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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Finger oil and lens coatings

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DS Williams

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Hey everyone.

I own an HPX170 and recently got a finger print on it.

I used a micro fiber cloth, because I have no good lens cleaning fluid (I only have some from Best Buy and I don't trust it)

The micro fiber cloth seemed to clean it up pretty well, but then perhaps my finger oils got ONTO the micro fiber cloth and contaminated it, because it seemed to only smear the oil around. Now there is a very definite oily shine to parts of the lens.

Will this small surface finger oil on my HPX170 cause permanent or serious damage to my lens coating? I heard lens coating these days are fairly resistant.

BTW - I'm buying a lens pen today to hopefully remove the oil...have I damaged my lens in the meantime?
 
I'm thinking that once you get it cleaned off, you'll be a-okay. That said, you might want to consider picking up a UV filter for your lens. That's what I did for my DVX. Its essentially just a clear, optically negligible filter that costs about 50 bucks. That way, since you have an integrated lens, if something gets smudged, or worse, scratched, all you'd have to replace is a 50 dollar filter instead of a 3000 dollar camera. Good luck.
Peace,

-Harry
 
Glass and coatings are a lot more resilient than they used to be.
Any major manufacturers glass will be able to stand up to a good wiping with or without a liquid solution. Acetone works fine but will not cut the grease from finger prints.
A few tips:
Always start by blowing off dust and debris with compressed air.
Never spray liquid onto the lens itself.. Spray onto a tissue or lens cloth.
Clean the glass in a circular spiral pattern, starting in the center and working your way out to the edge.
Remember that a simple breath of warm air onto the lens (depending on temperature outside) will provide enough moisture on the lens to give it a decent cleaning.
I can go on and on about the best way to clean glass.
It sounds silly, but it took me a long time to get the hang of it.
 
Now I don't feel so bad about breathing (lightly) on the modern B4 glass at work and cleaning with lens tissues! Always did it this way with no issues, but always felt a little like it would be frowned upon by "real" lens techs or ACs!

Is this safe on cinema glass?

What older cinema lenses need more delicate handling?

Recommended tissues/cloths/liquid? Would really like recommendations from lens service/repair/building experts like Matthew rather than anecdotal (or superstitious! :) ) ones from general users.

I don't think rubbing alcohol (or even 99% pure iso-propyl alchohol) would be good on lens coatings as it's pretty strong solvent and may leave a residue - can Matthew confirm this?
 
I think the worst way to clean a lens is with a cloth... The first time I tried to clean the lens of my camera with a microfiber cloth I freaked out, all I did was spread dirt and oil across the lens surface.

I love to use Lenspen:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/507196-REG/Pearstone_LENLP1_LP_1_Lens_Pen_Black_.html

First removing hard visible dust particles with the brush, then using the back of it to remove smudges and again finishing with the brush.

Very handy cleaning solution.

Can't say anything about "canned air"... But "canned air" and a good brush sounds like a good combo to me.

:beer:

PS: Some people have oriented me to almost never use cleaning fluids. And that's what I did, never had to use fluid in years and the lens of the camera is pretty clean till today.
 
I recently bought an Angnieux 12-120 cheap, advertised as having cleaning marks on the front element. To my pleasant surprise when I got the lens it had a UV filter on it with the cleaning marks and the front element was pristine.
A UV filter has been on my GL2 since the day it came out of the box. Great cheap protection.
 
Putting a UV filter in front of your lens is akin to putting a protection cover over your leather sofa. You'll always sit on the cheap plastic surface (or shoot through a cheap filter & additional glass) but you'll end up with a pristine sofa (lens) when you're ready to get rid of it. Makes no sense to me.
 
There is no image degradation or loss of speed with a premium quality UV filter, in fact there is typically noticeable improvement in color saturation and contrast under daylight conditions. Compared to the cost of replacing a damaged front element or degrading optical coatings from exposure to whatever and repeated cleanings it is a no brainer.
Good filters are wonderful tools.
 
You are correct. I respect your choice Florian. Love your reel by the way. Some very tasty shots there.
 
Matthew Duclos said:
I can go on and on about the best way to clean glass.
It sounds silly, but it took me a long time to get the hang of it.
Click to expand...

