The question is relevant. Optics sooner or later become dirty and require cleaning. Most often outside, but sometimes inside.

Today we'll look at cleaning the outside. I will only comment on the presented videos, how everything is shown well and better words you can't tell.

To clean the front and rear lens elements you will need:

1. Lint-free wipes (not actually lint-free, but microfiber). Ideally - from the optics manufacturer (I know Zeiss, Schnieder- both are inexpensive and good)

2. Isopropyl alcohol (70%)

3. Brush with synthetic (read artificial) bristles. You can use a LensPen brush.

4. Photographic bulb (not medical! no talc inside!)

5. Latex gloves without talc. sold at the pharmacy.

Procedure for cleaning photographic optics

1. Remove the cover and use a brush to remove dust from the inside of the cover. Otherwise, it will then again pour onto the front lens of the lens

2. Unscrew protective filter, if there is one, and brush off the dust from it with a brush. On both sides. The filter is cleaned in the same way as the front lens, so I won’t dwell on it.

3. Use a photographic blower to blow off all large particles of dust from the front lens of the lens. The fact is that if we start doing something, and the particles are still present on the lens and turn out to be hard, then we risk scratching the lens lining during the cleaning process.

4. Using a brush, carefully remove any remaining dust from the front lens and its edges. Usually dust gets clogged there too, and if we don’t remove it, it will scratch the edges of the lens when cleaning. The movements of the brush should be careful and without strong pressure, so as not to roll large grains of sand along the lens, but to brush them away immediately.

5. Wet a microfiber cloth and, using circular movements, without pressure, from the center to the edge, wipe the front lens. After carefully working the center, be sure to wipe the edge as well, so that the dirt remains on the napkin.

6. Wipe the lens dry with a dry microfiber cloth. We also work with it carefully, without pressure and in exactly the same way as we did in the previous paragraph, except that now our task is only to dry the surface.

7. Put on the lens cap and let the lens dry for about 5 minutes.

Attention! You can also clean the rear lens of the lens in the same way, but you need to be twice as careful with it for the reason that if some scratches of the front lens may not be visible in the photographs, then the chances are that the scratches of the rear lens of the lens will not be visible in the photo - much less.

You can buy a good optics cleaning kit in my micro-shop.

Here I suggest watching a video on how to change lenses correctly.

How to change lenses correctly

Everything is great here, but I hiking conditions and in general, when outdoors, I recommend always placing the lens with the rear lens down on a clean surface. The fact is that, firstly, the rear lens can be very recessed inward on a particular lens model and then you will not be able to clean the dust from there. Secondly, a breeze may blow and pour sand right inside the lens, which you will never be able to get out of the lens yourself. And you can remove almost any dirt from the front lens.

Cleaning the lenses of a disassembled lens

By and large, I would not recommend disassembling the lens, but if you really need it, then it would not hurt to learn how to properly clean the internal lenses of the lens.
Please note that not all lenses have internal lenses coated with an anti-scratch coating. So here you need to be 10 times more careful than when cleaning external lenses.
The good news is that, for example, all optics Carl Zeiss Has protective coatings on all internal lenses.

Tools Required for Cleaning the Internal Lenses of the Lens

1. latex gloves (without talc)

2. photographic bulb (without talc inside)

3. microfiber cloths

4. laboratory acetone

5. isopropyl alcohol

6. cotton swabs

Procedure for cleaning internal lenses

Method one

Air cleaning. Try simply blowing air from a bulb onto the lens. This is the most safe method cleaning the lens, but often liquid cleaners are also required.

Method two

You place a microfiber cloth on top of the surface of the lens and drip a little acetone onto it. After the napkin is soaked, you carefully pull it along the surface of the lens. Thus, it collects dirt on itself in the process of dragging.

Method three

We use cotton swabs. Dip the stick in isopropyl alcohol. Then, starting from the center of the lens, clean in a circular motion towards the edges. Circular movements are necessary in order not to leave streaks behind the stick.

