Introduction
Having a dirty lens will definitely affect the quality of the images your produce. It is therefore vital that you clean both lens and filter in the right way and use the proper tools. There is a very simple and easy way to ensure that your lenses and filters remain clean and ensure great picture quality and we give you some insight here.
How do I Clean my Camera Lens?
There is a right and wrong way to clean your lenses. It is also important to note that you do not have to clean your lens after every use. Every time you clean your lens you run the risk of scratching it so use your caps and clean your lenses when you really need too. Now to the cleaning. There are three steps to follow and we outline them here for you.
- Clean you lens thoroughly using a specialised blower to get rid of any excess dust, you can also use a soft brush to accomplish this if you do not have a blower available.
- Place a few drops of your cleaning liquid either on a soft cleaning cloth or on the lens directly.
- Clean your lens gently, do not apply pressure to the lens. Clean in circular motions and not up and down or side to side.
Can I use a Microfiber Cloth to Clean Camera Lens?
Yes, you can use a microfiber cloth to clean your camera lens (click for Nikon D5300 lenses), in fact, they are quite popular to use as they are soft and will work gently. You will have to ensure that you keep your cloth clean. If you do not clean it after you have cleaned your lens you may well apply the dirt you have just removed from your lens to it again when you use it multiple times.
What can be Used to Clean Camera Lens?
There are a number of different things you can use to clean your lens, from brushes and blowers, to lens cleaning tissue, cloths, and of course cleaners. We will go through them here for you to understand what is best to use and what not to use when cleaning your lens.
Brushes & Blowers
Removing dust is simple and easy when using a blower. Do not use compressed air though as this is a little too heavy for your delicate lens. If you do not have a blower you could blow on your lens to remove the dust, however, you run the risk of getting some of your saliva on the lens which will create smudges and smears that are a lot more difficult to remove than dust.
There are a lot of brushes on the market for you to choose from. You will need a high-quality camel hair one and when using it avoid touching the bristles with your fingers as you can leave residue on them which will transfer to your lens when you are cleaning.
Cloths and cleaners
There are numerous different types of cloth and tissue that you can use to clean your lens. The genuine lens tissue is also really not that expensive, however, you must be sure to use it only once and not for more than one application.
Microfiber is very popular to use when cleaning your lenses and filters. Another great option for cleaning is cotton swabs. These work really well when cleaning the edges of your lenses.
When it comes to solutions to clean your lens with, most manufacturers will offer specially designed for the purpose. If you prefer using your own though you could use de-ionized water, or isopropyl alcohol is also great, especially for removing oily smudges.
If you like to travel and get out and about with your camera, it is important to ensure you bring cleaning tools with you just in case.
What is a lens Pen?
A lens pen is a lens cleaner. It is so named because it looks like a pen. It is small and lightweight and it is specifically designed to be used on-camera lenses. It usually has a 12mm concave tip which makes it perfect for use on the convex lenses of DSLR cameras as well as other cameras, scopes, and binoculars.
How do you Clean a Camera Sensor?
Cleaning your camera sensor is a little more intricate than cleaning your lens, you also have to be very cautious when cleaning. There are two methods, dry cleaning, and wet cleaning. You must ensure you have a full battery before you start or you may damage your sensor. We outline the process for both below:
Dry Cleaning
Be sure that you are not in windy areas when cleaning. Then remove the lens from your camera and on the menu select the “clean your camera manually” option. When you select this option the mirror will lock back giving you access to the sensor.
Hold the camera upside down and use the blower to blow away any dust that may be there. Do not use compressed air as this will damage your sensor. Once you are satisfied, turn your camera off, replace the lens and then take a test shot to make sure all the dust has been removed.
Wet Cleaning
You will need lint-free swabs, a cleaning solution, an air blower, a sensor loupe, and a headlamp. Remove the lens and place the camera on a flat surface with the LED screen facing down. Again select the manual cleaning option on the menu. Take a sensor swab, use the air blower to blow it a little to ensure that there is no lint stuck to the swab. Add two to three drops of the cleaning fluid, do not use too much as it will leave streaks.
Do not use force when cleaning your sensor, Move the swap back and forth gently over the sensor until the whole sensor has been wiped. Wipe up first and turn the swab over when wiping back to ensure no cross-contamination. Use the sensor loupe to check all the dust has been removed.
Turn off the camera, replace the lens and take a test shot to ensure your sensor is properly cleaned.
Conclusion
Cleaning your camera lens and senor may seem daunting but they are actually very simple processes. Cleaning them yourself will save you a lot of money as well as the inconvenience of being without your camera for a period of time if you take it in for professional cleaning.
