chippy65 wrote:
anyone have any views on the use of eyewear cleaning wipes on camera lens / screens ?
the type I use are pre-moistened in a tear open sachet, using ( i think) iso propanol. work excellently on spectacle lenses
I have used them on binoculars ,telescopes, rifle sights laptop screens etc. Do camera lens differ significantly from prescription lenses, which are also
often bloomed /coated?
Many years ago, there was a dry blue lens cleaning paper product called Sight Savers. It contained silicon, an abrasive. It was okay for polishing uncoated GLASS eyeglass lenses, but it RUINED many camera lenses' coatings. I had a manager who ruined (scratched) one of my lenses with it! He was nice, and had it repaired at his expense.
Today, many pre-moistened isopropyl wipes are available. The vast majority of them are safe for coated optics, if you're gentle! My favorite wipes, though, are from
http://photosol.com/products/ (ewipes). They contain methyl and ethyl alcohols, and use extremely soft, lint-free paper. They are made SPECIFICALLY for fine coated optics, like the Zeiss wipes.
Whatever you do, follow standard "blow, brush, wipe, blow" lens cleaning procedures:
Blow off surface dust with a Giotto Rocket Blower or similar blower bulb. If particles remain, gently brush them with a fine camel hair brush. Then, to remove fingerprints, pollution film, food, mud, and other stuck-on grime, use a wipe, starting in the center of the lens and spiraling outward, VERY gently. Turn the wipe over and use the other side to wipe again, if needed. Repeat with a second wipe, only if needed. Finally, blow off any remaining lint, using the blower bulb.
I ALWAYS use a lens hood if one is available for my lens. I'd rather clean a clear protector than the front element of my lenses. So, I will use a clear glass protector in hazardous environments. Otherwise, I use only CPL and various ND filters when needed. I don't use UV filters below 6000 feet, and I don't use any other hardware filters for digital imaging.