A special device for holding the lens during cleaning

When assembling lenses, the lenses are cleaned like this:

1. The place should be without air movement and without dust. dry and brightly lit. It’s best to do all this after a shower and sober.

2. gloved hands or fingertips.

3. prepare the napkin: take the napkin out of the box with tweezers. fold it twice so that the fold is rounded. We take a folded napkin by the edges with a clamp and drip alcohol onto the fold.

4. In one hand we hold the lens or achromatic glue by the edges.

5. blow it well from all sides with a pear.

6. With the other hand with a clamp, we move the fold of the napkin over the entire surface of the lens in one smooth movement so that the napkin only lightly touches the glass, but confidently and everywhere.

6. If cleaning is not satisfactory, go again to point 3.

7. If the lens is initially very greasy, then 99% of the time you will have to use several wipes. then you can carry out the first one as many times as you like, knowing that the last pass must be in accordance with all the rules.

8. After making sure with a magnifying glass that the surfaces are flawless, we place the lens in the frame and cover it with an improvised dust block.

The alcohol must be pure. The napkin needs to be soaked just a little. it dries very quickly. nothing flows anywhere. alcohol does not touch the frames at all. the napkin cannot leave any artifacts due to the peculiarities of its structure. the fibers run along the entire length and do not stick out anywhere except the edges that we hold.

here's what I use:

in the picture the alcohol is 99.0295% pure :) I think 96% will also work well, despite the impurities. the napkin will prevent them from settling on the glass.

Here are the sets from serious optical suppliers:

http://www.thorlabs.de/
http://www.edmundoptics.com/learning-and-support/technical/learning-center/application-notes/optics/cleaning-optics/
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I wouldn't poke the lens with ear sticks. There is always lint left.

you can clean anything however you want. I had a lot of experience with lenses. It was very difficult to learn how to clean lenses without leaving the slightest residue. no matter what I tried. I couldn't get the dust and grease out. (almost an advertisement for fairies:) when I got hold of napkins and alcohol (which was not easy), I cleaned some of my previous assemblies again.

no other method gives such a result.
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I won’t say anything about Lenspen. I don’t even want to try to move something on the internal lenses. this is simply nonsense.
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Of course, alcohol won't remove it. this is nonsense.
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You need to do everything possible when disassembling the lens so that no dust gets into it and so that you don’t have to blow/clean anything at all. This requires 100kg of patience and a well-prepared table.

Cleaning with LensPen

And yet, despite Roman’s skepticism, cleaning external elements with LensPen quite justified in my opinion. I cleaned lenses this way a lot and no consequences were noticed. This is especially true in field conditions, when there is neither a table nor isopropyl alcohol at hand.
Cleaning composition LensPen is not disclosed, but most of all it is similar to the soot that our grandfathers used to clean lens lenses.

I am attaching a video on how to clean the lens using LensPen, but try to act more carefully than the comrade from the video, do not press too hard LensPen because if you are inattentive, you can miss a small grain in the field, which, with strong pressure, will scratch your entire lens.

If, when examining a lens through a magnifying glass at home, you notice “soot” with LensPen, then you can now clean it as I described at the beginning of the article and get perfectly clean lenses.

Finally

Some types of lenses have a coating that can come off with alcohol or vigorous cleaning. Such lenses include the lenses of Soviet lenses and the lens in the viewfinder.

Photography is a messier job than you might imagine. If you photograph outdoors and not in a studio, you are constantly faced with difficult weather conditions such as dust, fog, dirt, rain, splashes sea ​​water and much more. All this negatively affects the condition of the camera. Let's not forget about the occasional smudges left on the lens by your fingers. Today we will talk about how to clean photographic equipment and accessories.

Basic techniques:

It is better to prevent problems than to solve them, which is why it is very important to regularly clean your camera sensor and optics. Make sure that no dirt gets on the camera sensor. This way you will extend the life of your photographic equipment for many years.

