Lense Cleaning?

[sbooder]

I was wondering if anyone else here uses a chamois to clean their eyepieces or other lenses.

I do not use anything else on my lenses especially on my Leica Trinovids.

The chamois must be kept in a clan bag when not in use and must never even see water, the best cuts of leather are thick and soft and only the smoother side should be used (which seems counter intuitive when you look at the two sides), of course I use a puffer first to dislodge and remove any particles.

If not what do other people use to clean their lenses?

[Moonshane]

After a blow with the bulb blower, I use cotton wool pads cut into quarters and then use them folded to a point with a dab of either Isopropyl alcohol or Acetone depending on which seems to work best. Sometimes if there's a stubborn blob of matter on the EP I use a dry cotton wool pad to flick it loose then blow off followed by the IPA or Acetone. I have also tried a bit of Mr Muscle window cleaner and this worked well too.

Never get the surface too damp and try to follow the liquid around as it dries better. I find some marks seem to respond better when you breathe a mist on them introducing some moisture. Never apply any/much pressure with the cotton wool.

I find the Orthos and Plossls in my set harder to clean.

All this said, I try to clean as little as possible and only really when it's visible in the EP.

[John]

I use the Baader Optical Wonder fluid and the Baader micro-fibre cloth. I won't trust anything else on my eyepieces - I had a bad experience with a nice TAL 25mm plossl a few years ago using a so-called optical cloth and have been very wary ever since.

[Moonshane]

I keep telling myself to try this - I must follow up on it (but I have about a litre of acetone to get through first ).

[John]

.... (but I have about a litre of acetone to get through first ).

Try it with ice and a slice of lemon

Joke

[Moonshane]

I did. that's the explanation for what's wrong with me.