Recently a very dear friend of mine lent me several lenses so I could make an educated comparison among all and later on determine which sort lens i should purchase. The whole caboodle even came with an F50. Sad to say that when I tried a few, i noticed that some lenses had finger prints, smudges, and even fungus.

My question is: what is the proper way to clean lenses? i even noticed smudges on the inside lenses, the one closest to the camera body? Also, what is the proper way of storing lenses to avoid fungus.

Recently a very dear friend of mine lent me several lenses so I could make an educated comparison among all and later on determine which sort lens i should purchase. The whole caboodle even came with an F50. Sad to say that when I tried a few, i noticed that some lenses had finger prints, smudges, and even fungus.

My question is: what is the proper way to clean lenses? i even noticed smudges on the inside lenses, the one closest to the camera body? Also, what is the proper way of storing lenses to avoid fungus.
The common concensus is to store them in a place where there is controlled humidity... Hence, a drybox is a quick solution but there are alternatives of course... :)

to avoid fungus, you should keep it in a dry box. an electronic one preferably instead of those plastic cases.

i clean my lenses with a lens pen as well as an airbrush. for the fungus, i guess you or your friend rather, has to bring it to a camera shop to have it cleaned.

The common concensus is to store them in a place where there is controlled humidity... Hence, a drybox is a quick solution but there are alternatives of course... :)

Well yes, all the lenses came in a Pelican drybox, including the F50, with a lot of Silica packs. Which is what makes me wonder. I also store my gear in a Pelican drybox, am now i'm afraid this isn't enough. Thank you Earl. :)

Now about cleaning the lenses...

A lens pen? What's that? Where can I get one? How do I use it? Thanks in advance john.

lens pen is used to clean the glass part of your lens. you can buy it in any photography shops. :)

Well yes, all the lenses came in a Pelican drybox, including the F50, with a lot of Silica packs. Which is what makes me wonder. I also store my gear in a Pelican drybox, am now i'm afraid this isn't enough. Thank you Earl. :)

Now about cleaning the lenses...

It could be that the Silica gel packs you are using needs to be recharged. 5-10 mins inside a microwave oven should do the trick.

you can use a a lens pen or use a pec pad with an eclipse solution to wipe off the smudge. but remember to wipe off the dust first with the pen or use a blower for the dust. hope this helps,

enjoy!

you should refer to the hygrometer to get an indication if the silica gel needs recharging. otherwise it could get too humid and fungus can set in. you could also just spend around P5k for the electonic dry boxes at aperture trading. just like a mini-ref and hassle free

It could be that the Silica gel packs you are using needs to be recharged. 5-10 mins inside a microwave oven should do the trick.
sorry for the newbie question, I didnt know that silica gels can be recharged, how would I know when the silica gel already expired? And if thus, is it recommendable to microwave them as you said or just get me a new one?

are your silica gels in a clear plastic? if they turn red or pink then it's time to recharge. if so then you can recharge them by putting them under sunlight (peeps correct me if i'm wrong, i can't remember if this is the exact procedure)

They can be recharged by heating it in a Microwave for a few minutes. I'm not sure about the exact setting and duration though.

are your silica gels in a clear plastic? if they turn red or pink then it's time to recharge. if so then you can recharge them by putting them under sunlight (peeps correct me if i'm wrong, i can't remember if this is the exact procedure)

The microwave oven should be the fastest way to do it. There is a very long discussion about this in another forum (http://www.pinoyphotography.org/forum/index.php?topic=28.0).

are your silica gels in a clear plastic? if they turn red or pink then it's time to recharge. if so then you can recharge them by putting them under sunlight (peeps correct me if i'm wrong, i can't remember if this is the exact procedure)

that is correct...if they turn pink, now is the time to recharge them....

mine are in clear plastic - i recharge them under the sun....not sure if the plastic can tolerate the microwave procedure...:Scared:

yeah karlo that's what i remember what the package indicated. chrage it under the sun. i guess you can know if they are fully charged when they are all white again.

basta wag nyong bibitawan ang camera at bags nyo na 4ft from where you are standing.

at laging may strap na nakasukbit kung saan kayo comfortable.

:)

:Thinking:

basta wag nyong bibitawan ang camera at bags nyo na 4ft from where you are standing.

at laging may strap na nakasukbit kung saan kayo comfortable.

:)

Mukhang naligaw 'to a. :D

you can microwave silica gel by placing them over sheet of paper towel (the paper towel absorbs more moisture while microwaving) for at least a minute instead of a plastic container which tend to get really hot.
While on backpacking trips, I put them in a metal pan over a fire til they turn blue.
I used to dry them out in the sun or bake them in the oven but it's so time-consuming that I reverted to microwaving.

Thank you all for the posts. The silica gel sub topic was quite interesting. I microwaved a couple of packs at high for about a minute. Dunno if the gelcaps changed color though since they were in paper pillows. The paper turned gray though.