A lens cap should always protect your optics when the camera is not in use. If in at the moment If you are not photographing with one lens or another, then the optics should be closed on both sides. So are you you can buy a protective filter, which will protect your lens from scratches and damage. The protective filter also helps you take better pictures that are free of glare and spots. Prices for protective filters can range from $15 to over $100, depending on the brand and quality of the lens.

No way do not breathe on the glass of the lens, and do not wipe the optics with your shirt afterwards, or a T-shirt. This is a really bad idea. The dangers of fumes have already been discussed on our website earlier. Nikon uses a special coating on its lenses that supposedly makes breathing harmless to the lens. But still, it’s not worth the risk, especially since a scratch from the shirt’s fabric can become a more significant problem.

When changing one lens to another, do it as quickly as possible, otherwise the camera matrix may be subject to negative impact dust and air. If your camera has built-in sensor cleaning, be sure to set this option in your camera. On many models, this feature may be automatically activated each time the camera is turned on.

Lens cleaning kits:

The most important element of the lens, for cleanliness and good condition The one to keep an eye on is the front lens. This part of the chamber is at greatest risk compared to other elements. Raindrops, dust and dirt most often end up here.

Below are the basic items that will help you clean your camera.

Dust blower The Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster is great for initial dust cleaning. Using a dust blower, you can blow dust off both the camera sensor and the lens. The advantage of using a blower is that it is an incredibly gentle way of eliminating dust and debris. Using this method you will not damage the lens or smear dirt. A dust blower is an inexpensive and indispensable element that should be in every photographer's kit.

Lens cleaning pencil LENSPEN NLP-1 is an essential element for cleaning optics. This model will cost $6. After you blow off the dust from the front lens, clean the lens with a brush on a pencil, and then wipe the lens special tool pencil.

Often, cleaning tools are sold in entire sets, which contain several tools at once. LensPen DSLR Pro Camera Cleaning Kit costs about $17. The set includes several pencils different shapes and sizes. This set contains a small brush for getting rid of small debris. On the other side there is a round cleaning surface on a flexible leg, hidden under a cap. Such pencils in the set can be various types and sizes. The small pencil is great for cleaning the viewfinder and lenses with deep edges.

A small nuance:

"It is important not to over-clean the lens using the cleaning surface of the pencil. Once the felt on the tip wears out, there will be a rubber underneath the surface, this rubber can cause damage to the lens if you do not pay attention to the wear of the pencil in time. One pencil should be enough for 100 uses, the number may vary depending on the brand".

Cleansing wipes PEC-PADs cost about $10. There are special cloth wipes that you can use to clean your optics. There is a controversial opinion about napkins; some say that they clean the surface perfectly, others are reluctant to use them. By using wipes, you may accidentally wipe the lens with the dirty side of the cloth, thereby only making things worse. The golden mean in in this case, may be the use of disposable napkins.

There are also special packaging from Zeiss, which contain special cleaning elements. The cost of such a package is about $13. The package includes several cleaning wipes and a bottle with a special liquid. The kit can be used not only with a camera, but also with any equipment. You can clean the display of your computer or tablet. You should not use napkins for too long; after several uses, you should throw them away.

For quality and safe cleaning optics worth using special liquid, for example Eclipse Cleaning System Solution, costing $8. If you decide to carry out a thorough “wet” cleaning of your lens, you should use this liquid. It removes any remaining dirt, dust, sticky marks, etc. As for the composition of the cleaning liquid, it consists of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water.

Alternative Cleaner

You can also clean your camera's optics using a product called Opti-Clean. Opti-Clean will cost you about $12 and is a gel cleaning product. To use, you need to spread the gel on the surface of the lens, wait until it hardens slightly, and then clean it along with dust and dirt. Purchasing a cleansing gel is not so easy, since today few manufacturers produce this product.

