I spent 3 years cleaning lenses wrong before someone called me out

I was at a workshop in Chicago last month and a guy watched me clean a lens. He asked why I was using so much pressure. I told him that's how you get the smudges off. He just shook his head and showed me his method - barely any pressure, just a slow wipe with a microfiber cloth and a tiny bit of solution. Turns out I was grinding dust into the coatings this whole time. I went home and checked my oldest lens and sure enough there were micro scratches all over the front element. Has anyone else been cleaning lenses wrong for years without realizing it?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylanmurray10d ago

Isnt it funny how we all just assume we know the basics until someone proves us wrong?

averywilliams9d ago

Depends on the lens, honestly. Cheap kit lenses? You can scrub them with your shirt and they'll still take fine pictures. High end glass with those nano coatings? Sure, be a little careful. But I've seen people obsess over micro scratches like they're going to ruin the image, and in my experience, a tiny scratch on the front element does absolutely nothing to the final photo. I've had a lens with a visible scratch for two years, sold it for nearly full value because nobody noticed. All this stuff about "grinding dust into the coatings" sounds like the kind of thing forum guys say to feel superior. You probably weren't doing any real damage. Just wipe it clean and go take pictures.

emma_clark9d ago

Aren't you worried about those micro scratches making the lens more prone to flare or ghosting though? I used to be in the same camp as you, thinking a little dust or a tiny scratch was no big deal. But a friend of mine who does commercial work showed me his beat up lens vs. a clean one in a backlit situation, and the difference was pretty clear. The dirty lens had way more haze and loss of contrast. I still don't baby my gear, but I'm a lot more careful now after seeing that.