Fingerprint on Lens

Thomas Keidan · Nov 23, 2017

Hi everyone, I'm panicking a little as yesterday I accidentally left a big fingerprint on my lens, I just wiped it off very quickly with a microfiber and it seems to be gone. Will I have done any damage? I've heard that fingerprints can etch into the coating? I've just ordered an air blower, proper cloths and some cleaning solution for the future but will I have been OK in the meantime? Thanks

Gerald C Koch · Nov 23, 2017

As soon as the cleaning supplies arrive reclean the lens using the cleaning solution and a piece of lens tissue. A dry cleaning will not remove any fingerprint acids from the lens surface. BTW do not use a microfilm cloth in the future. They can trap grit and damage the lens. Always use a lens tissue and discard it after a single use. Bausch and Lomb make a handy reomistended tissue in packs of single use envelopes. You can find them in most drugstores.

blockend · Nov 23, 2017

Thomas Keidan said:
Hi everyone, I'm panicking a little as yesterday I accidentally left a big fingerprint on my lens, I just wiped it off very quickly with a microfiber and it seems to be gone. Will I have done any damage? I've heard that fingerprints can etch into the coating? I've just ordered an air blower, proper cloths and some cleaning solution for the future but will I have been OK in the meantime? Thanks

Don't worry, it'll be fine. The acids in your skin take a longer to do any damage. Use a lens cleaning solution to keep things minty.

Thomas Keidan · Nov 23, 2017

Gerald C Koch said:
As soon as the cleaning supplies arrive reclean the lens using the cleaning solution and a piece of lens tissue. A dry cleaning will not remove any fingerprint acids from the lens surface. BTW do not use a microfilm cloth in the future. They can trap grit and damage the lens. Always use a lens tissue and discard it after a single use. Bausch and Lomb make a handy reomistended tissue in packs of single use envelopes. You can find them in most drugstores.

Thanks Gerald, I will do that! By the time it arrives tomorrow will I have rescued the lens in time?

Thomas Keidan · Nov 23, 2017

blockend said:
Don't worry, it'll be fine. The acids in your skin take a longer to do any damage. Use a lens cleaning solution to keep things minty.

Thank you!

Ko.Fe. · Nov 23, 2017

If it was old, Leitz made lens you did scratch it. If it was modern lens, nothing bad happened.
Here is no proper cloths, but paper, BTW. Google "Kimwipes EX-L".

Blow, wet clean, wipe and blow. This is the procedure

Thomas Keidan · Nov 23, 2017

Ko.Fe. said:
If it was old, Leitz made lens you did scratch it. If it was modern lens, nothing bad happened.
Here is no proper cloths, but paper, BTW. Google "Kimwipes EX-L".

Blow, wet clean, wipe and blow. This is the procedure

Can you help me with that? It's an olympus 35 rc

jim10219 · Nov 23, 2017

Gerald C Koch said:
As soon as the cleaning supplies arrive reclean the lens using the cleaning solution and a piece of lens tissue. A dry cleaning will not remove any fingerprint acids from the lens surface. BTW do not use a microfilm cloth in the future. They can trap grit and damage the lens. Always use a lens tissue and discard it after a single use. Bausch and Lomb make a handy reomistended tissue in packs of single use envelopes. You can find them in most drugstores.

I disagree. I use microfiber cloths exclusively because they’re softer and safer on delicate lens coatings. They also absorb oils and chemicals better, and you can often remove a fingerprint without solution. Beyond that, they can absorb tiny particles, where a tissue won’t and can allow you to scratch the lens if you miss one and scrape it across the surface. The trick is, clean the lens of solid debris first (which is important for both tissues and microfiber cloths), and don’t reuse the same spot on the microfiber cloth. Also, clean the microfiber cloth regularly using laundry detergent. But make sure not to use fabric softener with them.

The premoistend lens wipes for eyeglasses from Zeiss and B&L are also pretty nice, though they can leave behind a residue which still needs to be wiped off.

R.Gould · Nov 23, 2017

Don't worry about it, I use lenses older than yours, ( my oldest is a 1936 Voigtlander skoper atached to a baby bessa, a folder of that era), in fsct the newest lens I have is on a 1959 Rolleicord)and I have by accident touched the lenses, it hapens to the most careful user, all I havev ever done in 60 years is to breath on the lens and clean, these days I use microfibre lens cloths, in the old days I would use lens tissues if I had any, if I didn't I would use a tie if wearing one, or my shirt, in my old days it was the right way to clean a lens, many a newspaper or pro photographer would clean there lenses that way, I have yet to damage any lens, or see any lens damaged by carefully cleaning a lens with tissue/lens cloth/tie Ect and breath, I have never used lens cleaning liqued, and never will, after all, all it is is very expensive alcohal, so if you are that worried get a tiny drom of whisky/brandy/ any sprit will do, but I say breatth on the lens and clean the mist off with your Micro fibre lens cloth any time, all will be fine. all I would add is to get a lens brush. either a blower type or the ''lipstick'' type and dust the lens first to remove any fine dust befor micro fibre and breath cleaning

