[Wheatfield]

Hi all,
Are the “lens pens” any good or should I avoid them

Peter

What is best avoided is cleaning lenses at all. I don't clean mine unless absolutely necessary (such as a dog running up and smunching his nose into the glass). When I was selling cameras, the single biggest cause of lens damage that I saw was caused by cleaning.
When I do clean lenses, generally I use an old cotton handkerchief or t-shirt that has been washed a dozen or more times. Use a corner to dust off any specks and then breath on the lens and wipe it clean on a circular motion.
If you try to keep your glass spotless you will damage it sooner or later.
Lens pens, BTW, have an abrasive in them (carbon). Use them with care.

[Lev]

I cringed watching this video. I first question his judgement in recommending cotton tipped swabs on optics but then could barely believe he was telling people to use just water. He said there was some oil or grease put on the surface to start but water will do nothing to clean that. While vigorously rubbing all over it was quite obvious he was only thinning out the mess and spreading it over the whole lens. Yes, some oil will get transferred to the swab but there is no chance the glass will be left clean. The lighting was pretty poor but this appeared to leave hazy film over the surface when he claimed it was done as would logically be expected. Others are at least using a form of alcohol or cleaning fluid but can be a lot safer with a good lens pen or lens tissue used very gently. The fellow then brags that his is the best way and he has cleaned (probably damaged) thousands of lenses.
It seems a shame to invest maybe thousands of dollars in quality lenses and then risk damaging them trying to shortcut simple maintenance.

Using any kind of alcohol, any substance stronger than water will be good to remove oil and other moistere but veery bad for multicoating layers!! Absolutly sure that it will wipe that off over time. It ia better to evenly distribute that oil which I think is just fine rather than remove coatings.

[Chris_K]

Using any kind of alcohol, any substance stronger than water will be good to remove oil and other moistere but veery bad for multicoating layers!! Absolutly sure that it will wipe that off over time. It ia better to evenly distribute that oil which I think is just fine rather than remove coatings.

What do you mean by "stronger than water"? Ethyl or isopropyl alcohol (IPA) are better solvents for many organic species (since they are organic solvents, are less polar, etc.) but are not considered aggressive solvents, in general. IPA is a pretty popular ingredient of lens cleaning liquids.
Coating materials are - to my knowledge - inorganic (magnesium fluoride or so) so they won't be affected by isopropyl alcohol more than they would be affected by water. In my opinion, if coatings can be damaged, that will happen more due to extensive rubbing with an inappropriate cloth rather than by using isopropyl alcohol.

[Lev]

not considered aggressive

against what kind of chemicals used in coatings? I'm not sure, are you? so better not to risk and use distilled water instead. Those swabs eventually will receive all that residue.

[blumoon722]

I suggest you try Zeiss Lens Wipes, individual moistened wipes in individual aluminum packets. Suitable for eye glasses or lenses, you can get a box of 200 packets for about 15 bucks delivered on ebay

I get these at Walmart. Box of 100 costs $5.00

[Chris_K]

against what kind of chemicals used in coatings? I'm not sure, are you? so better not to risk and use distilled water instead. Those swabs eventually will receive all that residue.

But here you assume that distilled water is less hazardous to coating - and one could ask the same question: against what chemicals used in coatings? The fact that alcohols clean e.g. oil stain better than water doesn't mean that they are more aggressive - it all depends on the material we speak of - as you said. And since coating materials are - to my knowledge - inorganic - I see no reason to think that isopropyl alcohol will be more hazardous to them than water.
But it's just my opinion, I rarely clean lenses. For very dirty ones I use IPA+water 1:1 mixture.
regards,
Chris

[stillshot2]

What is best avoided is cleaning lenses at all.

This ^

Keep lens caps on when not shooting, minimize exposure to dust storms and rain etc. And when you must clean, do as little as necessary. I hear even human breath is acidic and could break down coatings but I haven't had any issues doing that. I've also used isopropyl alcohol before without any noticeable issues, but generally use a blower then the microfiber cloth and some breath if something is really stuck on there. I am not going to worry about my gear enough to do more than that. There are test shots of lenses with the front elements filthy, fungus ridden, and even cracked that still take nice photos. A little dust never hurt anything, and there is probably more dust that gets stuck on the inside of a lens over time than what you will accumulate on the front element

[swanlefitte]

Modern coatings are harder than the glass they are on.
The Inside (Technical) Scoop on Lens Coating Durability

[lsimpkins]

OK...I will wade in...

If just dust...Rocket Blower

If persistent dust or grease or snot...Windex (I kid you not), judiciously applied,

LensPen is reputed to work well if instructions are followed. The pre-wetted Zeiss pads are probably great, though my concern is that they may dry out if carried around in the bag for more than a couple of months. If Kodak lens tissue and fluid were still available, I would likely still be using that.

Will not use high concentration isopropol alcohol due to concerns over solvent action against internal cements should seepage occur.


Steve

Steve, I'm a little surprised that you use Windex. In my experience, the "soap" content of Windex leaves a film on glass that not only is bad in and of itself, but also tends to absorb moisture. For this reason I swore off Windex for both my house and car windows. I have found Invisible Glass to be much better in both "gunk" removal and lack of left behind streaks or film.

