Photomacdog Loc: San Francisco (Bay Area) California

There have been a number of times that I have gone to the ocean or have gone on a shoot on a hot day, and had the camera body feel unclean or even sticky. I was wondering if any of you "Hogs", out there, clean the outside of your cameras, after a shoot. I would normally give my camera a good wipe with a terry towel. Would there be any advantage in wiping down the outside of the camera with a damp cloth, which has been well rung out, and then wiped down with a towel? What about using "denatured alcohol? Could any of these procedures be, in anyway, harmful to the camera?

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

I use a cloth just damp with inexpensive isopropyl alcohol (30% water) or more expensive 100% denatured alcohol.
Both evaporate quite quickly.

Photomacdog Loc: San Francisco (Bay Area) California

Thanks Nikonian, I knew I would get a well thought out answer from you.

IShootEverything Loc: TN

I wipe mine down before and after every shoot. I start with a well squeezed paper towel everywhere I can get. Then a micro fiber to get everywhere else. Then I take off the lens and clean the sensor chamber. Then I clean all my lenses. I just ues a (other than the paper towels) a micro fiber cloth.
Hope this helps.
P.S. I would not use denatured alcohol at all! I have seen that stuff at work and let me tell you, you will not want to toutch anything that stuff has been used on!!!

Photomacdog Loc: San Francisco (Bay Area) California

Thanks for the info, Ishootcanon. I am a little leery of using alcohol. I have the fear the alcohol might start dissolving some of the plastic parts of the camera.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

You should not use paper towel on cameras - quality micro fiber towels are superior to paper towels and they do not scratch unlike paper towels.

Hacksaw Loc: Pacific Northwest

I second that. Additionally, when washing mirco-fiber towels, do not use any kind of fabric softener whether it be liquid or dryer sheets; this will prevent any residue being left behind. Found out this little trick when using Invisible Glass on my vehicles.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

MF towels need to be washed alone and not mixed with other laundry.

Chris F. Loc: San Francisco

I typically clean the exterior by using a fresh cleaned, slightly dampened, cotton kitchen hand towel. By slightly dampened, I will usually wash my hands with soap and warm water and use the clean towel to dry off with. This is enough wetness for this purpose and my description on how wet the towel should be. I am super cautious and generally pretty careful in how I treat my gear. I find this works great.

Chris

zneb240 Loc: New South Wales - Australia

I firstly use a fairly large and very soft make-up brush....the type ladies use to powder their noses! Just ensure it's reasonable quality so that the soft bristles don't detach. As they're inexpensive and readily available, I replace it with a new one when I feel it's getting a little dirty. Then only if necessary, I follow this with a careful wipe-down with a very, very well rung-out water damped cloth. Over many years (and cameras) I've found this routine works a treat for both camera and lens bodies in dusty Australian conditions. :thumbup: Hope this helps.

Warren

IShootEverything Loc: TN

I never said to use a paper towels on the lense or anything that might get scratched. I only use them on the camera body which is plastic. And the only reason I use them at all is becausei can get them wet then throw them away.

johnst1001a Loc: West Chester, Ohio

As a former engineer in a paper manufacturing plant, paper towels will contain microscopic bits of dirt. Think about where paper comes from, trees of course, which are cut down, dragged in the dirt, stored on dirt, come in contact with dirty conveyors, are mostly debarked, but not completely, kind of like a potato, still has some bark left. It is processed in digesters which does nothing to get rid of the dirt. The fibers are washed on screens, but the dirt in this first phase stays on the paper fiber. The fiber is then sent through what are called centricleaners which remove about 95% of the dirt particles, but cannot get the very tiny ones, which by the way are not really harmful. So, then the pulp is washed again, bleached, and formed into paper, leaving this tiny amount of dirt. And then you use it to clean your $1000++ camera and lenses? Not me, not ever. Don't even use paper towels, napkins, or facial tissue to clean your glasses as it can scratch them as well.
Always use lens wipes, or any what's called non-woven material, made not from wood paper, but polypropylene fibers, which are far cleaner.

As for alcohol or soap, nope, not them either. Not sure what alcohol will do, and I know soap leaves film. Plain distilled water on a non-woven cloth, slightly damp, will probably be the way I would go. I have never cleaned the outside of my camera, it simply doesn't seem to get dirty. I use the lens wipes for the glass, but never the rear element, only the front clear lens filter. I don't use the lenses without the lens filters.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Giottos Rocket, microfiber cloth. Q-Tips come in handy.
Some alcohol if it's really dirty. Then I use some alcohol on the camera, too. :D

Jim Bob

I would not use alcohol as it tends to hardened and dry out surfaces nor paper towels that leave fibers behind. A lightly dampened (with water) microfiber cloth is all you need.

heyjoe Loc: cincinnati ohio

i blow on it ,and throw it in the case