The Photography Questions Thread

AlTheKillerr · 02-26-2008, 06:20 PM

I decided to start a thread where i and whoever else can ask photography related questions so that there are 20 of them everyother day.

my question:

im looking for some lens cleaner. i have a microfiber clothe that is specificly for lenses but no cleaner. what kind of cleaner should i get? can a lens be cleaned to much? i dont want to rub off any kind of clear protectent on the lens. also can the cleaner be used on my UV filter? its the cheap ~20 dollar one from best buy...

Rezneck · 02-26-2008, 08:12 PM

I'm not a pro photo guy, or even much of an amateur, but I am experienced in rifle optics. So...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Crom

what kind of cleaner should i get? can a lens be cleaned to much? i dont want to rub off any kind of clear protectent on the lens. also can the cleaner be used on my UV filter? its the cheap ~20 dollar one from best buy...

I think whatever cleaning solution they sell in camera shops is OK. I don't think any specific brand matters. I have a sneaking suspition that it's just distilled water anyway, but I might be wrong.

I won't say that you can clean a lens too much but I think there is some risk for damage involved whenever the glass is touched with anything, even cleaning stuff. Trap a little piece of unseen grit between the cloth and glass, and you've got scratches. Even if you don't see them, thay can accumilate. I'm pretty picky about not letting my glass get dirty to begin with. Do you have one of those brushes with the blower thingy? If not, get one.

I clean my filter with no problems.

Rezneck · 02-26-2008, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedirt

Don't run the lens under water though

. I use toilet paper (the real smooth kind without any sort of lotions)

Toilet paper? I thought paper was abrasive.

What's your thoughts on using cotton swabs? Just so they're 100% cotton?

actionplant · 02-26-2008, 08:22 PM

The common name of the stuff you want is methanol. Don't let it evaporate on the lens or you'll have streaks. Put a couple drops on an optical grade tissue and simply wipe your lens clean. The methanol will evaporate out of the tissue.

Being it's volatile you can't fly with it.

**FmrVette** · 02-26-2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Crom

im looking for some lens cleaner... on my UV filter? its the cheap ~20 dollar one from best buy...

1. Blow away dust before touching with lens tissue, using something like this:

http://www.copperhillimages.com/shop...&=SID#MOREINFO

2. Anything along this line:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Cleaner_.html

Generally your local camera shop will have a selection. DO NOT place droplets of fluid on lens - moisten lens tissue, then clean filter/lens. Dropping fluid directly on lens can result in fluid getting behind seals onto the internals of the lens. Not good.

3. Buy a better UV filter

.

Concur only cleaning lens when it's needed; many will advise not to use UV or Skylight filters. Whether filters will degrade image has been an on-going debate for quite awhile. I prefer keeping filters over lenses for dust protection, and generally buy Hoya's. Your mileage may vary.

HTH

actionplant · 02-26-2008, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FmrVette

Concur only cleaning lens when it's needed; many will advise not to use UV or Skylight filters. Whether filters will degrade image has been an on-going debate for quite awhile. I prefer keeping filters over lenses for dust protection, and generally buy Hoya's. Your mileage may vary.

Quoted for truth, I throw UV filters on my lenses whether they need it or not. If you saw some of the conditions under which I shoot you'd understand...if I drop a lens on a rock in the middle of nowhere or bounce it off a concrete shop floor...I'd much rather scratch or crack the face of a $20 filter than $900 Zeiss optics. *gulp*

**FmrVette** · 02-26-2008, 09:14 PM

Follow up:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/racedog...7603799451300/

User discussion on filters, not on cleaner fluid, but it seemed to flow with the thread.

Wamp · 02-26-2008, 09:41 PM

I don't ever put liquid on my lenses to clean them. First compressed air, then my breath to fog them and a clean lens cloth. I tend to wear a lens out before the glass gets fouled too bad.

AlTheKillerr · 02-27-2008, 12:47 AM

awesome thanks for the info.

ill be in the mountains for a few hours tomorrow so hopefully i can get some good pictures

actionplant · 02-27-2008, 07:19 AM

Awesome, hope to see some of them!

**mattman8706** · 02-27-2008, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dimmy

Toilet paper? I thought paper was abrasive.

What's your thoughts on using cotton swabs? Just so they're 100% cotton?

no to cotton swabs
they will leave lots of dust.

I just have an anti static cloth and I use distilled water
It makes it good as new

I would be a little scared with TP also. paper products have a bad habit of scratching lenses and they would also leave some dust

carracer · 02-27-2008, 09:16 AM

Great idea about a photo thread. I think it should be taken one step further and added as a category like and perhaps within the Four Wheeling and Outdoor Rec. Whadda ya think??

Rezneck · 02-27-2008, 10:54 AM

I have a question concerning photo editing software.

First off, I'd rather shoot in RAW. I can shoot in RAW with my Konica/Minolta and use the software it came with to convert to JPG.
With my Nikon, I cannot convert to JPG with the software it came with, of any I have. (Last night I learned that I could convert to JPG but it involves attaching the file to an email.)

What software do you recommend? I like to shoot mostly wildlife and outdoors. I don't do a lot of editing, nothing artsy. Basically, all I want to do is convert the file format, do some croping, and adjust tints, color, balance and etc.

**mattman8706** · 02-27-2008, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dimmy

I have a question concerning photo editing software.

First off, I'd rather shoot in RAW. I can shoot in RAW with my Konica/Minolta and use the software it came with to convert to JPG.
With my Nikon, I cannot convert to JPG with the software it came with, of any I have. (Last night I learned that I could convert to JPG but it involves attaching the file to an email.)

What software do you recommend? I like to shoot mostly wildlife and outdoors. I don't do a lot of editing, nothing artsy. Basically, all I want to do is convert the file format, do some croping, and adjust tints, color, balance and etc.

I use photoshop. It handles all that stuff.
Its expensive though

actionplant · 02-27-2008, 11:27 AM

Photoshop would be overkill and doesn't have quite the same ease of use in this case as something like Lightroom.

Quote:

Basically, all I want to do is convert the file format, do some croping, and adjust tints, color, balance and etc.

Lightroom is my recommendation, if you're a Mac user there is also Aperture.

Here's a great article on RAW:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tu...aw-files.shtml