[postie]

as i am new to birding could someone tell me the best method of wipeing clean lenses i didn't want to scratch them so i thought i would ask if there maybe special fluid and wipes for doing so.
thank you
roy

[matt green]

Originally Posted by postie

as i am new to birding could someone tell me the best method of wipeing clean lenses i didn't want to scratch them so i thought i would ask if there maybe special fluid and wipes for doing so.
thank you
roy

i always carry johnsons baby wipes,i can stuff three or four in a 35mm film case and they stay moist for weeks!.then just buff with a piece of tissue paper.good for mucky mitts as well.matt

[tom24]

Get a microfibre lens cloth for general cleaning.A puff of your breath & a wipe with cloth will suffice.If they're really dirty or have salty water deposits use some isopropyl alcohol.Make sure you've blown any grit off before wiping.You'll find all you need at your local camera shop. Tom.

[Bluetail]

Hi postie

You should find this discussion helpful: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=5132

[ceasar]

There is a handy little cleaning cloth called "Spuds" that is attached to and fits into a 1 inch square little bag that you can carry around clipped to your bino strap. Make sure you blow off any grit on the lens before you use it and refrain from using it except when absolutely necessary. Lens's should not be routinely cleaned as frequent cleaning can damage the coating on them.

[Runestone]

Originally Posted by ceasar

There is a handy little cleaning cloth called "Spuds" that is attached to and fits into a 1 inch square little bag that you can carry around clipped to your bino strap. Make sure you blow off any grit on the lens before you use it and refrain from using it except when absolutely necessary. Lens's should not be routinely cleaned as frequent cleaning can damage the coating on them.

I like the sound of Spuds, is it available in the UK?

[Edward woodwood]

blow off grit

tee shirt or shirt sleeve to polish

impregnated cloths and fluids will damage coatings

Tim

[dbradnum]

Originally Posted by tom24

Get a microfibre lens cloth for general cleaning.A puff of your breath & a wipe with cloth will suffice.If they're really dirty or have salty water deposits use some isopropyl alcohol.Make sure you've blown any grit off before wiping.You'll find all you need at your local camera shop. Tom.

Sounds spot on... though in the field a clean handkerchief or shirt tail will do a fair job in the absence of a microfibre cloth.

The key points are :

- always make sure you get grit off lens before cleaning (since rubbing this in will scratch the lens)
- don't use any "special fluid", or any cloth (or baby wipes!) impregnated with such fluid - the additives can damage hi-tech lens coatings.

[matt green]

ooops,looks like i'll have to limit the baby wipes for mucky hands and body armour[on the bins!] only.still a pain to remove those little smuts/stains,ie blood sweat and tears from the ocular lense.from now on it's just the shaving brush,a huff and a buff with a tissue.matt

[Bluetail]

The instructions for my Nikon ED82 scope recommend using pure alcohol (not "denatured", whatever that means) and cotton wool for stubborn smudges.

If you've been out in the sea air you're going to need more than breath to dissolve the salt crystals.

[symphony]

The advice here is spot on with that I have read elsewhere. I was told though to 'wet' the lenses with my breath vapour in order to moisten them before each wipe (having blown off any grit particles first-essential). Wiping your lenses when dry, I was told, can cause scratches.

I agree it dosen't seem a good idea to routinely clean your lenses out of habit and I use my t shirt only when I have forgotten my soft cloth I got with my eye glasses.

What do you suggest for cleaning your lenses of salt particles. I imagine these are hard and would cause scratches but blowing on the lenses might not do the job. A soft brush perhaps?

I sometimes use my friend's hairdryer which is really powerful to blow off any damaging grit before misting over the lenses with my breath and wiping them.

[Bluetail]

Originally Posted by symphony

What do you suggest for cleaning your lenses of salt particles. I imagine these are hard and would cause scratches but blowing on the lenses might not do the job. A soft brush perhaps?

Good question. Hopefully someone will know for sure. I would think that, just as rain drops dry on the lens, so do salt crystals and a brush won't necessarily be enough to dislodge all of them. I've always assumed (or, rather, hoped!) that they dissolve in pure alcohol. If not, distilled water would surely be OK (but not tap water). The crystals are minute so I wouldn't think it would take much to dissolve them. But I'm really only guessing.

[ceasar]

Originally Posted by Runestone

I like the sound of Spuds, is it available in the UK?

You might try some Camera Shops. That's where I got mine. Check out the ads in Photography Magazines also.

[symphony]

I wonder if there is anything wrong in rinsing your lenses in tap water? Is it sediment in the water which could lead to scratching?

My bins got splashed with mud on the objectives. I rinsed them in tap water in the sink until the mud was gone. Am I damaging my lenses if I rinse them in tap water once in a while?

Cheers