Tips for Clearing a Lens

Once I took pictures on a windy beach with my Minolta SLR.  The havoc it did to the lens is shown above.  See?  The lens is smeared with greasy stains which cannot be removed.  It was retired permanently long ago for that reason but is perfectly well otherwise.

Now, my GX200 is exposed to a higher risk of the same as I take pictures with it on the street daily.  So, I clear it regularly after use.

Do you?

Lens Blower and Scotch Tape

Usually, I use a lens blower to blow away the dust clustering the rims around the lens and a microfiber cloth to wipe the camera body.  For stubborn dusts, I use a tiny piece of the Scotch Removable Tape to stick them out.

Lens Cleaning Paper and Fluid

Sometimes, fluid like raindrops get on the lens and leave stains which cannot be removed by wiping.  You may succeed in wiping the stains away if you apply force which you can't for the lens.

This is when you may need the lens cleaning paper and cleaning fluid.

There are several different brands but I think Kodak offers the best value for money. There is the Rolls-Royce treatment package if you have the money to burn.

There's no harm in cleaning your lenses occasionally. If you decide to go with lens cleaning paper and lens cleaning fluid, put the fluid on the paper first (not on the lens).

Hold the lens upside down when you first apply it. This is to prevent the fluid from seeping into the lens itself.

Otherwise, the paper takes a minute or so to dry a bit.  You may apply the damp paper after a minute.

If you really do have oil on your lens, it might require several applications. 

After application, use another piece of lens cleaning paper to wipe the lens completely dry.  You may use a lens blower to do the job (but make sure that you don't leave any droplet on the lens surface).

If you do not wipe the lens clean, the cleaning fluid would leave stains on it as raindrops do.

I use the cleaning fluid like once every 

four months.  Don't worry too much about the stains on the lens though.  They don't usually affect the image quality. But after cleaning, the lens looks like new.  You would be glad to see the result.