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Jack_croswell
Tinkerer
Username: Jack_croswell
Post Number: 12
Registered: 02-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2010 - 12:58 pm: | 
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Hello,
I'm swapping front elements on a lens. After several attempts at cleaning though, there are still the annoying cleaning streaks. I am using 'eye glasses cleaner' in a blue bottle, with lens wipes.
Enlighten me please |
Charlie
Tinkerer
Username: Charlie
Post Number: 231
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2010 - 06:42 pm: |
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There are products made for cleaning camera lenses. After first cleaning off any grit with a lens brush with the lens pointed down so the grit will fall away from the lens I apply a camera lens cleaner with a Q tip and gently blot it up with a piece of lens tissue before it dries. This method works for me. |
Jack_croswell
Tinkerer
Username: Jack_croswell
Post Number: 13
Registered: 02-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 21, 2010 - 10:38 am: |
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Thank you! |
Paul_ron
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_ron
Post Number: 204
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2010 - 03:49 pm: |
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Denatured alcohol. |
David_nebenzahl
Tinkerer
Username: David_nebenzahl
Post Number: 219
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 22, 2010 - 07:56 pm: |
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Denatured alcohol, maybe.
I've found pure acetone to be a good lens cleaner, but it sometimes tends to leave streaks when dissolving oil or grease. In these cases, I've had the best luck going back over the lens with my regular cleaning fluid (plain old Windex, leading U.S. brand of glass cleaner). Otherwise you can end up just chasing those streaks around and around without ever really getting rid of them.
My favorite applicator is a piece of ordinary toilet paper (!), rolled up into a tight stick; wet the end with cleaner, apply the cleaner, then use the other (dry) end as a brush to remove the cleaner and the dirt. |
Prasanna
Tinkerer
Username: Prasanna
Post Number: 51
Registered: 10-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 02, 2010 - 09:27 pm: |
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I use Ethyl alcohol or household Ammonia to remove greasy stains. But some streaks may remain. I then use soap or detergent water and then distilled or filtered water for final cleaning. That takes care of all streaks. many of us do not realize that water is one of the best solvents. Regards, sp. |
Paul_ron
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_ron
Post Number: 213
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2010 - 05:49 am: |
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Watch out with acetone if you have plastic decorator rings, it will eat em alive. |
Jfdupuis
Tinkerer
Username: Jfdupuis
Post Number: 9
Registered: 12-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 09, 2010 - 03:38 am: |
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I use pure methanol. It is good to know that some dirt can be dissolved in water while other in alcohol, methanol for instance. So, alternating from a water to methanol is good practice.
I came across this link once, very good reference for cleaning optics : http://www.optoiq.com/index/photonics-technologies-applications/lfw-blogs/lfw-wo rking-smart-in-photonics/blogs/OptoIQ/working-smart-in-photonics/post987_2175761 725800207449.html
Regarding acetone that was previously mention, I quote from the previous link : "Acetone dries way too quickly and will [...] leave a white residue that's difficult to remove." |
Aphototaker
Tinkerer
Username: Aphototaker
Post Number: 193
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 09, 2010 - 10:00 am: |
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I used naphtha to clean oily streaks. I wrap a lint free tissue on an ear bud, moisten it with naphtha and wipe the lens surface in circular motion. It may take a few repetitions to get all the oil off, but it eventually leaves a pretty clean lens.
For minor oily streaks, just wiping with lens tissue works.
For fungus like stuff, naphtha does not work. But a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia (50-50) works wonders. I just wet an ear bud with the solution and gently wipe the fungus infected area. It takes a number of repetitions to get rid of all the infection, but it does work. Finishing off with lens tissue or naphtha wiping brings the lens back to its shiny clean state.
For dirt and other stuff, I suppose an ear bud moistened with soapy or sudsy water can clean that off. It might need a follow up with lens tissue wiping to finish the job. |
Zuikopath
Tinkerer
Username: Zuikopath
Post Number: 2
Registered: 05-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 06, 2010 - 05:22 pm: |
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After cleaning with my favourite lens cleaning solution, I breath on the lens and finish with a gentle polish to remove streaks. I use cotton buds/Q-tips. |
Steve_roberts
Tinkerer
Username: Steve_roberts
Post Number: 46
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 07, 2010 - 04:07 am: |
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I've found lens tissues to be one of the least useful things out there for cleaning lenses! The ones I've come across have always been far too stiff and hard and don't easily mould themselves to the curvature of the lens surface when wiping. I use carbon tetrachloride on a soft nose-blowing type tissue (for want of a better description!) to clean away and hopefully kill fungus, followed by a light clean with Windolene (UK equivalent of Windex?) then polish the residue of that off and brush lightly upside down. However careful I am, there always seems to be some piece of crud lurking in the lens when reassembled and I usually end up taking it apart again a second (or third) time. Hence on reassembly don't tighten the retaining rings fully until the lens has been carefully examined.
Steve |
