I read on some website that it was EXTREMELY important to remove oil (i.e. fingerprints) from the standard lenses a.s.a.p. because otherwise it would seep into the coating and distort the whole picture.
How true is this?

I am concerned because I recently found my brand new XL1s had a fingerprint on it. And I haven't picked up my camera for a week.

Does this mean I must send for its repair or replacement?

How does one clean the lens (the best way)?

Where can I find cleaning supplies?

Thanks

I like to use those little moist towels that you get when you eat at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

If you don't have any of those laying around the kitchen dish rag seems to work great. Out in the field if you need a lubricant just use some saliva.

Now, I know many of us when we go out on the field always forget to bring the washcloth, no problem in this case just use your sock, in most cases the sock will have absorbed enough sweat from your foot that you can use that moisture to clean the lens.

...okay sorry about all that, I shouldn't try to be funny, but I would like an answer to this as well because I just got a smudge on my Neutral density filter and it took me a half hour to get it decent again. If anyone could give me the proper procedure I would much appreciate it.

I always use steel wool to get the nasty stuff off my lenses.

Seriously, I've shot with very good Carl Zeiss lenses on my SLR (single lens reflex) and have had no problem with simply using a good lens cleaner and Kodak paper to clean fingerprints and whatnot from the lens elements. I've never heard the argument about finger oil destroying the coating of a lens unless its cleaned within a certain amount of time.

I cannot believe that Canon glass is any more sensitive or unforgiving than something made by Zeiss.

Well, I am glad to here that Canon lens is pretty up to snuff in terms of durability in handling but, that last part struck some fear into my anxiety prone techie nerves: you said there shouldn't be a problem if the fingerprint is removed in enough time.
The thing is I think the fingerprint has been there for more than one week, possible two weeks.

Whadayasay?

EG

I don't have the Canon camcorder, so I can't speak directly. But I would bet my bottom dollar that there is no glass in the world that is THAT sensitive to fingeroil.

I've brought my SLR camera through Third World countries, subjected them to salt spray (not intentionally) and worse. I still shoot through the same glass.

Have you cleaned the fingerprint oil from your camera? If so, do you notice a difference in the image you shoot now as compared to what was available before?

Just get some good Kodak paper (I'm sure there are other good brands, but Kodak is what I use) and some good cleaning fluid -- again, I use Kodak.

Hey, I like the KFC wipe idea, DR! <g>

As gratedcheese noted, fingerprints can't etch the glass of a lens but they can etch the lens' delicate coating depending on your body chemistry and how much KFC grease you deposited with the print. Good lens paper and lens cleaning liquid used very carefully are the best solution for a heavily smudged lens. (I use a little squeeze bottle of AR cleaner that I get from my optomotrist's office for being a good boy. It's good stuff.)

I use a LensPen for most cleanings, except for heavy duty jobs. A LensPen is the size of a fat pen and features a retractable brush at one end and a specially formulated dry cleaning pad at the other. They're very handy, very effective and very safe when used carefully. You should be able to find them for about $5-8 at good photo shops everywhere.

One last note. You should only ever have to clean the FILTER over your lens, never the lens. Invest in a protective UV filter for your lens and you'll save yourself much grief.

I've always found that, in a pinch, a little bit of mouth breath to moisen the lens followed by a gentle outward spiral cleaning with a good lens tissue does the job quite well. One thing to be carerful with - be sure there's no grit or other dust particles on the lens that might scratch the lens as you wipe it clean. A can of compressed air is always a good item to pack. As for your other concern, a fingerprint does no harm as long as you don't leave it on for a long time. It's always a good idea to clean the lens before you put the camera away.

In his book, Cinematography, Kris Malkiewicz notes:

"Lenses should be kept clean at all times, even when stored, because fingerprints and other stains left on the lens for long periods may become imbedded in the blue coating of the lens."

Im not sure if this is the case with all lenses, but it certainly wouldnt be a bad idea to keep an eye out for such things ;)

I appreciate all of your replies. That last reply is some scary stuff. I mean I have had it on for a little over two weeks. It is not a heavy smudge at all, very faint, only visible if tilted just right. But I have been so busy and kept on forgetting to get to a camera store for cleanser. Anyway. By the time you read this I will have it off.

Hello all! Does brand name really matter in choosing a lens cleaner. I recently smudged a fingerprint into my Century wide angle converter (DAMN!!!) and I stumbled into some lens cleaner and cloth made by Sakar. Should I worry about the qaulity of the cloth and the solution or are they all pretty much the same? Thanks!!!

How does one leave finger prints on a lens? A UV's basic function is to keep silly fingers from touching the lens glass; and the rubber lens hood keeps silly fingers from touching the UV. :-))

Randy,
No, I don't think there's any reason to worry about your Sakar cloth.