Anyway, can we get back to topic and be a bit specific? I looked for lens pens in all photo shops in the malls around makati, and the sales people there looked at me as if i was ordering a rare porterhouse in a vegan resto.

Well I used an Essilor lens cleaning pad (for eyeglasses) to wipe of the smudge on the inner lens, so I hope thats a quick fix.

Once I do find a lens pen, what exactly do i do with it? Help please! Much appreciated.

Boj

the sales people there looked at me as if i was ordering a rare porterhouse in a vegan resto.


LOL!!!!! Make mine a medium-rare porterhouse. :D

Mukhang naligaw 'to a. :D

:D Something passed his mind while participating...

Well I used an Essilor lens cleaning pad (for eyeglasses) to wipe of the smudge on the inner lens, so I hope thats a quick fix.

Once I do find a lens pen, what exactly do i do with it? Help please! Much appreciated.

Boj
The lens pens (IMHO) is nothing more than just a soft brush on one end and a small felt-like pad on the other end encased in a pen-like structure (slightly bigger than the regular Pilot pentel pen) for portability. Purportedly the thing self-cleans itself when capped.

The advantage of the lens pen (again IMHO) is that it cleans the edges of lenses which normally won't be reached by a cleaning pad specially if one has big fingers. Of course, if one cleans thorougly... there won't be a difference using either.

Got my lens pen from Aperture sometime ago...

Hi, just want to ask if a lens that was once fungus-infested and then cleaned still has some leftover parasites? Will it still infect my other lenses if I store it in the same air-tight container with lots of silica gel? Thanks.

I had very bad experience with fungus in the past, most especially with lenses that I didn't use for a long time that are just kept in closet. Upon inspection, fungus are already present, so I had to bring them to a camera service center for cleaning. Service technicians had to open the lenses to be able to remove/scrape fungus from the inside part of the lenses. Fungus gone, but also coatings gone, hence development of fungus becomes more frequent. One work-around I did was to expose (bilad) the lenses under the sun, UV-rays kill the fungus. To that effect, lenses that I use outdoors more often tend to be fungus-free since they are always exposed to the sun. Perhaps it would be a good advise to use your lenses/cameras outdoors in sunlight regularly... same with us, the photographers, we need sunlight from time to time. :)

I use a fine grade microfiber towel designed for lenses (like the ones used to house Oakley glasses) for everyday smudges.

Thanks, I'll try that to obliterate the remaining fungi. I still see some growth at the outer edges. Maybe I better separate the fungus survivors in a separate container so they don't share the air with other lenses.

Sirs, OT- Newbie also, can I also use the lenspen to clean the inner part of the camera where the focus points are located? I found dust and fibers in it. Thought it was in my camera censor but when i doubled check it was in the where the focus points are located. I tried to wipe it with a lint free cloth but the dirt is still there. Please help...

lens pen available at jtphotoworld for P350@. got mine last week at their makati branch.

i even got some free photo tips from john chua who was also there at that time waiting for some prints (is that right?).:)

and to add....minimize UR lens collection. Buy only what U need. Use UR camera at least once a week....shoot anything in site...so that ur lens wont get stuck-up ang gather fungus at the cabinet. Always check UR gear. " Less lens...less fungus....less problems. Good Day to All:)

Sirs, OT- Newbie also, can I also use the lenspen to clean the inner part of the camera where the focus points are located? I found dust and fibers in it. Thought it was in my camera censor but when i doubled check it was in the where the focus points are located. I tried to wipe it with a lint free cloth but the dirt is still there. Please help...

Use a blower do not try to wipe it with cloth. If it doesnt do the trick go to the nearest ACCREDITED repair shop.
:)

Where can I buy the dry box and how much? What are the alternatives to these boxes. I am sure these are pretty expensive.

Don't Clean Your Lens-- You Keep It Clean!

Use a blower do not try to wipe it with cloth. If it doesnt do the trick go to the nearest ACCREDITED repair shop.
:)

yes never wipe with dirt still on it. was lazy and wiped my multi coated filter without using the blower, ended up with circular swirls sa lens. expensive lesson, at least magtatanda ako :BlackEye:

hey guys i got a canon prime lens 50mm, and got a fungus inside may i know where to have it repaired?

This lens is like 10 years old haha but i tried it on my 350D and still works..

Don't use your maong jeans or t shirt to clean your lens,always use a microfibre cloth

Lenspen does the job for the front element. I also use it for my filters.:)

When doing alot of lens switching, make sure you blower/wipe the dust around the lens mounts. I know alot of people with very clean front elements, but the mounts are full of crud that can work it's way up to the rear elements and inside your camera body.

so lens pen is bad for the rear element?

hey guys i got a canon prime lens 50mm, and got a fungus inside may i know where to have it repaired?

This lens is like 10 years old haha but i tried it on my 350D and still works..

If it's a 50mm 1.8, it would be more economical to buy a new one. They're cheap as chips anyway.

For me the best way to care for a lens is to keep using it.

