On Fri, 19 Jun 1998 19:25:03 -0400, Robert Bund wrote:

>I'm in a lens cleaning quandry. I've tried "ROR'" cleaning fluid along
>with Olympus lens cleaning tissue. The problem is all those residual
>streaks and spots. What's worked for you?
>
>What about filters? They accumulate the most dirt. My optician
>recommended a diluted Windex solution - the same thing he uses for his
>work. FULL IMMERSION - That's what he recommends. What do you think?

The Olympus tissue I tried once turned out to have silicone in it.
UGH! VERY difficult to remove once applied to the lens surface, and
it tends to auto-icky-ify...;-) I trust only Kodak lens tissue and
good-quality cotton swabs. Fluids that work for me, in order of
"oomph": naptha (lighter fluid), alcohol, Windex, distilled water.
I prefer a "manual" blower "system"; a plain ol' squeeze bulb
(without brush - which tends to acquire and pass on oil...).
First, blow off surface dust with the blower (NOT breath, since
spit produces those purdy silvery spots on multicoated lenses,
which are ever so hard to remove. If the lens is only dusty, stop
here. Next, before using lens tissue, wash your hands with a
detergent to remove oils which can pass through the tissue and
make the cleaning process appear pointless. If there are small
areas to be cleaned, a little fluid can be applied to a swab,
which can then be used to clean the lens. Finish with a clean swab
and a little breath to fog the lens surface (perfect cleaning is
not required for good optical performance...) - but BREATH
UPWARD on the down-facing lens surface to prevent spit-spots.
For general cleaning of the whole lens surface, I prefer a
single sheet of Kodak tissue, formed like a mushroom, with
a flat surface to the glass. Same procedure as with the swab
can be used. For really soiled glass surfaces, a 50% solution
of water and dish detergent can be applied to the lens with
a swab or tissue, avoiding as best you can the far edge of
the glass (liquid seeping around the edge of the glass is
to be avoided!). Remove this mess with tissue moistened
with Windex, followed by upward-breath and clean tissue.
Really dirty filters can be immersed in water and washed with
dish detergeant and a clean cotton wad. Follow with a distilled
water rinse to reduce spotting. In all of this, use new tissue
and swabs freely, and apply only low pressure to the glass
surfaces - let the cleaner do the job.