scratches but still visble under bright light.
cactusclay wrote:
I said this once before and the mods deleted it, I guess thinking it was bad advise, but I'll say it again. For twenty five years I've been cleaning my lenses and sun glasses with my breath and a lens cloth. The sensor has a glass cover, just like a lens and a pair of good sunglasses. They make a silk like cloth called dust off that works perfect. I just blow all the dust off and breath my breath and wipe it clean with the dust off cloth. You can wrap the cloth around a Q tip to make it easier. There are no fibers to be left behind with the cloth. It's made by Luminex.
Edited by cactusclay on Mar 09, 2006 at 05:13 PM GMT...Show more →
I expect the filter in front of the sensor is quite delicate, so a nylon brush or swab would be okay with only light pressure. But heavy handedness could break it. I would be inclined to use methods tested by others rather than experiment.
I expect the filter in front of the sensor is quite delicate, so a nylon brush or swab would be okay with only light pressure. But heavy handedness could break it. I would be inclined to use methods tested by others rather than experiment.
Leif
Again, harkening back to my astronomy background, what should be done is the glass coating on the front of the sensor have multi dielectric coatings (sometimes as many as 40-80+). This is common on high end filters and star diagonals in astronomy; gives the benefit of high percentage of light throughput or reflection, depending on purpose, and is extremely tough... supposed to be able to withstand sandpaper... not that I've ever tested that claim!
Anyway if the sensor front had these coatings it sure would aleviate a lot of trepidation concerning delicate surfaces... problem? $$$. It would add a couple hundred dollars to the price of the camera.
Acetone will dry film free, that the reason it is used, as far as plastics yeah some , use a medical grade type of Qtip usually has a 8" wood handle , Just dip the very tip in the acetone , as it will wick up the swab. this has all be discussed before.
You are mixing up reflective dielectric coatings and optical antireflection coatings.
Dielectric coatings are tough but not as tough as the claim you quoted. I can show you a scratched dielectric mirror that was cleaned with a clean cotton cloth with the lightest of pressure.
The image sensor cover plate is hard multicoated.
Tom,
Acetone will not necessarily dry film free. Depends on the Acetone which you didn't specify.
Medical grade Q tips are not guaranteed to be particulate (read grit) free.
I suppose it is always hard to filter out the facts with so many posts that get around on this subject. Nothing like experience. Been there done that.
BOTTOM LINE IS DO YOU KNOW WHAT ABRASIVE COMPOUNDS ARE HANGING AROUND WHEN YOU ARE CLEANING YOUR OPTICS? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS OF COURSE NO.
CLEANING IS ALWAYS A GAMBLE AND IS BEST AVOIDED IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
