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Cleaning binoculars. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter lvn600
- Start date
Cleaning outer edge of lenses
As there was no reply to this query, I am posting here in the hope that someone will help. I find that after using circular motions to clean the lenses the very edge is difficult to reach, leaving a narrow circular deposit of cleaning fluid or skin grease.lvn600 said:
xenophobe
Well-known member
Alcohol taking off lens coatings? Riiight... That's like saying if you leave a teacup filled with alcohol, it will dissolve the porcelain. lol
I use, in the following order:
1) Compressed air
2) Brush
3) Lens cleaning solution
4) Chemtronics #120 foam tip (used for cleaning medical microscopes) or Micro fiber cloth
5) Lens pen for final edge touch up (after all abrasives have positively been removed)
That's the way I prefer to do it, and I clean pretty infrequently... Probably once every week or three of daily use.
I use, in the following order:
1) Compressed air
2) Brush
3) Lens cleaning solution
4) Chemtronics #120 foam tip (used for cleaning medical microscopes) or Micro fiber cloth
5) Lens pen for final edge touch up (after all abrasives have positively been removed)
That's the way I prefer to do it, and I clean pretty infrequently... Probably once every week or three of daily use.
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Tim Allwood said:
"never use a solvent"
"i wouldn't let alcohol anywhere near mine"
Nonsense. Isopropyl alchohol is ideal and best mixed with distilled water to dissolve contaminants that are not alcohol soluble.
But anyone who uses whisky to clean their bins should be shot.
Leif
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Chhayanat said:
As mentioned by others, blow away loose grit with a blower. Then take a piece of cotton wool from a sealed bag, taking care not to touch the cleaning surface. Moisten with a few drops of lens cleaning fluid, and gently pull over the lens. Don't press. Bear in mind that at the start their might be small bits of grit stuck on the surface and you don't want to grind that in to the lens. Discard the cotton, and repeat until the lens is clean. The only problem is that strands of cotton can get caught at the edge of the lens, but the blower, or plastic tweezers will remove that. (Metal tweezers could damage the lens if you have unsteady hands.) This method is cheap and simple. But don't buy lens cleaning fluid from opticians: that stuff is full of impurities. Isopropyl alcolhol mixed with distilled water also works. You can also use lens cleaning tissues, but I prefer cotton wool.
As mentioned elsewhere by many others, some optics have hard coatings applied, or the manufacturer makes sure that the top-most coatings are hard. For example Leica apply a very hard quartz layer. Swarovski have something called Swarodur. For this reason some (all?) top end bins and scopes can withstand rougher treatment, which is important for the more extreme of us who use equipment in salty and/or dirty conditions, and who need to clean their kit in the field, often in less than ideal conditions.
Leif
Solvents can harm the plastics and cements used to keep lenses in place; some like acetone and others can negatively affect rubber.
Isopropyl alcohol is OK but almost aways leaves drying marks because it is a "heavier" alcohol (3 carbon).
The safest is probably methanol (1 carbon) a light alcohol which is very rapidly vaporised and dries without marks when applied sparingly. Methanol is used to clean digital camera sensor surfaces for example and is quite safe with 'coatings' which are inorganic materials which are not dissolved or affected by methanol.
Isopropyl alcohol is OK but almost aways leaves drying marks because it is a "heavier" alcohol (3 carbon).
The safest is probably methanol (1 carbon) a light alcohol which is very rapidly vaporised and dries without marks when applied sparingly. Methanol is used to clean digital camera sensor surfaces for example and is quite safe with 'coatings' which are inorganic materials which are not dissolved or affected by methanol.
Safe on coatings and excellent for cleaning - yes, but it also easily penetrates through the skin and may have adverse effect on eyesight (large doses may make you blind). Be very careful or wear protective gloves when handling methanol - and don't breath the vapours.zuiko said:
Ilkka
ps. 100% methanol (or any other alcohol) also does not dissolve salt crystals, so it may be better to use it as finishing treatment.
zuiko said:
I've never had problems with drying marks. My understanding is that drying marks come from impurities, either those already on the lens surface, or in the alcohol. Hence whichever alcohol you use, it should be high purity.
I don't think you can purchase pure methanol in the UK unless you have a licence. I think it's also near impossible to buy pure ethanol. Isopropyl alcohol is easy to obtain, though I think you have to be over 18 as solvent abuse is a problem these days.
You are right about taking care with solvents. I once dissolved the focussing screen of an SLR. And of course only small amounts shiould be used to prevent solvent + dirt seaping into the lens internals.
Leif
Otto McDiesel
Well-known member
Leif said:
I used vodka to clean mine, once or twice. It was a waste. B
Leif said:
This is exactly what I use...ISOPROPANOL.. and have for years. My ancient Zeiss are going strong and the lens are still brill...mind you my skin is now green and my hair has fallen out.... :t:
You can buy the above from a chemist......well I did!..not sure if you still can; the PC Brigade are probably stood outside now.
They [the pc lot] were responsible for cancelling a Santa and Reindeer visit near me cos the owners would have to issue all the children (who may have stroked the reindeer) with Sani Wipes. The world is going mad.
