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Fine lens equipment contributes to both
the fun and precision of taking pictures, but only if it is in top
working condition. To get the best from your lenses, you must treat
them like respected friends. Consider the following suggestions.
Be very careful to avoid dropping a lens or banging it against a hard
surface. Elements may be knocked out of alignment and the mount may be
dented. Either or both conditions could cause a lens to perform badly
or not at all. Make sure camera shoulder straps and associated hardware
are in good condition. Broken straps account for many sudden hard
knocks.
If there are long periods of time (even just minutes) between
exposures, shield the front lens surface with a lens cap. If your
camera must be ready for instant action in a threatening environment,
protect the lens with a skylight or ultraviolet (UV) filter. Since
optical glass is soft and delicate, a lens cap or a filter will help
safeguard a lens from fingerprints, scratches, blowing sand and minor
jolts. Keep in mind that a damaged filter can be replaced at less
expense than a damaged lens.
Lens caps and filters, however, are often ineffective against moisture,
so other security measures must be taken. Don’t drop your camera into
or get it doused with water (especially corrosive salt water), keep
equipment covered during rain storms, wipe snow off the camera and lens
before it melts and try to avoid excessively humid conditions.
Give your equipment extra protection by keeping it in a good case
between uses. A hard surfaced aluminum cases is particularly helpful.
It is not only padded to reduce shocks and vibration, but it is often
water resistant or water tight as well.
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If a lever, button or ring doesn’t seem to move properly, stop and
think. Are you doing anything wrong? Is some safety interlock blocking
the action? Check the owner’s manual before proceeding. Above all,
never force anything. Consult a qualified repairperson before more
damge is done.
Don’t clean the surfaces of a lens unnecessarly. Constant wiping may do
more harm than good, especially to delicate antireflection coating. It
is much better to prevent dirt ccumulation than to clean it off.
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If a fingerprint, grease smudge, or water spot does appear on your
lens, take steps to clean it off immediately. Smudges not only prevent
peak performance in a lens, but some may permanently etch the soft
glass.
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If cleaning is necessary, always do it very gently. Get rid of dust
first with a syringe or can of compressed air. If some dust still
remains, use a good sable brush (or one made especially for lens
cleaning) and proceed with circular strokes, moving from the outside
toward the center of the lens. Keep lens brushes clean. Wash them
occasionally with mild soap and water and then dry them thoroughly
before using them again. Avoid cheap art brushes, which may contain
damaging oils.
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Fingerprints and other greasy deposit don’t usually respond to
brushing, so wiping a lens surface with a lens tissue may be necessary.
(Use only tissue made for photographic lenses; silicone treated
eyeglass tissues can damage coated surfaces.) Loosely wad the tissues
and wipe in a circular motion – again, from the outside in toward the
center. Breathing on the lens first with an open mouth, will deposit a
little moisture, just enough to help with the cleaning process.
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If stubborn stains or deposits still remain, sue on or two drops of
lens cleaning fluid. Never put the fluid directly on the lens. Put it
on a clean wadded tissue and wipe gently in circular strokes as before.
Then pick up any excess with another clean wadded tissue.
Lens pen use for cleaning
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