How should I clean my DSLR’s lens?
I’ve noticed that my DSLR’s lens has lots of smudges on it that are starting to impact the quality of my images but I’m too scared to clean it because I’m worried about scratching it. Do you have any suggestions? - Chris
Cleaning your camera’s lenses should be a regular part of any camera owner’s maintenance. While you do need to be careful during this process it’s not something to be frightened about. Here are a few simple tips:
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Use a UV or Skylight filter
Before I get into cleaning techniques let me share a tip that all DSLR users should consider. For each lens you own you should consider purchasing a UV or skylight filter. Keep it attached to your lens at all times. In addition to it cutting out UV light they will protect your lens from scratches or even breakage. It also means that when you do your cleaning you’ll just be cleaning the filter instead of the actual lens (unless dust gets right in). Keep in mind that filters come in different levels of quality - if you have a high end lens consider investing in a higher end filter.
Lens hoods can also help protect the end of your lens as do the lens caps for both the front and back end of your lens that come with it - always use them!
Lens Cleaning Fluid
In most camera stores you’ll find an alcohol based lens cleaning fluid that is well worth having. It will help you to lift off fingerprints and other smudges without leaving streaks on your lens or filter. Keep in mind that you don’t need too much of this fluid at a time - usually just a drop or two wiped in a gentle circular motion with a cleaning tissue will remove most marks on a lens or filter. Always apply the fluid to a cloth or tissue rather than the lens itself.
Alternatively - many photographers believe that simply breathing on your lens and then wiping with a cloth is a safer method for cleaning it - rather than introducing harsh fluids. My own approach is to start with breath and then use the fluids for difficult marks to remove.
Cleaning Tissues
To apply the cleaning fluid grab yourself some lens tissues. They are a very thin paper that will let you wipe your lenses without scratching them. These tissues are one use tissues and should be thrown away after using. Don’t use normal facial tissues - these are too rough and will scratch your lens.
Cleaning Cloth
An alternative to cleaning tissues is the more modern microfiber cleaning cloth. These washable cloths grab a hold of dust and oils on your lens. The main thing to be aware of with them is to keep them clean themselves with a regular wash - alternatively just buy yourself a new one as they are very cheap to buy and that’ll negate the risk of wiping something from your wash into your lens.
Before using a cloth always check the lens to make sure you don’t have any larger pieces of grit on it. The last thing you want to do is wipe it into your lens causing a scratch. Remove any larger gritty dust using a blower or brush before wiping.
Blowers
Most camera stores sell blowers of different varieties. While I’d personally advise being very careful with them on the inside of your camera (you could actually end up blowing dust into it) they can be great for cleaning the outside of your camera - including the lens. Before you use a blower make sure you squeeze if a few times first to get any dust that might be inside it out.
Brushes
If you have a lot of dust on your camera one good tool to get the big stuff off is a brush. Get one with fine and soft hair (camel hair) to avoid scratching your lens. Similarly you might like to invest in a lens cleaning pen which has a retractable brush on one end an a cleaning pad on the other.
Silica Gel
One lost preventative measure before we end. Grab some silica gel sachets to throw into the bottom of your camera bag. The little sachets will draw any moisture in your bag to them to save your lenses and DSLR from being impacted by it.
Much of the above cleaning gear is pretty low cost and will be available from a good camera store (often as a full kit). Don’t go for the very cheapest gear though - when you’re looking after gear that you’ve paid big dollars for it can be worth paying a little extra to ensure quality. Here are some of what Amazon offers:
- Adorama Professional Lens Cleaning Kit
- Adorama Mini Lenspen - Lens cleaning tool
- Quantaray - Lens Cleaning Set
- Adorama Lens Cleaning Tissue, Three Packages.
- Nikon Micro Fiber Cleaning Cloth
- Giottos Rocket Air Blaster, Manual Air Blower with Extra-Large Rubber Bulb - 7.5″ Long
- Olympus SILICA-5 - Silica gel (pack of 5 )
- Eforcity Camera Cleaning Blower Brush Featuring Detachable Brush Head and Soft Bristles
- HOYA 77UV/HQ 77MM Non-Coated UV-G Series UV Filter
Update - Lastly - take a lot of care when changing lenses. Cleaning the outside elements of your camera and lens is a lot easier than cleaning the inside where things are much more delicate. When changing lenses turn off your camera first, always point your camera and lens to the ground and attempt to do it inside or out of the wind. Learn to do these things quickly and you’ll have less dust and grime to clean off your camera and lenses.
March 6th, 2007 at 11:33 am
I’ve read several conflicting opinions on the use of filters to protect lenses. The argument against these is that the excess glass can reduce the image quality and give further surfaces to collect dust and smudges. I’ve also heard of instances where a lens has been dropped and damage caused as a result of the filter breaking and scratching the lens as a result. It’d be interesting to see how common this opinion is…
March 6th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
To matt.