Cleaning the sensor:

Despite all the precautions and careful handling of photographic equipment, sometimes small specks get inside the camera, which significantly deteriorate the quality of photographs. An example is shown in the image below. If you notice that your photos have such stains, then it is better to have it cleaned by a professional. Cleaning the matrix can be quite an expensive procedure. If you want to try to solve this problem yourself, then you should be extremely careful and careful.

Cleaning the sensor is not an easy task, and in this case, the stakes are much higher than when cleaning optics. If something goes wrong, you can simply ruin the hardware of your camera.

Over time, the lens of digital SLR camera inevitably becomes covered with dust, various grease stains or fingerprints. You can’t really take photographs with such contaminated optics, since various contaminants can affect the quality of photographs. However, this should not scare a real photographer, because cleaning the lens is a common thing, it is accessible to everyone and does not require special skills.

The need to clean the optics also often arises when purchasing a used lens, because most sellers, as a rule, do not bother to perform this procedure. The main thing when cleaning the lens is to be extremely careful and use only appropriate cleaning products, and not whatever comes to hand. Otherwise, there is a high probability of damaging or scratching your expensive lens. We will tell you how to properly clean a SLR camera lens in this article.

Photo: Chuck Swinden

Lens protection

Cleaning the lens from dirt and dust is a procedure that should not be carried out constantly, but rather regularly. That is, it is recommended to clean the optics only when they become dirty, so that unnecessary intrusion does not lead to any negative consequences. You cannot clean the lens too often because high probability damage the special protective layer that is applied by the manufacturer to the glass. When dirt on the lens becomes noticeable, it’s time to clean it. The process of cleaning optics itself should be approached as carefully and carefully as possible, at the same time, you should not be overly afraid of touching the glass of an expensive lens.

Before we talk about how to properly clean the lens digital camera, it is necessary to give several recommendations that should guide every owner of a DSLR camera. First, care must be taken when changing lenses to reduce the likelihood of contamination of the optics. When changing lenses, you need to turn off the camera, point both the camera and the lens down, and then quickly change the optics. Try to do this as quickly as possible, and then you will have much more less problems with dust on the lens. Secondly, there is a way to protect expensive optics from unwanted external influences, including from dust, grease and dirt. The method is to use an ultraviolet or colorless transparent filter for the lens (UV or skylight filter).

By attaching such a filter to the lens, you will protect the lens from scratches, water splashes and grease marks. In this case, when cleaning the lens, you only need to clean the protective filter itself, and not the lens (until dust gets inside). Therefore, you should not skimp on buying a decent protective filter for a high-quality lens. If you are going on a shoot, where does it exist? real danger If dust or water splashes get on the lens, it is better to immediately screw on the protective filter. As a method of protection against pollution, you can use a hood, which, in addition to its direct functional purpose, can also protect the lens from dust and dirt.

Lens cleaning products

Now let's move on directly to the cleaning procedure. Cleaning the lens of a digital SLR camera requires the use of special cleaning products. They are usually sold in sets, and the contents of each set may be different. There are a great variety of professional cleaning products on the market today; they are represented by companies such as Hama, LensPen, PhotoSol, Marumi and many others. We list the most popular means for cleaning optics:

— Lens cleaning liquid

Alcohol-based cleaning fluid is widely used when cleaning lenses. It copes well with fingerprints or grease stains on the lens without leaving streaks or marks. At the same time, a couple of drops of this product are enough to completely clean the lens or protective filter. The liquid is not poured directly onto the lens, but is squeezed onto a special cloth or napkin. Then, using careful circular movements, quickly clean the surface of the objective lens from various contaminants. As a simple alternative, many amateur photographers prefer to breathe on the lens and then wipe it off with a tissue. However, this cleaning method is less effective.

- Napkins

Along with the cleaning liquid, wipes made of thin paper are used. These disposable wipes, slightly moistened with liquid, allow you to clean the surface of the lens without leaving scratches. When cleaning your optics, you should not use regular facial tissues as they are made from coarser fibers and can therefore easily scratch your DSLR lens.

