Recommended Optical Cleaning Solution

Sounds like a product for cleaning spectacles. If the solution contains silicone, that substance is generally not recommended for camera lenses, though I don't know why. I use methyl, ethyl, or isopropyl alcohol to clean my lenses. Use as pure a product as possible such as lab grade alcohol and 99% if you can find it. I use a product called Eclipse (methyl alcohol first solution)
 
Never ever clean optics with any kind of alcohol as you never know if they are made fully or partly out of plastics! Alcohol will make fog like stains on plastic optics and damage them beyond recovery.
Ether (without alcohol added!) can be used for cleaning on any kind of optics. And of course ether have to be handled and stored properly.
If you are not able to get Ether you can try buying cleaning solution which is guaranteed for cleaning of multi coated eye glasses.
 
Lab grade Acetone on a Q-tip, followed by distilled water w/ a drop or two of liquid dishwasing detergent in the bottle on same. Two applications of each work just fine on lenses and filters. Dry w/ other end of Q-tip after each application.
 
Robert Hooper said:
Sounds like a product for cleaning spectacles. If the solution contains silicone, that substance is generally not recommended for camera lenses, though I don't know why.
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It attracts dust. No matter when it comes to glass with skin contact like spectacles (or an eye piece) which have to be cleaned before each and every use, but not desirable on a lens.

Robert Hooper said:
I use methyl, ethyl, or isopropyl alcohol to clean my lenses. Use as pure a product as possible such as lab grade alcohol and 99% if you can find it. I use a product called Eclipse (methyl alcohol first solution)
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Do never use alcohol on (assembled) lenses. All alcohols will affect the weak bindings in acrylic, causing permanent damage to plastic lenses and lens cement - even the fumes can sometimes cause permanent fogging in acrylic elements further down inside the lens.

Kodak lens cleaner (IIRC now marketed by Tiffen) is safe and widely available.

Sevo
 
Bill58 said:
Lab grade Acetone on a Q-tip,
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Please don't. That is even worse than alcohol - it will not only immediately turn acrylic lens cement and acrylic lenses into jelly, but it may also strip lens rim paint and dissolve old epoxy and canada rosin cements.

Sevo
 
"My" method was recommended on the Leica User's Group (LUG) several years ago, and I've used it on all my vintage lenses w/ zero problems.
 
sjw617 said:
Acetone is a solvent and known carcinogen (causes cancer).

Steve
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Hmmm? Let's not frighten folks unnecessarily.

Generally speaking, acetone is not particularly toxic unless ingested in large quantities or breathed at high concentrations for prolonged periods, and neither it nor other small ketones are known to be carcinogenic. Acetone can, however, be irritating when breathed. Actually, acetone is produced from normal metabolism, and your body disposes of it with no problem; but I digress.

When used for quick applications like removing nail polish or cleaning a lens, one should not have a problem.

Me? When I need to clean a lens, which is rarely, I blow/brush off any debris, breath on it, then wipe up with a microfiber cloth.

Cheers,

David
 
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