Art and Photography

Lens Cleaner?

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  • Nov 12th, 2009 11:37 pm
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Sr. Member
Jun 11, 2003
511 posts
68 upvotes
Toronto

Lens Cleaner?

I took some shots Saturday morning, and once the sunrise hit the lens I got a boat load of dust specs!! never noticed them till now. :mad:

Now that I need to clean my lens's and the camera also it seems. What does everyone recommend?
21 replies
Deal Addict
User avatar
May 6, 2005
1959 posts
285 upvotes
Toronto
I use a lenspen that I got from DealExtreme for my lenses - it works quite well. If you need to clean the mirror or sensor in your busy, you can try getting a blower to start. Anything more involved than that can be risky.
Deal Expert
Mar 25, 2005
22706 posts
3696 upvotes
Dust won't have much an effect. Either blow it off or leave it, wont make too much of a difference.
Deal Fanatic
Feb 2, 2007
5823 posts
346 upvotes
Toronto
Kasakato wrote: Dust won't have much an effect. Either blow it off or leave it, wont make too much of a difference.
It does! Everyone who says it doesn't affect anything, they're overlooking the aspect.

Dust destroys bokeh.

Some guy wrote a thread on it.
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Deal Guru
User avatar
Dec 3, 2004
10943 posts
430 upvotes
Markham/Mississauga
If it has a filter on it, I use the steam from my mouth and then wipe it with my shirt if my soft cloth is not close to me - its usually kept in my bag(s) and when I'm running from the back of the church/reception/banquet hall I have no time to grab my bag in the corner.

No filter? I just sharply blow it using my mouth to get rid of the dust speck.
Deal Expert
Mar 25, 2005
22706 posts
3696 upvotes
kay188 wrote: It does! Everyone who says it doesn't affect anything, they're overlooking the aspect.

Dust destroys bokeh.

Some guy wrote a thread on it.
I vaguely remember reading something like that. Any idea where it was?
Deal Expert
Jan 27, 2006
21844 posts
15620 upvotes
Vancouver, BC
By the very nature of something on the lens, there will be some affect on the image. However, you might not actually see or notice the affect on the image if you don't know what to look for, where to look for it, or if the current conditions actually make it visible.

For example, small finger prints or grease marks on the lens are very common for most consumers but very few people actually have pictures with finger prints on them or a large fuzzy part of the image due to the finger print. You might notice if you look very closely and at the right spot under the right conditions, a slight bit of fuzziness or imperfection might be visible without processing.

Of course, the larger the level of dust or the oils will increase the affect on the image. But by in large, if you keep you lenses relatively clean, it should be fine.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Sep 3, 2003
13025 posts
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Toronto
kay188 wrote: It does! Everyone who says it doesn't affect anything, they're overlooking the aspect.

Dust destroys bokeh.

Some guy wrote a thread on it.
Kasakato wrote: I vaguely remember reading something like that. Any idea where it was?
N_Raged wrote something up on the Dyxum forums, I'm pretty sure it was referred to at one point or another:

http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/tp-bokeh-st ... tml#451294
Deal with it.
Sr. Member
Jun 11, 2003
511 posts
68 upvotes
Toronto
I have a dust blower - which I never used (I didn't see the specs until I got home). And I ordered up the lens pen from focalprice - they are 1$ cheaper then DX :)

Having said that I suspect the dust might be on my CCD since I noticed dust on my mirror. Blowing at it didn't help so I'll have to be a bit more aggressive :|

I'll post a picture to show the specs later tonight.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Mar 4, 2007
2379 posts
504 upvotes
Vancouver
Hi,

I used this on my old film SLR cameras & lens. I still use Kodak lens cleaning tissues & Kodak lens cleaning fluid on my digital camera & lens. Lens pens & micro cloths are okay but think about where the crud goes when you use them. That crud is still there when you reuse them to clean your equipment afterwards. Cleaning tissues & fluid are available in any decent photo store.

http://www.filmtools.com/kodlencleanp.html

http://www.filmtools.com/kolecl16cat1.html
Deal Expert
Mar 25, 2005
22706 posts
3696 upvotes
kay188 wrote: Yup. That's the guy who posted and told me that dust DOES affect image quality.
I tried to recreate the test and did not notice any effect on bokeh. Ill have to do some more detailed trials later.
Member
Aug 3, 2006
305 posts
3 upvotes
With regards to lens pens, any real difference between an off-brand from dealextreme than the 'official' brand at Henry's?
Deal Expert
Jan 27, 2006
21844 posts
15620 upvotes
Vancouver, BC
itsjed wrote: With regards to lens pens, any real difference between an off-brand from dealextreme than the 'official' brand at Henry's?
It really depends on what the off-brand ones use for their "black powder". If I was rubbing a black powder on my lenses, I want to be sure that the stuff comes off and doesn't scratch the lens.

Now if it was a blower, I wouldn't care as much - I purchased my blower from DX.
Deal Fanatic
Feb 2, 2007
5823 posts
346 upvotes
Toronto
Kasakato wrote: I tried to recreate the test and did not notice any effect on bokeh. Ill have to do some more detailed trials later.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akihabaran ... 715318372/

Look at the top right blur bokeh circle.

Do you see the hole that dust put into it?
See see.
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