Cameras are one of the necessities our life today. And the lens is the most important part of the camera. So to keep the lens clean is really important.
But even something as simple as wiping a lens can be done in the wrong ways, with disastrous results. So, here I am going to talk about the correct way to clean the lens yourself.
Lenses in general have several coatings designed to let more light in by canceling reflection. Most are integral to the glass; some may be applied on top. The coatings are tough but not indestructible, and they are especially susceptible to scratches. The problem is: wiping a lens can make the grit you are removing act like sandpaper. Here’s the right way.
1) Take the air. Start by blowing as much dust away as you can with air, but not just any air. For example, the high pressure air is not a good choice, because it will blast the lens and break the element. Air from compressors can be laced with small bits of oil that is hard to get off a lens. Canned air uses refrigerants, which can shoot a gust of damaging freezing air.
2) Brush up. Another option is to use a lens brush to sweep dust from a lens, but be careful in handling the brush, because the oils from your hands get on the bristles while oils can be especially hard to remove from the lens. So, brush as one that is often used, but it is much more expensive than an air bulb.
3) Friendly fibers. In most cases all you need is a good lens cloth. They are usually made of microfiber. One wipe will last a long time, but you have to take care of it. And make sure you wash your microfiber cloth from time to time. Just throw it in the washing machine. And the old standby, disposable lens wipes, is still available and acceptable, but never, ever use paper products, because they are very, very rough and will easily scratch the surface of the lens. And remember that when you do this, always start in the middle of the lens and wipe in concentric circles, pushing any gunk to the outside of the lens, where a tiny bit of residue can be swiped up.
Finally, if you are really tired up of cleaning the lens yourself. You can just simply have a protector for your lens, which will save you a lot of work while providing good protection.