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removing fingerprints... I NEED HELP!! |
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lexmark
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/29/2009 Status: Offline Points: 64 |
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Posted: March/15/2009 at 00:37 |
Well this is a bit frustrating....I would normally take windex and cotton cloth to my cheap scopes but im afraid to do much to this zeiss.
I went to a camera shop and picked up a cleaning kit which included some lense tissue and cloth along with "lense cleaning fluid" , I also picked up a microfiber cloth at an optometrist but NOTHING seems to be able to pull the oil off the lense!
I'm afraid to use the cleaning fluid and all i've been able to do is smear my fingerprint around...
what could I use to remove it without harming the coating?
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jetwrnch
Optics Apprentice Joined: July/03/2006 Location: Knoxville, TN Status: Offline Points: 294 |
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I use the little Zeiss lens cleaning packets. You can get a large box of them for a few bucks at optical centers.
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silver
Optics Master Joined: November/04/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2291 |
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You put a small drop of the lens cleaning fluid on the cloth, not the lens, and start making small circles starting at the edge of the lense and working to the center. And your finger was on the lens why?
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"If we weren't all crazy we, We would go insane." Jimmie Buffet
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Duce
Optics Master Joined: September/19/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1231 |
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Nikon makes lens cleaning cloths treated for scopes, some fluids will damage the coatings on the lens, careful.
duce
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Duce
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hunter12345
Optics Journeyman Joined: November/21/2007 Status: Offline Points: 470 |
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Use the brush first to clean away the dust from the top layer of the lens.Zeiss makes a scope cleaning kit and go buy Buttler Creek scope covers which would prevent you from touching the lens. |
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twofer
Optics GrassHopper Joined: November/13/2006 Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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My preferred way to clean a high quality scope lens is:
1) demount the scope from the rifle;
2) rinse the lens surface under the tap with a strong stream of room temperature wanter (it is a high quality scope, so it is water proof). This should remove all hard particles that would otherwise scratch the lens surface and dissolve and carry away water soluble liquids/films/residues;
3) spray the lens liberally with multiple strong spurts from a bottle of the Zeiss lens cleaning fluid. Really saturate the surface so that the fluid flows copiously off the lens surface. This should dissolve and carry away any oils on the lens the water would not remove;
4) rinse again with a strong stream of room temperature tap water to remove the cleaning fluid; and,
5) gently pat dry with tissue paper (be sure to avoid tissues that have lotions and other oils impregnated into them).
6) If 1-5 do not work, I repeat the process but do some gentle wiping with a clean tissue between steps 3 and 4;
7) if 1-6 do not work, I continue repeating 1-6, but wipe more agressively between 3 and 4 each time until the lens comes clean or the stain is so stubborn that I figure I will damage the lens coating befofre I get the stain off.
if 1-8 do not work, the lens surface itself has been permanently etched by the finger prints and the marks can only be removed by polishing off the lens' surface coating and recoating - something I have had done with irreplaceable camera lenses. Of course, it may be cheaper to replace the lens at this point, if component lens elements are still available.
I have successfully used this method on many Kahles scopes. Some residues have been very stubborn and required the application of step 7 multiple times. but each of my scopes have come clean with this regimen.
--twofer
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lexmark
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/29/2009 Status: Offline Points: 64 |
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thanks twofer for that detailed responce, i'll give it a try |
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Al Nyhus
Optics Apprentice Joined: March/08/2009 Status: Offline Points: 127 |
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Leupolds Lens Pen works great..brush off the dust with one end and the small chamois dauber on the other end removes the smudges and prints. -Al
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Roy Finn
MODERATOR Steiner Junkie Joined: April/05/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4856 |
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+1 on the LensPen or the Zeiss wipes. Do not use Windex as it contains harsh chemicals.
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rifle looney
Optics Master Joined: November/21/2008 Status: Offline Points: 2553 |
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Can't figure how do you guy's get finger prints on something you are not supposed to be touching in the first place, and if you are then just use cleaning cloths/towelettes made for the job . No need to dismount a scope for cleaning purposes? Keep lens caps on when not in use. While in the field I personally do not use lens caps, should the lens get dusty just blow on it and use your cloth/towelette! . cheap scopes/high end scopes treat them all the same
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twofer
Optics GrassHopper Joined: November/13/2006 Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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Besides the Zeiss lens fluid, a good lens cleaning fluid is Residual Oil Remover:
Also, there is a lens cleaning product called "First Contact" which is poured onto the lens surface as a liquid and allowed to dry into a flexible film. During the liquid phase, any oils and residues are dissolved into the liquid, and when dry solid particles (such as dust) adheres to the film. The liquid and solid contaminates are carried away when the dried film is peeled away. No rubbing of the lens surface is required.
Just some more options.
--twofer
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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Bottom of this page: http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9913&PN=12. Chris Farris describes SWFA's method. It works pretty well for me. I do also use a Leupold (or similar pen) after first using compressed air. But if I ever end up with severely fouled optic on something waterproof I might try the water and cleaner method.
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RONK
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: April/05/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3199 |
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I always used warm running water and then a mild detergent on a Q-tip, followed by more running warm water, but the U.S Optics site has a video showing how they recommend cleaning their lenses, and they say no water. They use Acetone!
Seems harsh to me...but it will remove the oily prints nicely.
If you ever use compressed air, be sure it is from a can or a filtered or oilless compressor!
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