If it's a 50mm 1.8, it would be more economical to buy a new one. They're cheap as chips anyway.

For me the best way to care for a lens is to keep using it.

But that 50mm f/1.8 is the original one! The mk I with a metal lens mount (before They downgraded it to flimsy mkII. grumble.. :Mad:) very rare nowadays considering it was made 20 years ago. That thing sells ridiculously high on the 2nd hand market. Ive seen it being sold for Php 12,000 including postage and packaging.

But then again once your lens contracted the nasty fungus it will keep coming back every now.

In conclusion i agree with Bernard. Do follow his advise. :D


and oh yeah if you regularly use your lens it wont contract fungus even if you don't store it in a drybox. Fungus only infects stationary things so if you keep rolling the ball you would be fine.

But that 50mm f/1.8 is the original one! The mk I with a metal lens mount (before They downgraded it to flimsy mkII. grumble.. :Mad:) very rare nowadays considering it was made 20 years ago. That thing sells ridiculously high on the 2nd hand market. Ive seen it being sold for Php 12,000 including postage and packaging.

But then again once your lens contracted the nasty fungus it will keep coming back every now.

In conclusion i agree with Bernard. Do follow his advise. :D


and oh yeah if you regularly use your lens it wont contract fungus even if you don't store it in a drybox. Fungus only infects stationary things so if you keep rolling the ball you would be fine.

I had a Mark I too that I got for cheap because it had fungus between the elements. I've been advised just to keep on using it and I did.
If the fungus is very prominent it will affect the image quality wide open. Mine started to get sharper only at f/5.6 so I just gave it away thinking I'd buy a 1.4 version. Luckily I found a mint Mark 1 early this year for only NZ99 (P3,500) which is an absolute bargain. It's even sharp @ f/1.8 :Grin:

3.5k?? Wow. obviously the seller have no idea what that really worth. Your a very lucky man Bernard. I got mine for like 6K-7K. and that the cheapest you can get pero wala pa yung postage and packaging nyan not to mention tax. and whats worse the seller is from US of A. :(

but i still do love it. one of my peborit lens. :)

~Ooopss.. sorry OT na.

3.5k?? Wow. obviously the seller have no idea what that really worth. Your a very lucky man Bernard. I got mine for like 6K-7K. and that the cheapest you can get pero wala pa yung postage and packaging nyan not to mention tax. and whats worse the seller is from US of A. :(

but i still do love it. one of my peborit lens. :)

~Ooopss.. sorry OT na.
Actually he does, and we talked about how these babies sell twice that price. But being a camera shop, they can only sell these lenses closer to their actual value.

to avoid fungus, you should keep it in a dry box. an electronic one preferably instead of those plastic cases.

i clean my lenses with a lens pen as well as an airbrush. for the fungus, i guess you or your friend rather, has to bring it to a camera shop to have it cleaned.

i think my lens has a fungus inside the lense, if im going to bring it to a camera shop can they clean it inside?

I kept my lenses in my Lowepro Pro trekker AWII and lowepro lens bag together with my camera, lens cleaning kit I have them but use it once in a blue moon, that's it. Pulling them out only if I am shooting.. No silica gel no electric thing and save electricity.

it depends on how bad is the fungus problem... if ur lucky they can clean it, if unlucky they have to change some elements.

i think my lens has a fungus inside the lense, if im going to bring it to a camera shop can they clean it inside?

guys, i read somewhere that there's a danger in drying the lubricants in the lenses if you use to much desicants... is this true?

do we have to take the beads of the plastic packets? or just drop the packets in the box?

tia :)

is the 3M microfibre cloth from ACE hardware good for cleaning finger prints off my lens?

they're ok.. just make sure the cloth is clean and free of elements.. btw, don't put too much pressure when you clean the prints off.

is the 3M microfibre cloth from ACE hardware good for cleaning finger prints off my lens?

is the 3M microfibre cloth from ACE hardware good for cleaning finger prints off my lens?

or invest in a lens pen. not expensive, works as promised!

guess i'll get a lens pen on my way home from the office, where can i buy here in glorietta/greenbelt area?

damn, it costs 550 in glorietta. hidalgo na lang this saturday

buy the sigma brand lenspen at JTphoto... P 350 lang say.

just my 2cents.. we spend a whole lot of money on our lenses.. i just think it's fitting for us to spend a little more for the maintenance of these. a lens cleaning material of lower quality (insert brand here) might damage the front element of the lens. and we wouldn't want that to happen right?

how do i get to jt photoworld? its in pedro gil right?

Don't Clean Your Lens-- You Keep It Clean!

And how would we keep our lenses clean?

how do i get to jt photoworld? its in pedro gil right?

there's one in makati. take prc kaliwa jeepney.

damn, it costs 550 in glorietta. hidalgo na lang this saturday
san ba sa glorietta meron?

in canon d-zone, and digital studio in greenbelt. jt photoworld was near my office, got my lenspen for 350