— Microfiber

An alternative to lens cleaning cloths is modern microfiber cloth. This is a washable fabric that is excellent at collecting dust and grease stains from the lens. Microfiber cloth, unlike napkins, can be used for cleaning several times; you just need to keep the cloth clean by washing it regularly. Before using a microfiber cloth, you should carefully inspect the lens for large particles of dirt and abrasive materials. They must first be removed using a blower or brush, otherwise you risk scratching the lens when processing with a cloth.

— Blower for cleaning the lens

A special lens blower is used to blow through the surface of the lens and clean the lens from dust. To use the blower, you only need to press it a few times to effectively remove dust particles. Extreme caution is required, since using such a blower can create a real dust storm, as a result of which dust particles can get into the inside of the optics or camera. In photo stores you can currently find a fairly wide range of bulbs, including bulbs equipped with a brush through which you blow.

— Brush/brush

To remove dust, use a brush made of soft and natural bristles so as not to scratch the surface of the lens lens. You can also find special pencils on sale, which have a retractable brush at one end and a cleaning pad at the other.

— Pencil Lenspen (Lanspen)

Lenspen cleaning pencils are currently very popular among professionals and amateur photographers. This pencil does a good job of removing greasy fingerprints and dried stains from the surface of the lens. At one end of the pencil there is a soft brush, at the other there is a special coating for removing greasy fingerprints. Lenspen pencils are very compact and lightweight, they are easy to use, they are safe for the surface of the lens and are more effective than a cloth soaked in cleaning fluid. To clean, you need to remove the cap from the pencil and clean the lens in a circular motion from the center to the edges without pressing. Can be repeated if necessary this procedure several times.

Cleaning

All of the above tools are affordable and work quite effectively. However, even with such tools, you need to be careful and careful, since cleaning the lens is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. It is recommended to start the cleaning process by cleaning the lens body and mount using wipes moistened with a special alcohol liquid. IN hard to reach places you can use cotton swabs. Next, we proceed to a more delicate procedure - cleaning the lens from dust.

It is important to get rid of dust first. After all, the antireflective coating applied to the front and rear lenses of the lens is not so easily damaged by liquid or abrasive substances. But the dust itself may contain solid microparticles, which naturally increase the risk of damage to the lens during cleaning. You can remove large microparticles of dust using a blower - they are simply blown off the surface of the lens with a stream of air. After this, you can use a special soft brush or Lenspen pencil, through which you need to sweep away the remaining dust particles with light, circular movements.

The next step is wet cleaning to remove grease marks or dried stains. Grease stains are the most unpleasant, since they significantly affect image quality and, moreover, are quite difficult to remove from the surface of the lens. For wet cleaning, you need to moisten a lint-free cloth or microfiber cloth with a special alcohol-based liquid and clean the surface of the lens using smooth circular movements, without pressing, from the center to the edges. If necessary, you can turn the napkin over and go over the lens one more time.

After wet cleaning, it is recommended to treat the surface of the lens with a dry cloth to remove excess liquid. You can also use the Lenspen Cleaning Pen to remove grease stains, drip marks, or fingerprints. Finally, the final stage of cleaning the lens is to remove the remaining particles of the cleaning composition using a blower or soft brush.

Cleaning the lens at home

In addition, it is worth talking about the old, “old-fashioned” method of cleaning a lens at home, which many photographers have been successfully using for decades. And this method, it must be said, is no less effective than the use of many modern cleaning products. Take a regular paraffin candle, a tablespoon and soft fabric(preferably microfiber). The candle is lit, and the spoon is turned upside down and the flame of the candle is covered with it so that after some time soot (soot) begins to appear on the spoon from the side of the flame. A small part of this soot should be collected with a microfiber cloth, napkin or cotton swab, after which you can wipe the lens lenses with it. Subject to availability heavy pollution and grease stains, the treatment of the lens surface with soot can be repeated again. When using this method, the coating on the lens does not deteriorate. By the way, the same popular Lenspen pencils use a cleaning agent similar to soot from a candle.