I love this site. I posted a reply in January of 2003 and the thread is picked up in January of 2004. A great way of keeping track of where you've been.

By the way, after years away from my first hobby - photography - I finally got back into it. Bought a Nikon D100 with a zoom lens. (Nikon because I can use all my old lenses.) A lot has changed - I stopped serious photography before everything became automated. With the exception of auto focus, which I find a must when the eyes are not as sharp as they were, and there is no split focusing screen available - besides that, I find myself shooting in manual mode.

Who knows what I might be into in January 2005?

Look again, Ozzie, your post was in January, 2002. You might also be interested in our Digital Photography forum located here (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=57). There are some other D100 photographers here as well.

And so it was. Scary, isn't it? Okay, so let's see where I'll be in 2006. ;-)

I'll check out the digital photography forum. Thanks.

I have always used lens cleaning tissue after foging up the lens or filter with my breath. But, I always get tissue specs/dust on the filter and then have to blow them off with a blower brush bulb thingy.
Is there now a better way? ie using something like a glasses cleaning cloth or this:

Microdear

Microdear Microfiber Deluxe Cleaning Cloth - Small (11 x 11.75")

http://www.adorama.com/CPCMS.html

Microfiber cloths are my preferred method. The cloths are machine washable in cold water, just don't dry them in the dryer.

Here's a good one that's still on topic -- I just took out my old polarizer that I've had stored away for at least 20 years.

I just bought a Nikkor 24-120mm zoom and was pleased to find my old 85mm polarizer fits. Only problem is that it has picked up a layer of "clean dirt" - a film of microscopic particles that can't easily be cleaned by blowing or with a tissue. The lens has been kept inside its pouch for all this time and I don't think the film is on the inside of the lens. If it's there then I would need to find out how to separate both pieces of glass.

Any ideas?

Most polarizers (especially older versions) do not have sealed edges. This accounts for the dust between the layers. A good quality filter can be disassembled with a spanner wrench. Once the locking retainer ring is removed the elements can be removed and cleaned. Be careful, the elements might stick and not separate cleanly.

If the filter has a compression ring holding the elements in the mounting ring, it is more difficult to take apart and generally may not be worth the effort.

It should also be noted that most newer auto focus and auto exposure cameras need a circular polarizer. The AF and AE mechanisms can be thrown off by a linear polarizer.

Thank you Jeff. Some time this week I'll "carpe diem" and get to work on the polarizer. BTW - it is a circular one.

And so it was. Scary, isn't it? Okay, so let's see where I'll be in 2006. ;-)

Still in use - I found it looking up lens pens.

John,

Thanks for the post which awoke this thread from a deep sleep.

It's 2006 and I'm still here. I'm mainly paying attention to my son's photography and art work which I find outstanding - much better than anything I could have ever done. And to think this kid came from me (and his mom, of course). He's off to college in the fall, taking along my old Nikkormat FE and maybe a small digital. The XL1s stays here.

Oz

I remember this thread from way back when! Nice find, John; it brings back memories of the folks I miss from the old days--like Ken, Jeff, Frank, and yes, Ozzie--it's good to "see" you again. I devoured the things you wrote; you and others were an inspiration to me.

We need an "old folks" forum! :)

Gee, now that I know someone "devoured" the things I wrote, maybe I'll get back to writing. It's been a very hectic couple of years. I can’t say I’m having a lot of fun; it looks like I’m transitioning from “doing” to “consulting” and teaching. Again, I can’t say I like it all, but that’s the direction the winds are blowing. So you see, you have been an inspiration to get me talking again. Beware: rants and thoughts ahead.

By all means, please--write, rant, tell stories. We will eat it up! :)

....And for anybody that has left fingerprints on the front element of their prized lenses between 2002 and 2006...here is my favourite method of cleaning optics:

I always carry with me a selection of high-grade chamois leathers. First brush dust clear with a soft brush (I use a clean make-up brush). A gentle breath on the lens, followed immediately by rubbing the lens in a circular fashion with the soft side of the chamois will maintain pristine clarity of your favourite glass. For stubborn marks, spray a single drop of lens cleaning fluid and wipe gently with a chamois cloth.

I also carry extra chamois cloths (kept separate from main chamois cloth that is used for front/rear glass element cleaning) for cleaning dust and absorbing moisture/ran drops/dew from the camera body and lens barrel, and mainly use the rough side for dust or marks and the soft side for moisture absorption (Do NOT use this same cloth for cleaning the front or rear elements of your lenses, because it may carry tiny particles in the cloth that can leave faint scratches on the glass).

I have been using chamois leather to clean expensive lenses for the past thirty years without problems; but for true security and longevity of your lens coatings, also try to keep a UV or other filter screwed to the front of the lens when you are filming or photographing in harsh outdoor environments.