3 Top Tips for Cleaning Lenses

Canon has recently been showing of its new range of lenses, including the EF 24-70 f/2.8: II which for many has been well worth the wait, but the price tag perhaps comes as quite a shock to many. Indeed, lenses don’t come cheap these days, especially the high-end photographic lenses, so it’s important you take good care of them to ensure they last. Sometimes it may just be small spots of dirt that land on your lenses, which can be easily rectified in the editing suites.  However, sometimes the footage you take is beyond repair. To avoid this happening, we’ve compiled some essential lens cleaning tips that can be applied to cleaning your lenses.

Lens Maintenance

Lens Maintenance

1.) Always carry a lens cloth

Although, it may seem extremely obvious this is something many camera owners forget, and in doing such are doing a lot of damage to their lenses. We would highly recommend buying a micofibre cloth and give it a shake before wiping your lens to get rid of any loose fibers. The great thing about micro fiber cloths is that they are chemical free, anti static and lift dust and oil from the lens surface very easily. If you don’t want to use a microfiber cloth for whatever reason, then make sure you use a very soft silky material and never ever use a hard material, which will do more harm than good.

2.) Always carry an air spray and a lens brush

Again, vital pieces of cleaning kit to carry whilst you’re on a shoot. An air spray and lens brush will allow you to clean your lenses in between shooting and ensure the longevity of your lenses. Make sure you don’t use canned air, a bulb type air-blower is highly recommended for removing dust. If you can get hold of one, a camelhair brush is your best bet for brushes.

Countryside Sunset - Landscape Photography by Bjorn Beheydt - http://Fotografieluna.be

Countryside Sunset – Landscape Photography by Bjorn Beheydt – http://Fotografieluna.be

3.) Be careful with cleaning agents

Don’t go overboard with applying cleaning agents, and certainly don’t directly apply to the lenses. The best way is to only use a few drops and apply to the cloth and then clean the lenses. An alcohol based lens cleaning fluid is best, and make sure when using the cloth to wipe the lens in a circular motion.

It’s a common misconception about dust and being able to see it in your camera’s viewfinder, when actual fact it’s on the camera’s mirror. Whilst annoying, this isn’t going to affect your picture quality. However, if you really want to remove it we’d recommend going to a specialist camera cleaning technician rather than do it yourself to avoid ruining your camera for good.

34 Shares
Share via
Copy link