My lens looks worse AFTER i clean it..

T

Thisisaline

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I just got a used 50 summicron and proceeded to clean it a little before putting on a filter.. As recommended by many, including the always trustworthy Mr Tom A, I used my breath with a micro-fiber cloth.. But the lint from the cloth keeps getting stuck to the surface and even using a blower doesn't seem good enough to get it all away.. What do most of you do about it?
 
I use Lens-Pen with breath, But I make sure the lens-pen's cleaning suface is clean and free of obstacles. Of course that's after using brush and air blower to remove dust from the lens surface first.
 
coelacanth said:
I use Lens-Pen with breath, But I make sure the lens-pen's cleaning suface is clean and free of obstacles. Of course that's after using brush and air blower to remove dust from the lens surface first.
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I have a lens pen but i've read too many people advise against it, especially on leicas which most people give particular care to..
 
Thisisaline said:
I have a lens pen but i've read too many people advise against it, especially on leicas which most people give particular care to..
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know where you are coming from. I should say I'd be extra careful if I have to deal with older Leica lenses with softer coatings.

On the other hand, I've never had problem with newer glasses with more durable coatings. I still think that the key is to clean the glass with air (not canned one) and brush first.

Well, I'm mainly clean once, put UV filter on, carry everywhere w/o cap person so I guess I don't clean the lens often enough to see the longevity effect...
 
micro fiber cloth should most certainly not be leaving behind lint!

i use breath and cotton q-tips. works like a charm.
 
Yea, i think i should get a proper brush and try again.. And with the other, presumably better micro-fiber cloth that I've just remembered I've got.. Think i should give it a dab of lens fluid while I'm at it? There are a couple of small spots on it that don't seem to go away with breath and micro-fiber.. Though i'm honestly unsure whether they'd go away with the fluid...
 
I just hope I don't wreck it somehow.. It's a 1970, v3 in most people's books, apparently using harder coating unlike the versions before.. Whatever it is, it still makes me kinda nervous everytime i attempt to clean a lens, let alone this one...
 
Get a new lens cleaning cloth. I use pro-master ones, but you can get them from eye-glass makers, too. I usually throw mine away after using them for a while. Fingers leave grease on them, and washing them makes them loose dust and lint.

If the lens doesn't clean with cloth and breath, use a drop of iso-propanol or Vodka. Only a drop, though. V3 does have good coatings, so the risk is not very big.

Roland.
 
Volk Optics makes individually packaged cleaning pads for their medical optics that work like a charm. I blow off the surface dust, use a soft brush, then clean gently with one of those pads.

I try to clean each of my lenses once every year or two ;>) The less, the better.
 
Much good advice above. What I have always used is Kodak cleaning tissue. Roll a sheet from top to bottom. Tear it in half. Where the tear is, you have two feathered edges that are very useful as a cleaning brush. They are very cheap one-time use cleaning brushes. You don't have to worry about them collecting contaminates over time. Of course, use a blower before doing that, and again after. Then put a small amount of lens cleaning fluid (again, I try to use Kodak) on another tissue and clean the lens. Do again if needed.

This has worked for me for many years since I read about it in one of the photo mags about 30 years ago. A well known camera repair person used to write in his books, about the use of filters (of course, this is almost a religious preference, for or against), keep the lens clean, don't keep cleaning the lens. So I agree with your use of a filter to protect the lens after it is cleaned. Not every one does.
 
if my lens gets very dirty (that happens rare because I baby them :p ), I use micro-fiber cloth and warm water with little dishwashing soap mixed on the lens surface. not soaking the lens of course. once dried, normal breath and micro-fiber, if still needed.
 
In the days when we thought all lenses since 1950 had hard coatings, we used to clean them with a variety of things without worrying. And guess what? We didn't damage them.

This 'soft coating' idea is basically twaddle for the vast majority of factory-coated lenses since the middle of World War Two. Yes, later coatings are even harder, but any reasonably careful way of cleaning any reasonably good-quality factory-coated lens since about 1943 will not damage it. Careless cleaning is another matter, but any system involving initial brushing and then a soft, clean cloth will work.

If you don't believe me, consider how many 1950s, 60s and 70s lenses are still pristine. Do you REALLY believe that this was because they were never cleaned? (Or never used?) More likely they were cleaned carefully...

Cheers,

R.
 
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Looks like i'm a get myself a new micro fiber and a brush.. I have noticed though that there are divided views about what 'liquids' to use to help clean lenses..
 
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