Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: John Koerner on April 15, 2016, 10:39:48 pm
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I am curious what people use to rub their lenses and cameras down with after a hike.
Not the glass lens element, but the outside of their lenses (barrel) as well as cameras.
I use the Giottos Lens Cleaning Kit (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/343088-REG/Giottos_CL1001_Lens_Cleaning_Kit_with.html) for my lens elements, but what about the outside of the lens and the camera itself.
Sometimes, after a hike, esp. after a light rain, the camera and lenses can feel sticky and dirty.
What is best to use to keep your gear clean on the outside?
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When, rarely, I clean them, I use brush and blower (Giottos) and, if they are wet, a chamois leather.
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I am curious what people use to rub their lenses and cameras down with after a hike.
Not the glass lens element, but the outside of their lenses (barrel) as well as cameras.
I use the Giottos Lens Cleaning Kit (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/343088-REG/Giottos_CL1001_Lens_Cleaning_Kit_with.html) for my lens elements, but what about the outside of the lens and the camera itself.
Sometimes, after a hike, esp. after a light rain, the camera and lenses can feel sticky and dirty.
What is best to use to keep your gear clean on the outside?
https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/05/the-lensrentals-lens-cleaning-methods/
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Thank you both, and that link is bookmarked.
Cheers,
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damp cotton swabs and tap water. You might like distilled if you don't have good water softener.
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If they are dusty, I try to blow and brush them off. I'll use compressed air in a way that (hopefully) won't force any dust into the cam, but it's nice for blowing across (not directly at) surfaces to get the dust off. If they are wet I use a microfiber washcloth kind of thing to wipe off any surface moisture.
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Hi;
It's not the dust that bothers me, it's the "sticky" residue that gets on them after light rains as well as brushing up against foliage, etc., after long hikes.
I am wanting to know what cleaners to use, that won't harm the tools (erode plastic, etc.), but that will clean any trace of residue off, etc.
Jack
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In the true spirit of prevention being better than cure, what about keepìng them firmly in the bag until you actually have a shot to make? Of course, if your life entails shooting from the hip, I understand why this ain't no philosophy for you!
Rob
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Jack,
...it's the "sticky" residue that gets on them after light rains as well as brushing up against foliage, etc., after long hikes.
I am wanting to know what cleaners to use, that won't harm the tools (erode plastic, etc.), but that will clean any trace of residue off, etc.
WD-40 (http://wd40.com), but test on a small inconspicuous area first.
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Hi;
It's not the dust that bothers me, it's the "sticky" residue that gets on them after light rains as well as brushing up against foliage, etc., after long hikes.
I am wanting to know what cleaners to use, that won't harm the tools (erode plastic, etc.), but that will clean any trace of residue off, etc.
Jack
Did you not read the lens rentals article...
The Lens Body, Hoods, and Caps
Obviously cleaning this doesn’t make the lens work a bit better, but it’s nice to have a clean lens. And it’s definitely worthwhile for a lens you plan on selling. The plastic and metal on the outside of the the lens barrel, hood, camera bodies, and caps are easily wiped clean with a chamois dampened with cleaning fluid. We generally use Purosol. It’s not the strongest cleaner but it leaves no residue and doesn’t seem to cause any adverse effects on the rubber zoom or focus rings, or plastic distance windows. Tough areas are spot cleaned with a premoistened electronic wipe or a bit of eclipse.
While they talk of lens body, there is no reason this will not work on camera body.
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In the true spirit of prevention being better than cure, what about keepìng them firmly in the bag until you actually have a shot to make?
You can't keep a camera "in a bag" while hiking looking for natural subjects.
Your moments to photograph them, oftentimes, are fleeting ... and "rummaging through a bag" while you have a brief moment to get a shot = missing the shot, more often than not.
Of course, if your life entails shooting from the hip, I understand why this ain't no philosophy for you!
Rob
Of course, if your life is spent sitting at a computer monitor, or engaging in static shots, I can understand why you'd be perplexed at the thought of "having a camera at the ready" ...
Jack
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Did you not read the lens rentals article...
As I said, yes.
While they talk of lens body, there is no reason this will not work on camera body.
What makes you think I couldn't infer this on my own?