This may be a simple question, but there are many pros doing this project and would like to know if they were ever taught the proper way to clean a lens or filter. I would like to know if a dry lens cloth is better than a wet lens cloth, (i.e., a Pre-Moistened Lens Cleaning Tissue), for cleaning my lens and filters and if there is a proper way for using the lens cloth?
Lens' have a coating on them and I would never use any wet solution on them. Cheap filters have a coating as well and may fade do to cleaning solutions. Just use a microfiber cloth or compressed air. The way I wipe is just go in a circular motion on the glass while holding the rim and trying not to touch the other side. I also keep all my filters in a leather filter case to prevent scratches and dust. Check Ebay or Amazon for cases.
@meshinka Thank you for the quick reply. I do have a leather case that I carry my filters in. I did not know if circular motion starting from the middle out was better than starting at the center and going straight out to the edges like you would to clean a CD or DVD.
I tend to dry clean them, but sometimes wet cleaning is the only thing that can remove stuff, like oil. If cleaning lens glass, get a lens fluid made by reputable companies and guaranteed not to damage lenses with optical coatings, and use a lens cleaning cloth, apply a tiny amount to the cloth, not onto the lens as it can seep around the edges and cause fogging.
I generally use a dry cloth or a Lens Pen (these have a pad with a small amount of lens cleaning solution embedded), but if I'm stuck I just use wet wipes. Granted, only on the filters - never on the lens itself.
@blightygal@jinximages@terryd2011 I should get a lens pen to keep in my kit. I have a spot on one of my filters that the dry cloth does not seem to take away.
I use wet. Dry often doesn't cut it for me. Pick up residual oil remover. It works great.
I don't worry about fading the lens coating since I always keep UV filters on my lenses, so I'm not touching the lens anyways, and I've taken the coating off a lens for UV work. It's not an easy task. It would take a heck of a lot of wet cleaning before you fade the coating at all.
It took a fairly abrasive polishing compound and a power tool to get the coating off this lens --
I use a lens pen 99% of the time but I also have a UV filter on my lens the majority of time. It is a rare occasion that I actually need to clean my lens and not the filter. I try not to use fluid unless absolutely necessary and if I do it is always directly on the cloth and not the lens.
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I don't worry about fading the lens coating since I always keep UV filters on my lenses, so I'm not touching the lens anyways, and I've taken the coating off a lens for UV work. It's not an easy task. It would take a heck of a lot of wet cleaning before you fade the coating at all.
It took a fairly abrasive polishing compound and a power tool to get the coating off this lens --