Randy Cabrera
January 18th, 2009, 10:37 AM
I have a UV lens on my 100B ....its needs cleaning and I dont have lens cleaner....is it ok to take the UV lens off and use mild soap and water to clean....obviously I wont be doing this to the camera lens just the UV lens
Tripp Woelfel
January 18th, 2009, 06:17 PM
I assume you mean a lens filter. Coated or uncoated? If uncoated you don't want to scratch the glass. If coated, you don't want to harm the coating. My main issue with washing, even gently, with soap an water is that the frame could start to corrode. I think most are aluminum so it could start to pit. If it's steel then it's rust, and that's worse. You don't want that scoring the threads on your lens bezel. Bad idea all 'round. Don't do it.
Get some lens cleaner and lens cleaning cloths and do it right. For cleaning in the field, I like the Lens Pen.
Jim Andrada
January 20th, 2009, 12:16 AM
Water on the lens/filter surface - bad idea
Soap film on either one - worse idea
Water AND soap film - AAAAAGGGGHHHH!
Get lens cleaner and a clean microfiber cloth.
And no lenses in the dishwasher, please:<)
Jay Gladwell
January 20th, 2009, 05:58 AM
Put the liquid on the cloth, not the filter.
Wolf Korgyn
January 20th, 2009, 07:18 AM
Put the liquid on the cloth, not the filter.
"It puts the liquid on the cloth or it gets the fire hose again!"
LOL - Sorry, random movie quote. I'll go away now.
Oh, and yes - lens pens are awesome.
Curt Fargo
January 25th, 2009, 10:18 PM
As a camera repairman and still photographer, I have cleaned 1,000's of lenses and filters. I have found that one of the best thing for cleaning these is just my breath and a good micro-fiber cloth. I fog the lens with my breath then wipe the lens clean. On the rare occasion where I had a lens that had grease or oil on it, I would use Eclipse (Methanol) and a Pec*Pad (Awesome lens/film tissue), both by Photographic Solutions Cleaning Digital Sensors, Cleaning Digital Cameras - Photographic Solutions, Inc. - Digital & Photographic Cleaning Solutions (http://www.photosol.com) .
Don't put lens cleaning solution on a Micro-Fiber cloth, only use it on tissue and never put the solution directly on the lens (only on the tissue).