Pressured air to clean lens

[Dolby]

I know you get those aerosol cans of pressured air for IT equipment - there's no reason for it to damage a lens, right?

I've got a few specs of dust on my rear elements that I'm scared to touch :/

 

[marine1]

I read somewhere its not good, there is moisture that is created from them.

 

[bwana]

Or you could just end up forcing debris inside the lens.

Dont be afraid of cleaning your lenses. Compressed air isnt going to have any effect on fingerprints anyway.

My weapon of choice?

Or even a shirt tail. Just breathe on the lens and use the condensation.

I read somewhere its not good, there is moisture that is created from them.

Never use it to clean your sensor . . . ever!

 

[Dolby]

Yea - I've just read that on the sensor/mirror its bad ... seem OK on the lens itself ?

 

[Dolby]

Or you could just end up forcing debris inside the lens.

Dont be afraid of cleaning your lenses. Compressed air isnt going to have any effect on fingerprints anyway.

My weapon of choice?

Or even a shirt tail. Just breathe on the lens and use the condensation.


Never use it to clean your sensor . . . ever!

Ok you raise a point :/

I'll have to buy microfibre thinga. I treat my lens like a bomb - wonder how they got in!

 

[bwana]

Ok you raise a point :/

I'll have to buy microfibre thinga. I treat my lens like a bomb - wonder how they got in!

Cloths are good too, but you have to remember to keep them clean. That's why I prefer the papers.

 

[Dolby]

Aren't they too rough?

I always a shirt was a definite no ...

 

[AfricanTech]

Take it to a decent camera shop

 

[bwana]

Aren't they too rough?

I always a shirt was a definite no ...

If you look at a rizla it's actually very smooth. Lens papers have been around since forever.

What could possibly be wrong with using a t-shirt?

Take it to a decent camera shop

Where the guy will take it to the back, wipe it off with a cloth and charge who knows what.

 

[Quantum Theory]

What could possibly be wrong with using a t-shirt?

Yeah... I often use my shirt, especially to get rid of sea spray.

 

[DGremlin]

If you look at a rizla it's actually very smooth. Lens papers have been around since forever.

Huh. I now have to go out and buy some rizla's just to give it a try. I do prefer lens papers to cloth, I find them convenient and as you mentioned I never worry about them being dirty or leaving residue.
Lately I have been using one of those lens cleaner pens ( brush on one end and little cleaning head on other ), and works, no residue or smudges.

Rizla ... Now I just want to go out and get some just to test.

 

[froot]

IWhat could possibly be wrong with using a t-shirt? Where the guy will take it to the back, wipe it off with a cloth and charge who knows what.

You have a very valid point.... they're supposed to send it to the repair center (afaik) or a specialist cleaning place, but unless you get a "clean guarantee" from said company, who knows who opened and cleaned it?

Off topic, I took my (very expensive birthday gift that I'd never afford) watch to have the battery replaced. The jewelers actually can't replace the factory waterproof seal. Just shows you that it takes some knowing to close everything up properly.

 

[Quantum Theory]

You have a very valid point.... they're supposed to send it to the repair center (afaik) or a specialist cleaning place, but unless you get a "clean guarantee" from said company, who knows who opened and cleaned it?

Off topic, I took my (very expensive birthday gift that I'd never afford) watch to have the battery replaced. The jewelers actually can't replace the factory waterproof seal. Just shows you that it takes some knowing to close everything up properly.

What I understand from the OP, is that the dust is on the outside of the rear element. No need to open it up... Is this correct Dolby?

 

[froot]

What I understand from the OP, is that the dust is on the outside of the rear element. No need to open it up... Is this correct Dolby?

Sounds like it.... and you should be able to clean that yourself.

 

[Dolby]

Yup - just on the outside ...

I dunno why, but I keep thinking that a lens glass is super fragile and simply cleaning it the wrong way will cause a scratch. Maybe I'm just paranoid!

 

[AfricanTech]

If you look at a rizla it's actually very smooth. Lens papers have been around since forever.

What could possibly be wrong with using a t-shirt? Where the guy will take it to the back, wipe it off with a cloth and charge who knows what.

How cynical - LOL

OP did say the dust is on the sensor (I presume from when lens was swapped

I wouldn't want to mess with the sensor

then again, Google and YouTube is your friend

 

[bwana]

How cynical - LOL

OP did say the dust is on the sensor (I presume from when lens was swapped

I wouldn't want to mess with the sensor

then again, Google and YouTube is your friend

He said lens, more specifically rear element.

Sensor cleaning is also very easy. Not sure why people find the idea of doing it so daunting.

 

[chau]

Never use it to clean your sensor . . . ever!

A Morne tells me he uses compressed air and an ear bud to clean his sensor

 

[BigAl-sa]

The problem with canned compressed air is that if you don't hold the tin vertically, the liquid in the can can be ejected onto whatever you're cleaning. Getting rid of that gunk is usually the problem, where you end up scratching the surface which you were trying clean.

Bwana's Rizla papers with Eclipse cleaning fluid is pretty safe for fingerprints. Lens pens also work well. For salt spray which has dried, moisten with water first to try and get the salt back into solution, so you don't scratch the surface of the lens with the salt crystals.

http://www.outdoorphotoshop.co.za/category.aspx?categoryID=107

BTW, the expert cleaners are not always that good. My BiL had the coating on the glass of one of his lenses removed when he sent it in to have a fungus removed.

 

[MaximusZA]

i use a lenspen and its great real easy to use and reasonably cheap as well.