Hi Matthew,

While I feel a little weird about creating work for you with this suggestion, my request would be that you do exactly that.

Given that you see the cumulative results of daily use, work with lenses for a living, and the fact that I've got more money invested in glass than I paid for my first house (says more about my impoverished youth and my current age than my lenses :))

I'd really welcome a sticky or reference on "the best way to clean cineglass"

Day to day dust removal, the dreaded oily fingerprint, and the advisability of uv/skylight filters etc.

I've generally used the latter, but have always worried about the "condom effect" of degradation of image.

If you've got the time, please share your insights.

All the best,

Steve
 
Watch out for canned compressed air. Some have miscellaneous chemicals in them and aren't good for much more than blowing crumbs off of keyboards.
 
Uh... not being mean here but lose the cloth!

**Read Carefully** - JUST SAY NO TO LENS PEN!!!!!!!


Buy yourself some lens tissue and some Pancro!!! (You can find at Filmtools.com if you can't find in your area.)

EDIT: And get a puffer too! Canned air is great, provided you know how to use properly and have the $8 type cans from somewhere like Studio Depot in LA but a puffer, tissue and Pancro. How does anyone own a lens and not know about and/or use pancro?
 
The best I found is ARRI lens cleanning solution and microfibre cloth. They use them for UPs and MPs and they are cheap as chips... about $10 a spray bottle, the cloth is a couple of bucks. Seems to work better than any other liquid I tried, including Zeiss. Highly recommended. :thumbsup:
 
I'll disclose my exact setup except for a few materials that aren't commonly available.
I realize that most of this may not be doable in the field, but I don't work in the field.. So adapt as you see fit.

Every time I clean an element (several dozen per day for the past 10 years.. Do the math.) I start with compressed air. Canned air works fine. The chemicals in the cans only hurt the element if you tip it or shake it and get that awesome blast of frozen air (I know you've tried it too). However, it is expensive and at the shop we use an air compressor that is filtered many times over to keep moisture and debris out of the lines. Once the large debris and dust is free from the element, I proceed with one of several chemicals depending on the situation.
First, I NEVER use a lens cloth or a brush of any kind. These tools grab onto dust and dirt and just spread them around after every use... Pointless. I use Kimwipes to clean each element and most importantly, I NEVER use a kimwipe more than once. After it has touched the element, it goes in the trash... PERIOD.
I use Acetone, Methanol, or a petroleum based liquid, such as Naptha. I only use these in their pure forms, additives can be counterproductive. As I said before, it depends on the situation. I spray whichever cleaning solution I choose directly onto the tissue and wipe from the center of the element, out to the edge in a spiral pattern. Never start from the edge as this is where and leftover dirt and dust will hide and may carry through to the center of the element leaving a nice scratch along the way. Never allpy too much pressure and never push the tissue, only pull it along. Acetone works great for just about everything but it has a tough time cutting through grease. There are some situations that just require a little breath of warm air.
Here's a test... Blow on your glass really hard and I'm sure you get little tiny spit spots from your mouth into the lens. after these little spots dry, try cleaning them off with whatever you normally use. It will take many passes with the tissue or cloth you are using... Now try it with a little breath on the element, it comes right off...
I've thought about making a short video that would detail how to properly clean an element. Would anyone be interested in such content?
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
 
I've thought about making a short video that would detail how to properly clean an element. Would anyone be interested in such content?
Click to expand...

Yes, please.
 
Thanks for this Matthew,

Matthew Duclos said:
I use Kimwipes to clean each element and most importantly, I NEVER use a kimwipe more than once. After it has touched the element, it goes in the trash... PERIOD.
Click to expand...

Is this the right product?
http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Clar...s-Wipers/dp/B000RMOCZU/ref=pd_bxgy_hpc_text_c

I'd been tempted to try Sontara wipes as they have done a terrific job on my aircraft windows which are VERY prone to scratching, but never worked up the nerve. Plus they are pretty expensive.

I've thought about making a short video that would detail how to properly clean an element. Would anyone be interested in such content?
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Click to expand...

I think if you included a lens primer as well this could do pretty well.

Steve
 
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