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finger smudges on front element and cleaning


stump4545

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It really does affect image quality. This one is a 50% crop but you can see it even at small sizes.

 

I keep a lens pen on me in my camera bag. They do a great job of removing grime. Especially those coated B+W filters which are super hard to clean.

 

That must have been one heck of a greasy blob, especially when compared with a lens that has a few more problems

 

LensRentals.com - Front Element Scratches

 

The B+W MRC filters are specifically designed to be easy to clean, so perhaps you tried the wrong type.

 

Steve

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I have put spectacle glasses cleaner on the front of my lenses. It is the sort of cleaner that seems to have a wax type ingredient. So, it leaves the lens with a protection that makes it easy to clean without smudges when you breathe on it and clean it with your shirt tail. Make sure shirt tail is clean and has no grease on it.

 

This would be my suggestion for newer lenses. Older lenses need much more care as the coatings are not as resilient.

 

At a Leica show put on about 2 years ago, the Leica representative was talking about how good the newer coatings were and he then produced a green Scotch Brite pad and vigorously rubbed the front of the 21mm Summilux and passed it around and it was not damaged a bit. So, at home I look for a lens cloth but, when I'm out shooting I'm not afraid to use my shirt tail.

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I have put spectacle glasses cleaner on the front of my lenses. It is the sort of cleaner that seems to have a wax type ingredient. So, it leaves the lens with a protection that makes it easy to clean without smudges when you breathe on it and clean it with your shirt tail. Make sure shirt tail is clean and has no grease on it.

 

This would be my suggestion for newer lenses. Older lenses need much more care as the coatings are not as resilient.

 

At a Leica show put on about 2 years ago, the Leica representative was talking about how good the newer coatings were and he then produced a green Scotch Brite pad and vigorously rubbed the front of the 21mm Summilux and passed it around and it was not damaged a bit. So, at home I look for a lens cloth but, when I'm out shooting I'm not afraid to use my shirt tail.

 

But, since in any case I always carry a dedicated non-impregnated microfibre cloth with me, I would certainly use it in preference to an impregnated cloth or my shirt-tail.

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But, since in any case I always carry a dedicated non-impregnated microfibre cloth with me, I would certainly use it in preference to an impregnated cloth or my shirt-tail.

 

Fair enough, but it isn't necessary. The coatings on the never lenses have a hardness index that is much higher than any clean cloth.

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  • 2 weeks later...
finger smudges on front element are annoying but do they really effect image quality?

 

it is ok to use a lens cleaner spray and lens cloth to clean front and back element or will this cleaning process really remove lens coatings over time?

 

i would do this about once per month.

 

thanks

When I worked in a professional camera shop, I would occasionally see a camera lens that had been overcleaned to the point of having the lens coatings removed. These lenses would usually have coatings around the periphery of the front element with a "clear" center.

 

After seeing this a few times, I decided undercleaning was definitely preferable. My lens cleaning protocol is as follows:

 

 

1- Use oil free canned photographic dust off air to remove any dust or particulate matter

2- If that doesn't get the dust off, use a soft photographic lens cleaning brush

3- If the front element has a smudge, use a clean dirt, dust and lint free photographic microfiber lens cloth with a couple of drops (or a spritz) of photographic lens cleaner solution ***spray the solution on the cloth, never on the front element of the lens***

 

At any point in the process that the lens is cleaned - STOP. Do not continue cleaning. Do not have a regular lens cleaning schedule. This is not like chainging the oil and filter in your car every 3000 miles. The less lens cleaning you can get away with, the better, based on what I have seen.

 

I don't normally use a UV filter to protect the front element of my lenses. I have never had damage to a front element, either. My subject matter has included wedding receptions, street photography, amusement park crowds as well as pregame and postgame NFL football fans who were drunk and delirious with the happiness that comes with a victory by their favorite team. I always use a lens hood which provides adequate protection under these and most other circumstances.

 

Situations where I would use a UV filter to protect the front element would be in a windy, dusty environment, an environment where dust/dirt/grime is flying about or is airborne (industrial type environment), or in tight quarters when photographing a mass of people such as at a bar, concert, amusement park or fair, a sporting event where tightly packed fans are milling and flailing about, etc.

 

That is my approach and I have never had a damaged front lens element in over 30 years of photography.

 

Maybe I am just more careful with my lenses than most people are, I don't know...

Edited by Messsucherkamera
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