“LENS CLENS from his “Grizzlly Bear Nature Photography”
Over the years, I searched long and hard for an optical glass cleaner that performed in a manner that made me feel like I was really doing something when I used it on my lenses. Like most, I have purchased an amazing number of those little squeeze bottles (usually white in color) that boldly proclaim “Lens Cleaning Solution” (usually in blue or black letters). Unfortunately, I never really noticed a whole lot of improvement in the cleanliness of my lens surfaces after using these solutions. My long-standing suspicion that the “special solution” contained within these little white bottles is, in fact, very expensive distilled water has never been dispelled.
In August 1996, my friend Moose Peterson, wrote in his BT Journal (Vol. I, Issue 3 – page 12 -13) about a newly discovered product called Lens Clens and thus, my search for an optical surface cleaning solution that actually worked came to an abrupt, albeit happy, end. Folks, this stuff works. For those of you who do not have this issue of the BT Journal (You ARE subscribing by now aren’t you!!!) here is a quick overview of this product.
Exactly what is in this pink solution is a mystery to me, but I honestly do not care. Moose tells me that this stuff was used to clean the mirror of the Hubble telescope and if it works safely for those folks, it is good enough for this lowly wildlife shooter. All I know is that expensive distilled water it’s not! As outlined in this month’s Article of the Month, I tend to be just a little bit compulsive about cleaning my equipment and as such, I really though t that the surfaces of my lenses were reasonably clean and free of dirt. Then, Moose used a clean cotton cloth and two drops of this magic pink solution to wipe off my lens surfaces. My compulsive mouth dropped, hit the floor and bounced twice when I saw the amount of dirt on that cloth.
The real secret to the success of Lens Clens appears to me to be its ability to attack and remove oils. These oils come from the polluted atmosphere that we live in, but more importantly from the natural oils that are on our hands and face. These oils are good for our skin, but deadly to optical, as well as non-optical, surfaces that are not “dirt friendly”. As much as I was amazed by the dirt removed from my lens surfaces, I was even more impressed by the dirt removed from the back of my camera bodies where my face makes contact as I look through the viewfinder.
Use is simple. A small amount – i.e., a drop or two – placed on a clean cotton cloth or Q-tip is sufficient to clean an entire lens surface. As with any cleaning solution, do not drop the liquid directly onto the camera or lens surface. An easy circular motion beginning in the center of the lens and moving to the edge will leave your lens surface as clean as when it left the manufacturer. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of using Lens Clens on a soft cloth to clean the exterior surface of your camera and lenses. This will go a long way in protecting the expensive and delicate inner working parts of your photographic tools.
To obtain this cleaning marvel, give General Production Services a call at 714-535-2271. A 1 3/4 oz. bottle costs $4.73 plus a $7.00 Hazmat tax. This seems relatively expensive, however this stuff lasts a long time; is much more effective than “lens cleaning solution” distilled water and is, in reality, a small price to pay to help prolong the life of your gazillion dollar investment in modern photographic equipment. Other
products and cleaning supplies are available, so ask for their product list.
As I have said so many times – I do not get paid for this product review. I just know a good product when I see (and use) one.
Good Shooting!
John W. Herbst