Cleaning the Front Element, in the Field?

[Danner]

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What do you keep in your bag, or recommend, for cleaning a smug or such off the front element?  Call me crazy, but I'm running my V5 Summicron w/o filter, but with screw-on hood (Heliopan) attached.

 

I've got a lens pen, but haven't needed it, yet.

[rpittal]

throw a few Zeiss lens cleaning wipes in your camera bag (or pocket). Gently wipe the lens (no pressure) with a wadded up wipe to remove any dust. You can then use another wipe for any smears/smudges. The lens pen brush can also be used initially, but I prefer the Zeiss wipe over the lens pen rubbing end (but I use that for filters); I would be concerned about grinding in grit with the pressure needed for the lens pen rubbing end. 

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[farnz]

Always, always, always use the natural blower you carry in your chest (if you haven't packed a commercially available one) to blow away any loose dust or particles before applying a cloth or wipes to reduce the risk of scratching the front element's coating.

Pete.

[LocalHero1953]

I never clean the front element in the field. If it needs cleaned I wait till I get home, then it's blower, traditional soft lens brush and wet cloth/wipes, in that order. Dirt on the front element has to be fairly substantial before it affects images noticeably, unlike the rear element at infinity. It may affect contrast, but even then I would prefer to wait to clean it under controlled conditions.

The only marks I get on my lenses are finger marks from careless handling without a hood, or dried water splashes. But I'm a bit paranoid after putting an Apo-Summicron-M 90 Asph front down on an uneven rock without a hood, and making a minuscule chip on the front element. It was never visible in images, but of course it effected resale value, so Leica replaced it when I sent the lens in for focus adjustment.  

If you have to clean a lens in the field, the correct way is with the silk lining of your tie - for stubborn marks, lick it and rub harder.

Edited December 31, 2020 by LocalHero1953

[Aryel]

I just carry a small air blower with me in case. Anything more substantial will wait till I get home.  I put filters on all my lenses.

[Reini]

I never touch my lenses in the field. why also? I'm not in the desert ... Maybe at home sometimes carefully with bellows and brush. I also always use filters for larger glasses.

[250swb]

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If something shows up in the photo that's on the front element it's not called dust, it's called a rock.

[cboy]

Why no filter or blower brush

[Lelmer]

2 hours ago, 250swb said:

If something shows up in the photo that's on the front element it's not called dust, it's called a rock.

 

...or rain 😉

[LocalHero1953]

13 minutes ago, Lelmer said:

 

...or rain 😉

....in my case.....a camera strap......or a finger

[Danner]

4 hours ago, cboy said:

Why no filter or blower brush

I've had some veiling reflections from filters in the past, particularly with the 35/2 ASPH, so trying to run filter-less these days, but with a hood to 'protect' the front element.  The kit I'm talking about today is an M6+50 Summicron in a Billingham 72, so it's a very minimalist kit I'll carry pretty much everywhere.  I carry a Gossen LunaPro meter and spare film too, so not enough room for my rocket blower.

I very much appreciate all the suggestions.

[Jean-Michel]

Filter or no filter discussions never convince anyone of anything. Still, if one is using b&w film, or a Monochrom camera, the use of a coloured filter is often required. In my film days (decades), a yellow filter was almost always on. I cannot think of a time that an image was ruined by the use of any filter. I have uv filters on all my lenses other than the WATE. I carry both lens cloths and Lenspens in my bag, and even still have a stash of Kodak lens tissues, but the Lenspen is much better.

 

[pgk]

14 hours ago, Danner said:

Call me crazy, but I'm running my V5 Summicron w/o filter, but with screw-on hood (Heliopan) attached.

You are crazy! Happy now? Use a filter, please. In 99.999% of images it won't have any discernible effect on images. On the others it might cause some reflection so can be taken off for them. And smudges and dust on a lens can lower contrast, negating all the hard work carried out in coating your lens. Filters provide protection - I see them as semi-consumables because sooner or later they get trashed. FWIW I have a 90mm Elmarit-M with coating damage - which shows up significantly in the images it takes. Leica have said that to repair it means replacing the front element but its actually cheaper to buy another good copy instead.

[BradS]

Never clean glass in the field!

my one exception, I carry a small $0.59 camel hair paint brush in my bag for lightly brushing away dust but still very rarely use it in the field. Usuall wait till I'm back at the hotel or at least in the car.

[pgk]

3 minutes ago, BradS said:

Never clean glass in the field!

On the other hand I'm forever cleaning glass in the field, usually with whatever I'm wearing. So the glass I clean is always a filter ......

[lct]

20 hours ago, pgk said:

You are crazy! Happy now? Use a filter, please. In 99.999% of images it won't have any discernible effect on images. [...]

May i ask if you shoot often into the light? I do an a filter is definitely a no no due to reflections for me, i mean when i don't need one for UV/IR filtering or to protect the lens from dust, sand or water. Also, in my modest experience, any filter can produce ghost images when shooting spot sources in dark environments. Now i have always a couple of filters in my bag or a pocket for sake of precaution. Old debate anyway... YMMV.

[jaapv]

20 hours ago, Danner said:

I've had some veiling reflections from filters in the past, particularly with the 35/2 ASPH, so trying to run filter-less these days, but with a hood to 'protect' the front element.  The kit I'm talking about today is an M6+50 Summicron in a Billingham 72, so it's a very minimalist kit I'll carry pretty much everywhere.  I carry a Gossen LunaPro meter and spare film too, so not enough room for my rocket blower.

I very much appreciate all the suggestions.

Try a modern Nano-coated one like B&W 007 or Heliopan Protective . The reflections are negligible and they are so easy to  clean that you can wipe them with your dog's tail.

[Gobert]

41 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Try a modern Nano-coated one like B&W 007 or Heliopan Protective . The reflections are negligible and they are so easy to  clean that you can wipe them with your dog's tail.

I don’t have the guts. Although he is quite friendly, gripping his tail will result in biting.

[farnz]

21 minutes ago, Gobert said:

I don’t have the guts. Although he is quite friendly, gripping his tail will result in biting.

There's no excuse for biting your dog!

Pete.

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[RayD28]

19 hours ago, BradS said:

Never clean glass in the field!

my one exception, I carry a small $0.59 camel hair paint brush in my bag for lightly brushing away dust but still very rarely use it in the field. Usuall wait till I'm back at the hotel or at least in the car.

Brad, I'm curious why using a camel hair brush in the field is not ok but using one in the car is ok?