ajrmd
Well-known member
Oh, just one other additional caution about alcohol based lens wipes. Do not use them on acrylic or eyeglasses (made of polycarbonate).
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In a rapid panic when I noticed pitch on my lens from trying to hike through bushes and bramble to reach a good spot for stage rally, then heard the car coming, I licked my lens. Lol. Worked better than even an iso prep pad. But it does now make me wonder what that did to my lens, lmaoHow many recall a few years back when Nikon's engineering department said not to use the ages old method of using condensed breath as a cleaning agent. They quickly retracted the statement. But I figure if the coatings are that delicate I'll avoid alcohol solutions.
Oh, just one other additional caution about alcohol based lens wipes. Do not use them on acrylic or eyeglasses (made of polycarbonate).
Oh, just one other additional caution about alcohol based lens wipes. Do not use them on acrylic or eyeglasses (made of polycarbonate).
Love your commentI guess using the dishwasher is frowned upon?
Just don't use regular glass cleaners containing ammonia ...That's a new one for me. Got anything to document that?
I respectfully disagree, unless you purchase a very expensive and coated filter. Otherwise, you're just putting cheap glass in front of expensive glass which makes no sense.For once, surely adequate justification for using a protective filter.
Yup. The good filters are very expensive ! The cheap filters really negatively impact the good qualities of good lenses.I respectfully disagree, unless you purchase a very expensive and coated filter. Otherwise, you're just putting cheap glass in front of expensive glass which makes no sense.
As for using Zeiss wipes, I've been shooting 40+ years and they're a life saver IMHO. I shoot regularly in harsh conditions on the beach where camera and lenses are subject to salt spray and blowing sand. When I say salt spray, I don't mean actual water. The air is thick with salt and it gets deposited on EVERYTHING when the wind is coming off the ocean. It's a constant battle to keep a lens clean and clear, resulting in me cleaning my lens many times an hour. I NEVER use a microfiber cloth, etc. because they collect blowing sand and can scratch coatings, but I've easily used 20-30 Zeiss wipes during a shoot of 2-3 hours before. I use them because they are sealed, therefore unable to collect sand, grit, or salt and they dry almost immediately. When I get home I clean everything (tripod, camera bodies, everything in camera bag) with a damp cloth to remove salt spray because it will cover even stuff that was never taken out of the bag. After salt spray is cleaned off I reclean all glass with Zeiss wipes to make sure they're ready to go the next day. It's a pain, but salt spray is insidious and will find its way into the smallest cracks/crevices. Sometimes, I think Zeiss should send me thank you notes because I've probably sent many of their kids through college just with my purchases of their wipes, LOL.
I agree. I use the 100mm square Breakthrough filters. For ~ 15 years before Breakthrough I used Singh Ray square 100mm square filters. I liked the Singh Ray filters but I like the Breakthrough better. Neither have color cast issues, but I liked the fact that Breakthrough uses Schott glass versus the resin that Singh Ray uses.Yup. The good filters are very expensive ! The cheap filters really negatively impact the good qualities of good lenses.
I have a lot of Break Through Photography filters uv/clear/ND/CPL/Dark CPL etc.. I bought them back in my days playing with water etc. with slow shutter speeds. They are amazingly color neutral and do not impact light level unless that is intended ie. ND. They are very good and very expensive !
I also used them on my long lenses back in the day. As lens coatings etc. got far better I have stopped using them for protective filters espeically on long glass with hoods that provide most of the impact protection @Steve did some great tests impact protection of filters.
The only filters I carry anymore are CPL and even those get used maybe once a year or less.
I have kept around a lot of great filters just in case my interests wander back in the future after all they do not take up much space and resale value is quite low![]()
I'm not familiar with Clarity, but it sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out. Where do you purchase it?Clarity is one spray liquid I’ve used for 10 years after finding it removed salt spray better than the Zeiss spray. When I travel I use 2 small atomizing spray bottles…one with Zeiss and one with Clarity. I picked up the empty spray bottles at Aliexpress for less than $1 each.
The cloths I use are called MagicFiber and do a great jobs after blowing off any possible grit or dust with a Rocket blower.
I've always wondered this myself and I will use one in a pinch but usually prefer to use lens cleaning solutions made specifically for camera lenses.Zeiss lens wet wipes come recommended by my photographers including Steve. I was about to buy a pack when I noticed they contain alcohol.
Doesn’t alcohol damage the different costings Nikon adds to lenses to make them dust and water repellent?
I just want to be 100% sure before I purchase any. Until this point (30 years of photography) I only cleaned with dust blowers and a clean dry microfiber cloth.
Thanks in advance and happy weekend!
I guess a pressure wash is out then ??Love your comment
After blowing off with a rocket blower and inspecting I have not had to use a brush in years.I agree with others that alcohol wipes do not damage lens coatings. However, if you are still reluctant consider trying Hoodman Lens Cleanse wipes available from B&H and elsewhere. They are plant based, non alcohol wipes that include a wet wipe and a dry wipe for each application. I've used them for years. Another benefit is that they do not leave any streaks.