It is necessary to take care of the optics, since dirty glass directly affects the photograph. There are special devices for cleaning optics and it is best to use them when cleaning. Improvised means will not work here. To make it easier for you to figure out what you should and shouldn’t do, we have collected everything you need to know about this difficult process. So let's begin.

The first rule of optics care is not to clean the glass too often.

Lens glass is, of course, a very durable material; it can withstand a lot, since it is created taking into account weather conditions, the need for constant transportation and so on. However, the top glass of the lens or filter is covered with special coatings, depending on the characteristics. And it is the coating that is most at risk when cleaning. It can easily be scratched or damaged with chemicals. Therefore, the safest method is preventive: try to avoid getting dust, dirt and fingerprints on the coating. Cleaning is also stressful for the coating, but it is necessary. While the lens is on the shelf, it is reliably protected by the front and rear caps. Once you open it and start removing it, sooner or later, it will be time for cleaning. This cannot be avoided.

By the way, don’t forget to clean your camera bag from time to time - after all, dust can also accumulate there.

Remember that dust is everywhere. There is nowhere to hide from it, so somehow it will still make its way onto the lens and inside it. Of course, lenses are produced in rooms where they are as clean as possible. You (and we) cannot imagine the lengths to which manufacturers go to reduce the amount of dust and, therefore, the likelihood of it getting on the glass. But this does not at all guarantee success. And at home, it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to provide a completely sterile space.

It should be noted that it is not dust that is the most terrible enemy of optics. A few specks of dust inside the lens will not affect the image quality in any way, so you can and should clean the lens, but without much obsessive excitement.

What can really interfere with filming are smudges and fingerprints. Especially if they find themselves on back side lens (due to the specifics of light transmission, this is what most affects the quality). So you need to put on the lens and carry out any manipulations with it extremely carefully.

Cleaning your optics is not that difficult, even if you are not at home or in a studio. Cleaning takes place at three simple steps:

1. Remove as much dust and dirt from the glass as possible using a blower or soft bristle brush.
2. Apply a few drops of a special cleaning agent to a special cloth.
3. Using circular movements, without pressing, remove stains, grease and dirt from the surface of the glass. Starting from the center of the glass - to the edges.

These simple actions can be performed anywhere, but we repeat, unless absolutely necessary, there is no need to do this again.

If you are particularly concerned about the safety of the glass, you can always use a protective filter. You can easily find an inexpensive and high-quality filter that will take the brunt of both natural pollution and accidental touches. You can clean the filter in exactly the same way as the lens itself. And now - in more detail about why it is best to clean optics this way.

Tassels and pears

If we talk about airborne dust removal, that is, without physical contact with the glass surface, then best way- This is an ordinary pear. Of course, it can be replaced with air from your own lungs, but in this case there is a risk of accidentally causing the glass to fog up or getting saliva on it. A blower is a necessary item in a photographic bag for both cleaning optics and the matrix.

If you prefer a brush, then the higher quality it is, the better, of course. It is preferable to use a brush made of camel or goat hair. Do not forget that you should not touch the bristles of the brush with your own hands, in order to natural fats did not get on the pile and, as a result, on the glass. Remember also that the brush poor quality may leave lint on the optics.

Wipes for cleaning optics

Neither the napkins we use to wipe them with are completely unsuitable for cleaning optics. kitchen table, nor those that were once grandma's shirt. Special, very inexpensive lint-free wipes are designed for cleaning optics. They are sold in packs, but each can only be used once.

Microfiber wipes are also gaining popularity, but they also require their own care. They are used several times, so it is necessary to maintain their cleanliness. They can be washed, but you should not use softeners when washing, as they can leave a chemical residue, which can then leave streaks or stains on the glass.

