subject: How To Clean Digital Camera Lenses [print this page] After spending a good deal of money on digital camera lenses, it would be a shame to let smudges, dust, and dirt ruin your photographs, not to mention the lens itself. Photographers should check for smudges on a regular basis. Not cleaning often can result in poor quality photos and potential long-term damage of the lens coating. Proper cleaning requires a few tools and a little bit of patience--and not using your polyester shirt to wipe down the lens.
Dust on the front element will decrease sharpness and contrast levels. However, there will be a greater loss of both if the dust is on the rear lens element because this is the one that projects the image onto the camera's sensor.
Just a few simple tools need to be purchased: an air blower, a camel-hair brush, a lens tissue or micro-fiber cloth, and a bottle methyl alcohol. Not using the right tools can scratch the special coatings on the digital camera lenses, which are designed to maximize contrast, color saturation, and color fidelity while minimizing flare. For dust and loose grit, use the camel-hair brush, but brush gently. You can also give it a couple blasts of air. Do not use pressurized canned air because it can damage the lens. And of course, avoid grinding the grit into the lens surface.
Cleaning a fingerprint or smudge requires more effort. Photographers need to master the delicate art of applying more pressure without pressing too hard. Breathe onto the lens and gently wipe the lens in a circular motion using the micro-fiber cloth. If necessary, repeat but using a new lens tissue or clean portion of the cloth. If the smudge is a rather pesky one, dampen the cloth with a few drops of the methyl alcohol, or any alcohol-based cleaning fluid designed for camera lenses. Never apply the fluid directly on a digital camera lens because this could harm the coating or the adhesives that hold lens elements in place.
What if you are out on a shoot and did not pack these supplies in your lens bag? Actually, you can use a cotton t-shirt, or any cotton material, so long as it was not recently starched. Never use facial tissues, paper towels, polyester materials, or anything that seems coarse or abrasive.
When all else fails and grime still lingers on the lens, it is best to take it to a professional. It is not worth the risk of further potential damage.