That being said, I will not use IG on my optics (other than dollar store reading glasses) since I don't have a way to predict interaction with lens coatings. I do use a blower, then the Zeiss wipes only if really necessary - maybe a couple of times a year. I have had them for several years without them drying out.

[stevebrot]

Steve, I'm a little surprised that you use Windex.

Done on the advice of a professional I knew in the optical glass business. If Windex leaves residue, it is pretty subtle, though your caution is well received. I might note that my lenses might get a wet cleaning perhaps twice per decade. As for the Zeiss wipes, they are intended for eyeglasses and are...

pre-moistened with a unique combination of two active agents which are also used for medical equipment cleaning. These harmless agents are free from aggressive cleaning substances and artificial fragrances...

Zeiss also has the cleaning solution (safe for all optical coatings) in a convenient spray bottle. See: ZEISS Lens Cleaning Solutions. If I can find a source, I may switch from Windex to Zeiss.


Steve

[stevebrot]

If I can find a source, I may switch from Windex to Zeiss.

Order placed on Amazon...we will see how it works...

amazon.com: Zeiss Lens Care Pack - 2 - 8 Ounce Bottles of Lens Cleaner, 2 Microfiber Cleaning Cloths: Health & Personal Care?tag=pentaxforums-20&

Note that these are the same fluid and cloths sold for camera lenses on B&H and elsewhere.


Steve

(...no relation to Zeiss or Amazon...will test on some really dirty filters I have stashed away...)

[MarkJerling]

I see a lot of misinformation in this thread with regard to lens coatings and potential damage to same.

Now, as for Zeiss Lens cleaning solution or Zeiss Lens Cleaning wipes. The Zeiss solution is water and isopropyl alcohol. The wipes are moistened with water and isopropyl alcohol.

Commercially available isopropyl solutions are simply that: Water and CH3CHOHCH3 (isopropyl alcohol). So, if you want to save money, feel free to use a cotton bud or a clean soft cloth with isopropyl alcohol. Alternatively, buy the Zeiss wipes or Zeiss solution, which gives you the same thing.

Here's the links to the product data sheets for the Zeiss products:
http://lkstevens-wa.safeschoolssds.com/document/repo/a3a90286-4531-42b1-baba-506b41eb5db5
http://www.company7.com/library/zeiss/Zeiss_Lens_Cleaner_Towelette-US_MSDS-E...Feb-2012.p.pdf
http://www.physics.purdue.edu/primelab/safety/MSDS/SDS/Zeiss%20lens%20cleaning%20wipes.pdf (Which shows that isopropyl alcohol is mainly ethanol and propanol.)

Don't bathe your lens in the stuff. Simply usea tiny little bit on a cotton bud or on a clean bit of soft, lint-free cloth. Isopropyl solutions with a higher isopropyl content will evaporate faster. If the evaporation rate is too high for your liking, add a bit of water.

[MarkJerling]

Steve, I'm a little surprised that you use Windex. In my experience, the "soap" content of Windex leaves a film on glass that not only is bad in and of itself, but also tends to absorb moisture. For this reason I swore off Windex for both my house and car windows. I have found Invisible Glass to be much better in both "gunk" removal and lack of left behind streaks or film.

That being said, I will not use IG on my optics (other than dollar store reading glasses) since I don't have a way to predict interaction with lens coatings. I do use a blower, then the Zeiss wipes only if really necessary - maybe a couple of times a year. I have had them for several years without them drying out.

Yes, I would avoid Windex.

It adds a number of other compounds, apart from Isopropyl alcohol that you really don't need on your lenses. Some Windex products also contain ammonia.

http://www.local510.org/msds_sheets/Windex_MSDS.pdf

[MarkJerling]

What is best avoided is cleaning lenses at all. I don't clean mine unless absolutely necessary (such as a dog running up and smunching his nose into the glass). When I was selling cameras, the single biggest cause of lens damage that I saw was caused by cleaning.
When I do clean lenses, generally I use an old cotton handkerchief or t-shirt that has been washed a dozen or more times. Use a corner to dust off any specks and then breath on the lens and wipe it clean on a circular motion.
If you try to keep your glass spotless you will damage it sooner or later.
Lens pens, BTW, have an abrasive in them (carbon). Use them with care.

Very true!

[Silent Street]

Hi all,
Are the “lens pens” any good or should I avoid them
Peter

A mostly unnecessary and complicating way to "clean" a lens, with the possibility of the tip picking up abrasive matter and transferring that to the lens.
Huffing onto a lens and wiping with a microfibre cloth is still the gold standard in simple, uncomplicated cleaning. Occasionally, a single drop of lens cleaner is needed, but nothing else should be applied to any lens (slap on a high quality filter and use that as a 'scratching pad').

A sparkling clean front element, protected by a filter, will rarely need any sort of cleaning. That's the benefit of filters, but don't slap a $5.00 filter on a $5,000 lens — there are entirely good reasons for lenses costing that much, and a cheap filter does them no good at all.


EDIT: I do have a lenspen, bought in 1993, and barely used!