Quality lens cleaners?
 

I'm after recommendations for cleaning camera lenses.

Are there any that you'd avoid like the plague, and are there any that you won't go without?

Many thanks!

Avoid
- licking the lens!
- Using a beer coaster!
- Your sleeve.

Use
- A good blower. (rubber not plastic!) I have a Pho-Tech black blower about the size of an orange. It has a removeable nozzle so it packs up quite well in the bag. Surprsingly I bought this blower in New Zealand. I guess they can't be without good blowers over there!
- A microfibre cloth. any will do. I have used a canon branded one for a while now and it works a treat. I really should get another as a back up.
- Buy the skylight filter to go over the front of all your lenses. Works a treat for those accidental fingerprints on the lens itself!

Just go into your local reputable camera store and they'll have the goods!

David.M.

p.s. Failing that Nige, just do a search (which I hope you already have done) on dpreview.com. I'm sure they have heaps there! ;)

Is it made out of sheepskin? ;)

blowers
 

David,

What part of a sheep would be deemed suitable for a blower. My guess is that it would only come from non desexed MALE sheep. (Also known as Rams-ay)

Barry Robson (Alias Gerald Hatrick)

.:D :D :D

I use a Spudz lens cleaner which is a microfibre cloth with a tiny little bag that it can be tucked back into, also has a clip to attach to your camera back, keyring etc.

I used to use a UV(0) filter in front of my lens but my photography guy made a good point, why pay a fortune for a good lens then throw a cheap peice of glass in front of it.

You're kidding aren't you?? That is why you put a 'cheap' bit of glass in front of it, to protect the lense.

Professionals don't put UV filters on their lenses for no reason.

I'd rather replace a $60 UV filter than a $1500 lens.

I agree Browneye. What happens if you have a $3500 dollar lens and a stone hits the glass. all of my lenses have filters on them for that reason.

Definitely look for the Hakuba LensPen. It's extremely convenient and cleans perfectly - definitely the best accessory I've gotten for a while.

That's quite a generalisation. In fact, the relative merits of UV filters as lens protection are much debated, and pros are divided on the subject. On one hand it's good insurance, but on the other it's silly to spend big for L-glass or similar and then stick inferior glass on the front anyway. (For the record, I do use protective filters - albeit expensive, multicoated B+Ws).