The excess glass does not “Reduce” the quality of a photo. As of matter of fact they help by blocking out some of the UV rays that could alter an image.
If the lens were dropped without a Filter the results are even worse! You will be breaking the optics instead of a filter. So either way you lose.
March 6th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Totally agree with the comment regarding blower brush on the inside of a camera. I know this is about lens cleaning but the word of warning is clear - I purchased a new blower for a sensor clear, put the camera into sensor clean mode and watched the new blower shoot something staight into the camera. Use much caution!
Now onto filters. I definitely use them, they are easy to clean (by removing), if they get damaged they are much cheaper than a lens.
If you are spending serious $ on a lens though I would certainly say to spend money on a decent filter. That said there is value for money and not so much value for money out there in filter land.
March 7th, 2007 at 12:05 am
poor quality filters can degrade image quality. if you buy a $5 one off ebay, what do you expect? higher end filters cost more partly because they do not degrade image quality.
as far as cleaning goes, some glass cleaner and a microfiber towel are all i need. never had problems with smudges or streaks. then use copperhill images’ products to clean the sensor
March 7th, 2007 at 1:31 am
Great list, thanks a lot. I will definitely be referencing this in the future!
Jordan
March 7th, 2007 at 5:09 am
Definitely against UV filters, except the very finest. How to decide whether you’ve got a good one? Mount camera and lens on tripod, take meter reading of a well lit subject, then hold the filter in front. Typically, I’ve found that any filter any £40 will make you lose about a stop or so in light.
Almost all digital camera sensors filter out UV light anyway, so there’s no mechanical reason to have a filter on (this argument is a throwback to film days when they really did cut out UV).
As for possible damage - modern glass is deceptively hard-wearing, much more so than older lenses that could tarnish quite easily. Also, even though it may not look pretty, it takes LOTS of dirt and damage on the lens translate into a discernible drop in image quality (if you don’t believe me, get your cheapest lens and, very carefully, put fingerprints all over the front element, then take a picture).
I’d use a UV filter if I was in the rain a lot - they’re easier to wipe - and the best ones actively wick away water…
One idea that wasn’t mentioned in the above article was the fabulous Lenspen lens cleaning pen. Brush on one end, patented carbon-based compound on the other - works an absolute treat and they’re cheap too (particularly on Amazon and eBay, not on the high-street).
Lenspen, no filter, and a lenshood: works for me, feel free to do something different though!
March 7th, 2007 at 5:10 am
Suggestions for “higher end filters” that I would want to consider?
March 7th, 2007 at 6:10 am
How often would you think it is necessary to have lenses and sensor cleaned professionally. I do a great deal of outdoor shots with filter.
March 7th, 2007 at 6:38 am
Desmond - I would clean my sensor professionally once a year - twice if it gets too out of control. I also do a little of my own cleaning from time to time.
In terms of lenses - I’ve not had any professionally cleaned to this point as I’ve managed to keep them up to scratch myself.
Ray - I don’t have my camera with me right now (I’m in bed as I type this) but I use Hoya filters - they have a few different levels of filter, I think there’s one ’superfine’ or ’super…something’ type which is what I have on my L-series lenses.
March 7th, 2007 at 6:58 am
I always use the UV filters… if not just out of habit. One downside, though (and this might not apply to the high-end brands) is reflections. If there are small points of light in my scene, I will occasionally get a ghosting of the light on the opposite side, which can totally ruin an image. I’m personally up in the air right now on whether or not to stick with the filters. For the time being, they stay on.
March 7th, 2007 at 9:33 am
> simply breathing on your lens and then wiping with a cloth is a safer method for cleaning it
And it is also a nice method to develop fungus on the lens…
Don’t do that …
March 7th, 2007 at 9:41 am
The thing I look for in a ’skylight’ or UV filter is multicoating. I use HOYA multicoated filters on all but my most wide-angle lenses (where they can cause vignetting).
If you take pics near the ocean like I often do, having a filter on the lens eliminates the possibility of salt corrosion eating the optical coating on the lens.
March 7th, 2007 at 11:38 am
watto - not sure what your breath is like - but it seems to work for me :-)
The key is to make sure you don’t leave your lens with moisture on it - wipe it down so it’s dry and then let it air itself for a while and you should be right. Use the silicone sachets in your camera bag to be extra sure.
March 7th, 2007 at 11:54 am
With regards to high-end filters, Ray, I was thinking along the lines of the B+W MRC filters, or filters from Hoya’s Pro 1D range. For rainy environments, I’d go for one of the MRC filters.
Such filters are a massive investment though - you might find an on-line bargain but a price tag of £50-70 wouldn’t surprise me. It seems false economy to put them on lenses that could be replaced for £150-200, and then, for me at least, a shame to put them on anything more expensive…