Try not to use your shirt as an emergency lens wipe; if there are no other options, then carefully weigh the situation. If cleaning is not urgently needed, it is better to wait. And we remind you again - avoid fabric softeners.

Glass cleaning pencils

Relatively recently, convenient and compact pencils for cleaning optics have appeared - they are convenient and quickly absorb oils, thereby easily removing fingerprints and dirt. The Lenspen Original LP-1 pencil is designed for 500 uses and contains a brush and the pencil itself. This pencil costs 1250 rubles. LensPen PhotoKit contains a bulb and 2 pencils. This set costs 2200, but will last a very long time.

Cotton swabs can also be used for cleaning, but they work best around the edges of the lens. What you should not use are wet wipes for the skin. They typically contain moisturizers and oils.

Glass cleaning products

What is good about special liquids for cleaning optics is that they are created specifically so as not to damage the coatings of lenses and filters. They are very inexpensive and last a long time, especially if you remember the first rule of cleaning.

Do not attempt to use: acetone, glass cleaners, dry cleaners or pure alcohol. As we have already said, it is better to trust special liquids.

Zeiss cleaning spray for optics is great solution. This liquid does not harm glass or coating and is suitable for both optics and technology. The kit includes 2 bottles of product and a microfiber cloth. The set costs only 800 rubles.

It is preferable to apply the product on a napkin rather than on glass. There are a number of reasons for this. For starters, liquid from the glass can get inside the lens. Even well-protected lenses cannot be 100% protected from this when liquid is on the glass. If you clean the lens in sunny day, a drop on glass functions like a lens; if light hits it, the glass can heat up and the coating can be damaged.

Rubbing the glass in a circular motion from the center to the edges is also necessary for a reason. Movement reduces the likelihood of divorce. Dirt, if not erased, will not remain in the center of the glass, thanks to uniform movement to the edges. We remind you once again that you must not forget about the pressure: try to press so as to remove dirt, but not damage anything.

Some useful facts

When you look through the viewfinder of a DSLR camera, you always see a certain amount dust. This is inevitable and quite natural. This is dust on the mirror and it will not affect the photograph in any way. The mirror, of course, can be cleaned, but the silver coating on it is quite sensitive, so if you are going to tackle this, then only if you have a good understanding of the technique. But what you shouldn’t do is try to clean the mirror with a blower - this way you can drive dust from the mirror onto the matrix, but in this case the photograph will be at risk.

As for the lovers night shooting, telescope users, etc. - try not to examine lenses and optics for contamination using colored flashlights, since not everything will be displayed.

One last thing to note is that you can clean both the lens and the camera using a cloth and a special cleaner. The digital contacts that connect the lens and camera should also be cleaned occasionally. Do not forget that you should not use the same cloth that is used for working with glass, since very small metal particles can also get on the cloth and subsequently scratch the coating.

The main thing is to remember our three simple steps that will help you clean your optics safely and correctly, always and everywhere.

mts108 22-09-2005 15:24

After the hunt (I got caught in a good rain a couple of times), as always, I removed forest dust and debris from the optical lenses with a large core brush. However, there were irremovable stains on the lenses. What is the best way to remove them - with distilled water, alcohol, (solvent, as far as I understand, are excluded) or are there special gadgets? By the way, what napkins are better to use?
WITH best wishes, Mikhail

Khabarovsk 22-09-2005 15:27

There are special kits, liquids, rags, etc., I believe you can get hold of these in stores that sell photographic equipment or glasses. Best regards, Alexey

alexhunt 22-09-2005 15:54

For August, an article in Master Gun from Mikhail Shukis (cases with glasses) all with details.

