lenspen…how to use it?

back alley

back alley

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someone gave me a couple of lenspens and they have just been sitting here…is there a 'trick' to using them?
anything i should know about them before using them?
 
yes…it's called a lenspen…i did some net searching but nothing very clear was found.
it also has a nice brush on the other end of it...
 
I use such a pen for sensor cleaning to remove large particles. Then I use a rocket blower.
 
The best way I have found to use a lens pen is to throw it away.. They collect dust and will scratch the lens..
 
The official way to use it, if I remember the package instructions is something like this:

Use the brush end to flick large particles off the lens surface. I usually use canned air for this purpose, if available.

Then use the carbon pad end to remove any areas of grease / dirt. Usually the entire lens surface is not covered with grime, so consider this to be more for spot cleaning. You clean the pad surface by putting the cap on, and rotating the cap. The dirt and contaminants are supposed to drop off with the carbon particles, while you recharge the surface with new carbon particles. I find the concave surface of the carbon pad to be a good fit to some very convex lens surfaces. An example would be the rear surface of the Zeiss ZM 21mm f/2.8 Biogon.

If there is a large surface to be cleaned, then it would be prudent to use lens cleaning fluid and lens paper first to degrease the area.

The carbon seems to be effective at removing grease and small stuck on gunk. It also acts as a black "filler" for small scratches to make them less noticeable. If the carbon particles bothers you, then you can always use canned air to blow them off.
 
Nothing wrong with them if used sensibly - i.e. clean the lens with the brush first and make sure no grit is on the lens, and cap the pad end immediately after use. I've been using them for years (on very expensive lenses).

Modern lens coatings are tough - it amuses me to see how unnecessarily worried people get about lens surfaces! Treat them with respect but there's no need to molly coddle them. If lens coatings were as delicate as some think, the manufacturers would stick a filter on themselves!

Try this experiment: ask your local camera shop for a freebie unwanted lens, then try to scratch the surface. It's surprisingly difficult! I did this experiment some years back, and even sandpaper left the glass unmarked!
 
I find that after a while the brush becomes greasy (presumably by inadvertently touching it) and the grease gets transferred to the lens surface.
 
I always thought they were more than claimed until I tried one quite recently.

Just last month there were a bunch in a sales bin, so I thought: what the heck! I only tried it on a clapped out old Nikkor and I was shocked. Now, I'm not suggesting running it across a Noctilux right out of the box, but for those old garage sale finds ... You might be pleasantly surprised!
 
They seem like a bad idea and I was leary of them for years, then I tried one. The ones I've had work amazingly well at removing the oily residue that naturally builds up on exposed surfaces.

Like any lens cleaning method, you need to use some common sense. I seem to remember that Roger Cicala, the Lens Rentals guy, talked about them in his blog post on lens cleaning. It is worth looking up. He is almost excessively cautious, but thorough, which makes sense because of the nature of his business.
 
I have been confused about this product for years. I watched a demo by the factory rep at a show. He cleaned a dirty lens impressively.

Instructions:
- remove large loose things with the brush
- give the cap a quarter turn to clean the tip, remove the cap
- then use the tip to clean the lens.

Go in circles? or center to edge? I can't remember.

Some serious photographers with street cred have been saying "use it on your sensor, it's terrific." Didn't sound right to me, it's not the manufacturer's recommendation, but it's from some serious shooters.

I try hard to keep my lenses clean instead. I use Sensor Swabs and Eclipse on my sensors.
 
Lenspen have a product called sensorklear that looks similar but is for sensors. I have used it for several years and it works very well for stubborn debris and a lot easier than the wet wipe process. One just has to be careful.
 
BTW, somebody might have already said, but I believe it has carbon powder of some sort. Not graphite, which would make a bit of a mess.
 
the powder it's got on gives u the same effect (in cleaning) as a piece of newspaper! So nevermind it because it needs some force in order to work which could lead into some serious scratching if there's still dust/dirt on the lens. Just use the brush, only for lenses to remove big particles of dust/dirt. Don't let anything near any sensor.

but then again, don't touch anything unless u see something's off in ur pictures
 
Mixed feelings about this product.

First as someone already stated, the brush, although it's collapsible into the pen's barrel picks up grease as soon as you touch it inadvertedly (yeah I got greasy fingers...), and smears the lens when you attempt to clear dust off.

Then the carbon dust part. It works.... yeah, but I wonder if there will not be some dust trapped in the soft covering, that will scratch the glass.

I'm quite hesitant to use it.....
 
RichC said:
Modern lens coatings are tough - it amuses me to see how unnecessarily worried people get about lens surfaces! Treat them with respect but there's no need to molly coddle them. If lens coatings were as delicate as some think, the manufacturers would stick a filter on themselves!
Click to expand...

Agreed! Tough as nails (or glass...)
 
I use my rocket blower and a sensor pen. I have the smaller version that can turn the tip for more maneuverability inside the camera. Here is the link to it:http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._LENSK1A_SensorKlear_II_with_Articulated.html

I change it after every 3 months and honestly this is the most secure way to clean my sensors on multiple cameras. I never have any grease issues and other methods have caused way more harm than this one. I always have this in my bag. It's great for any travel cleaning. No compressed air or butterfly brushes can compare.
 
ME, to knowledgeable camera store person: "Are these things safe for good lenses?"

Knowledgeable store person: "Yes."

Me: Would you use one on your lens?"

Knowledgeable store person: "No."

I use a Rocket blower, a brush, and microfiber cloth.
 
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