Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The Best Way To Clean Plastic Camera Lenses

The lens of a camera is an important element in taking superb photographs. You do not just buy an expensive camera for great pictures, you need a quality lens too. To continue taking crisp and clear photographs, camera lenses should be well taken care of. Camera lenses can be expensive, which makes proper care and maintenance an important issue to keep in mind. Cleaning lenses routinely will not only improve the quality of your photographs, but could also increase the life of the lens.


Wash with Cold Water


One of the best ways to clean plastic camera lenses is to just use cold water. Simply rinse the lenses with cold water. Remove any dirt from the lens by rubbing it gently with your finger under running water until the lens is clean.


To make sure there are no water spots or streaks when it dries, remove excess water and dry the lens with a soft cloth. Your pictures might be blurry if there are water marks on your lens. Make sure there are no remaining dirt particles on the lens before you wipe with a cloth because it might scratch the lens. A microfiber cleaning cloth is perfect for cleaning lenses.


Use a Lens Cleaner


For dirt that is a little tougher to remove from your lenses, your best option would be to use a lens cleaner. Just put a few drops of lens cleaner on your soft cleaning cloth and wipe the lens with it. Clean your lens in a gentle rotating motion, starting from the center and gently working your way to the edge.


Never use too much cleaning liquid on your lens because this will leave your lens foggy. Take extra care that the cleaning liquid does not get on the inside of the lens. Never apply the liquid directly on the lens. Plastic camera lenses should always be cleaned gently to avoid damaging them.


Blow On the Lenses


If you went on a shoot outdoors and your plastic camera lenses got dusty, then the best way to clean them would be to use your breath to blow on the annoying dust particles. Blow on it a few times until all the dirt has been blown away. You could also use a brush that has an air capsule to blow off the dust.


Usually dust is easy to remove so you do not need to use any fancy cleaning material. Using too much cleaning fluid can damage the coating of the lens. Plastic camera lenses are very fragile, so avoid using harsh chemicals to clean them not unless you really have to.







Tags: your lens, camera lenses, camera lenses, camera lenses should, clean them, cleaning cloth