If you are a professional and lover of photography, you already know that your work devices’ proper maintenance is essential. That way, they will have a long useful life, and you can get the most of them.
One of the most delicate parts of the photographic cameras is the objectives since, in this part, you will find the lens. With proper lens maintenance, you not only ensure the useful life of your camera, but it will allow you to improve the quality of the photos.
Dust represents a significant inconvenience for both amateurs and photography professionals. This can be found inside or outside the camera and generate severe problems for this device.
The lens of the objectives has a series of coatings made of unique materials used to reduce reflections or correct chromatic aberrations. That is why to clean camera lens should be done carefully and softly.
When we mention that you should be careful, it doesn’t mean you have to be a lens cleaning specialist to clean your camera. In this post, we will show you some fundamental aspects that you can consider when cleaning the lens of your digital reflex camera.
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Best way to clean camera lens
To perform a proper cleaning, you must consider the following materials:
- Manual air blower or what we call “rubber pear.”
- Brush or soft hairbrush. You must have a brush intended only for cleaning the optics.
- Specific liquid for lens cleaning
- Microfiber leather. It must be very soft and thin; that way will not scratch the lens and not detach particles or fibers.
- Pencil brush is optional.
In specialized stores in photographic devices, you can buy a cleaning kit to find each of these materials. Some packages may include the particular liquid, and if not, you can buy it separately.
The essential thing is that you have all the necessary elements to remove those particles of dust, sand, or earth, which can damage the lens’s surface.
Procedure to clean camera lens
- Prepare a work table to perform the cleaning. This table must have enough space, and the working environment must be clean.
- Wash your hands.
- Blow into the air. That is, take the manual blower without aiming at the camera. This is done to eliminate the dust that the blower may have inside.
- Take the manual blower and blow the lens completely. Start with the outside with the lens protectors on, then the outer glass, which is the section that accumulates more dust.
- To dust particles remain on the worktable, you have to place the camera looking down the part you are cleaning.
- Gently you have to take the brush to remove dust from the lens and the camera’s front. Remember that the back lens and the contact area accumulate some grease from the camera’s inner mechanisms.
You must use a brush for cleaning that part and the external section of the lens, and a different brush with exclusive use for optics. That way, you prevent the grease from reaching the lens.
- Once you have removed the larger particles, you can clean them with the liquid and the microfiber cloth. Lightly moisten a part of the leather with the liquid. Pass the soft microfiber leather through the lens, gently and circling from the center to the outside.
- Next, you use the dry part of the leather to dry the lens with smooth movements and a circular shape.
- If there are traces of fat, take the microfiber leather and, to eliminate them, make circular movements with more emphasis.
- With the brush and the blower, also clean the protective caps of the lenses, both the front and the rear.
Clean camera lens with the brush pen
The brush pen has two parts, a soft hairbrush on one side and a velvet surface on the other side. If you opt for this brush pen, you will have the advantage of transporting it and cleaning the lens at any time. Due to its practical use, you can take it with you without any issue.
The cleaning procedure is the same. You use the manual blower, and later with the brush part, you remove the large particles. Then with the velvet section of the pencil, you do the cleaning with circular movements.
To clean the outer part of the lens, you can use a brush of bristles a little harder. You must remember that to clean the external part, you must put on the camera’s protectors.
Why is it so important to clean camera lens?
With the proper maintenance of the lens, you will take advantage of your camera’s useful life. It is recommended to create a cleaning routine, and you don’t need to clean the camera every time you use it.
With the proper lens cleaning, you will guarantee that desired picture in that precise moment. When it comes to capturing the right moment, you have one quick opportunity, and if you have your camera clean and ready for use, you will be prepared to take any picture at any time.
Another recommendation for you will be regarding the storage place for your camera. If you can select a location for all the components and accessories of the camera, that will be the best thing that you can do. The place should be clean of dust and a dry environment to avoid any fungus.
If you are a professional photographer or you are thinking of becoming one, your camera and all the parts of it are your working tools. You have to take care of each piece, especially the lens!
Final recommendations:
- To avoid leaving spots on the lenses, you shouldn’t place your fingers on the glass. Otherwise, you will have to start the cleaning process.
- When the lens is removed, immediately place the protective covers, both on the front and the back.
- Do not use to clean the lens t-shirts or hoppers. Always opt for microfiber leather or suede with a particular liquid.
- For no reason, use your breath to clean camera lens.
- The front part of the lens for being in contact with the outside usually accumulates a lot of dirt. You can choose to use an ultraviolet filter. It is placed screwed to the lens, reducing the entry of dust.
- An efficient element for protection is the lens hood. This acts as a physical spacer between the front and outer lens, thus avoiding bumps or friction.
- Moisture is a terrible enemy for the lens. The presence of this can cause the appearance of fungi inside.
- You must store the objectives in a dry and dirt-free environment.
- To protect the equipment from moisture, you can opt for moisture bags.
- You must be very careful when placing the lens and camera on surfaces or tables to avoid rubbing or bumping them.