John AKA..The Jolly Green Giant
I blow off particulates with an ear bulb syringe, then brush with a sable artist brush. I follow this with either Kodak lens cleaning solution or Zeiss lens cleaning solution on surgical roll cotton. On a couple of occasions I had something greasy on the eye lenses that neither cleaning solution could remove, so I washed them in the kitchen sink with Dawn dishwashing detergent (they use it to remove oil from oil-soaked sea birds), rinsed them off under the faucet, then a final rinse with distilled water.
Cleaning damage, mostly swirls on the lenses, may be the #1 contributor to binocular decay, if the Ebay listings are representative. So it seems sensible to clean binoculars extra carefully, brush the lenses upside down, so grit falls away rather than being redistributed,
use fresh wipes or microfiber cloth, be liberal with cleaning fluid and above all, be gentle.
use fresh wipes or microfiber cloth, be liberal with cleaning fluid and above all, be gentle.
etc
Well-known member
I think a lot of previously used methods no longer apply given the widespread use of new hydrophobic and AR coatings on major Alpha binos. Ammonia in glass cleaners will cause the breakdown of these coatings.
Windex contains methanol (alcohol) which is a solvent. Solvents are called this name because they do dissolve a lot of stuff besides dirt. Solvents are eating away at your coating even if they are called lense cleaners.
Generally cleaning solutions should be detergent based and as such be slightly base in nature.
I prefer a soap-based cleaner that will not cause gamage, or you can make your own: A few drops of Dawn in a bottle you can carry with you. That would be a safe product for AR/hydrophobic coated lenses. Or any mild soap that contains no moisturizers, fragrances, or harsh 'grease cutters'.
Just make sure that you don use a lense cleaner that contains any type of solvent like ISOPROPYL -- of which 90% of all lense cleaners are made. Get a lense cleaner that is made purely from surfactants soap family.
Isopropyl, Methanol, Acetone and many other solvents will undermine these new coatings and eat away at the base in simple language and delamination or crazing can occur.
Having said that, I never personally detected any damage caused by an alcohol/isopropyl-based cleaner, but then again, I now clean as rarely as possible.
I wouldn't risk with these new, expensive coatings. I don't think you will see instant damage, but damage over a period of time. I do however have an older Leica without these new hydrophobic coatings that doesn't seem to be affected by anything.
Windex contains methanol (alcohol) which is a solvent. Solvents are called this name because they do dissolve a lot of stuff besides dirt. Solvents are eating away at your coating even if they are called lense cleaners.
Generally cleaning solutions should be detergent based and as such be slightly base in nature.
I prefer a soap-based cleaner that will not cause gamage, or you can make your own: A few drops of Dawn in a bottle you can carry with you. That would be a safe product for AR/hydrophobic coated lenses. Or any mild soap that contains no moisturizers, fragrances, or harsh 'grease cutters'.
Just make sure that you don use a lense cleaner that contains any type of solvent like ISOPROPYL -- of which 90% of all lense cleaners are made. Get a lense cleaner that is made purely from surfactants soap family.
Isopropyl, Methanol, Acetone and many other solvents will undermine these new coatings and eat away at the base in simple language and delamination or crazing can occur.
Having said that, I never personally detected any damage caused by an alcohol/isopropyl-based cleaner, but then again, I now clean as rarely as possible.
I wouldn't risk with these new, expensive coatings. I don't think you will see instant damage, but damage over a period of time. I do however have an older Leica without these new hydrophobic coatings that doesn't seem to be affected by anything.
I usually use Zeiss pre-moistened lens cloths. What they're pre-moistened with is isopropyl alcohol.
The packaging states:
"Zeiss Len Cloths safely and quickly clean any lens, especially those with Zeiss anti-reflective multi-layer coatings. High-tech ammonia-free(they like those hyphens, don't they?) formula cleans effectively without leaving streaks or residue".
elkcub
Silicon Valley, California
Etc.,
I'm not at all sure this statement is correct. Zeiss lens cleaner contains isopropanol, which is isopropyl alcohol. It's recommended "especially" for Zeiss anti-reflective, multi-layer coatings, and there is no exclusion for the hydrophobic coating. I also use it on Swarovski, Nikon, and Swift instruments, sometimes even my eyeglasses. :-O
Clear lenses,
Elk
etc
Well-known member
I never tried these Zeiss cleaning packages. They must be pretty convenient in the field. Still, I would want to rinse the lense with ample amount of water before using anything else.
I damaged a Swarovski rangefinder because I didn't put enough cleaning solution on the lense, thinking that since I had a premium microfiber cleaning cloth which couldn't possibly damage anything.
I mixed my own cleaning solution by adding a few drops of Dawn in water, putting it all in a contact lense cleaning solution bottle, the small one that holds a few oz. Very convenient in the field.
I damaged a Swarovski rangefinder because I didn't put enough cleaning solution on the lense, thinking that since I had a premium microfiber cleaning cloth which couldn't possibly damage anything.
I mixed my own cleaning solution by adding a few drops of Dawn in water, putting it all in a contact lense cleaning solution bottle, the small one that holds a few oz. Very convenient in the field.
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