finder00 22-09-2005 16:48

As a former professional photographer, I always clean any optics the same way:
- if it is not very dirty, then very soft suede, shaken beforehand so that there are no solid particles on it. Suede is stored only in bags. And it’s only used for wiping the optics and nothing else! Sometimes you can breathe on the lens so that a thin layer of droplets forms there. Do not blow under any circumstances, because Large drops falling on the lens and drying will give beautiful rainbow circles. If you need to blow something off, use either a brush or a rubber syringe.
- if the contamination is severe, then the same suede, but soaked and wrung out. In most cases I used water or alcohol. But some coatings (at least it used to be) do not react very well to alcohol. That's why I prefer boiled water.

mts108 23-09-2005 14:30

Many thanks to everyone who responded.
Michael

67890 06-10-2005 20:51

First a little Off (administration question).
When I try to register, the forum engine reports “error 8 bad username”, and for several variants of different names, so I had to register under God knows what. Who determines which username is good (see left) and which is bad?

And now on topic. As a representative from Arsenal, who serviced microscopes at our institute, taught me about 25 years ago:
a) - wash our hands with soap, dry them, work with dry hands
b) - take a round needle file, poke it into a package of sterile cotton wool and wind the cotton wool without touching it (note 1, the size of the notch does not matter, you can use a rough wooden stick, but the file will hold better).
c) - apply the resulting lump to the hollow between the index and middle fingers (this is why you wash your hands and dry them) and rotational movements compact the cotton wool.
d) - dip the resulting swab into a mixture of 20% rectified alcohol and 80% petroleum ether (note 2 with rectified ether, I hope it is clear, and petroleum ether is a low-boiling component of the gasoline fraction of oil, the smell is pleasant, it can be replaced with pentane, hexane, but they more expensive). The swab should be wet and not dripping.
d) - wipe the lens with rotational movements, turning the file around its axis, then full turn file, the tampon is replaced (see point b).
f) - repeat until only faint stains from solvents remain on the lens.
g) - breathe on the lens and remove these stains with a dry (see point b) swab, repeat if necessary until the lens is completely cleaned.
Why is there so little alcohol in the mixture and is it possible to simply clean with alcohol?
The fact is that lenses of complex optics are usually glued, often with Canada balsam (especially old optics), which dissolves in alcohol. There are other adhesives, but it’s better not to joke with it - alcohol that gets inside a glued lens causes a defect that can be corrected at home - sticking in the form of petals and other patterns, up to the complete unsuitability of the device. Isopropyl alcohol, so widely used in household glass cleaners, can only be used if it is not possible to make a normal mixture.
To the question “Where with the iron to the lens, it will scratch!” - it won’t scratch, you don’t need to spare the cotton wool, but you shouldn’t wrap it half a kilo either. A couple of mm of cotton wool reliably protects the needle file from harmful influence lens This way it was cleaned large number lenses of both microscopes and their eyepieces, and cameras.
I am leaving out the topic of damage to the antireflective coating during the cleaning process. This can be achieved in any way if you try hard enough.

Machete 06-10-2005 23:11

I first blow off the dust/sand grains with a rubber bulb. Then I breathe on the lens and wipe it with the suede side of the LensPen in light circular movements. And so on all the optics - the sight, lenses, and filters. The simplest and effective way. The main thing is not to regret changing the finished LensPen.

fbor 06-10-2005 23:24

Andryukha! what is finished?
Lenspen rules, when he bought it he realized what happiness is

67890 06-10-2005 23:30

Sorry, I forgot to add first about blowing off the dust, somehow I was still trying to be more specific about the cleaning itself. You are right here. Also, it depends on the object. If women use a microscope, a thick layer of mascara mixed with dirt will very soon settle on the eyepieces. Here you go, don’t blow...

Machete 07-10-2005 03:01

Borya, the suede gets dirty/greasy/loses its texture there, this is what I call “zacontachivaniem”

There is no way to deal with this - you just buy a new one, and that’s it.

A little off. If anyone knows B+W filters, they have a series with coating, the so-called. MRC (Multi Resisting Coating) is both a multi-layer coating and a very durable protective and moisture-repellent coating. So, nothing but LensPen can remove stains from this damn MRC.