JWMster · Nov 23, 2017

I use and have used whatever it takes to get the job done. Bottom line: I don't need or want the artifacts on the negative that come from finger prints, dust, grime, etc. That said, discussions with lens servicing folks and replacement viewfinder screen folks, I find both recommend not using microfibre cloth, but just water and some sable haired brushes made for water color. Use the first brush to swirl the water, and a dry "fan" style sable brush to wipe it away. If that doesn't get it done, and you need/want to rub directly, then they are less unhappy with lens cleaning papers we used to use back in the day than with microfibre cloth (which they believe does permanent damage). FWIW, their approach does work, but takes time. Not very practical on site or outside.

Better than my notes, here's a useful link: http://www.rolleirepairs.com/cln-lens.htm

pentaxuser · Nov 23, 2017

Ko.Fe. said:
If it was old, Leitz made lens you did scratch it.

From what the Op has said he simply put a finger print on the lens and cleaned it off with a micro-cloth. What makes you so sure he scratched it, if it was an old Leitz lens? I note the use of the word "did" i.e. in your mind there can be no question of him not scratching the lens despite there being no evidence that the microcloth had within it some form of abrasive material such as grit

pentaxuser

AgX · Nov 23, 2017

Do not panic!

(We told you before twice...)

Fujicaman1957 · Nov 23, 2017

Okay, I worked part time in a camera repair shop in 1992. Get some Everclear or some other brand of 190 proof grain alcohol from the liquor store and dip a Q-tip in the alcohol and rub it over the fingerprint. Then wipe with lens tissue or a micro-fiber cloth. It's how the boss cleaned lenses. NEVER use rubbing alcohol on lenses ! A half pint of Everclear lasts me about a year.

guangong · Nov 23, 2017

A finger print that has been cleaned from a lens will not cause any problems. But constant cleaning of a lens will do damage. Cleaning marks will degrade the image. On the other hand a single scratch on an otherwise clean lens has very little effect, except for reducing selling price.

Ko.Fe. · Nov 23, 2017

Thomas Keidan said:
Can you help me with that? It's an olympus 35 rc

Nothing to help with, this camera has normal lens with normal coatings. It should be no damage at all. I recommend to find out which filter lens takes, get one (UV or clean) and get it installed. This will prevent front lens from dust and fingerprints.

pentaxuser said:
From what the Op has said he simply put a finger print on the lens and cleaned it off with a micro-cloth. What makes you so sure he scratched it, if it was an old Leitz lens? I note the use of the word "did" i.e. in your mind there can be no question of him not scratching the lens despite there being no evidence that the microcloth had within it some form of abrasive material such as grit

pentaxuser

Hi.
Have you ever owned old Leitz lens? I did and I cleaned them from fungus and else. What makes old Leitz lenses special is extremely soft glass and very soft coating. Among those who are familiar with old Leitz glass it is called as "chalk soft".
This is why many old Leitz lenses are now with front element in condition of ground glass. Previous owners didn't know, care and cleaned it of with something similar to micro-cloth...

Cheers, Leica User.

pentaxuser · Nov 23, 2017

Ko.Fe. said:
Nothing to help with, this camera has normal lens with normal coatings. It should be no damage at all. I recommend to find out which filter lens takes, get one (UV or clean) and get it installed. This will prevent front lens from dust and fingerprints.

Hi.
Have you ever owned old Leitz lens? I did and I cleaned them from fungus and else. What makes old Leitz lenses special is extremely soft glass and very soft coating. Among those who are familiar with old Leitz glass it is called as "chalk soft".
This is why many old Leitz lenses are now with front element in condition of ground glass. Previous owners didn't know, care and cleaned it of with something similar to micro-cloth...

Cheers, Leica User.

Sorry to hear this happened to you but I remained amazed that a micro-cloth can scratch a lens, even an old Leitz lens. Ilford even recommends its micro-cloth for wiping film. What do you need for the wet clean part before you use Kimwipesand what it is about Kimwipes that makes them safe when micro-cloth isn't

pentaxuser

shutterfinger · Nov 23, 2017

Gerald C Koch said:
BTW do not use a microfilm cloth in the future. They can trap grit and damage the lens. Always use a lens tissue and discard it after a single use.

I use microfiber cloths made for lens cleaning, they work better than tissues and solution.
I've seen more fine scratches aka cleaning marks from correctly used lens tissue than microfiber cloths.
Do not use household microfiber cleaning cloths on lens.
Always use a clean section of the microfiber cloth or a freshly washed one.
If uncertain if the cloth is clean wash it in fabric softener free detergent and water then rinse thoroughly.
Microdear makes the best lens cleaning microfiber cloths which may be marketed under store brand names. They are heavyweight not the thin ones.
Dead Link Removed or https://www.amazon.com/Microdear-Microfiber-Deluxe-Cleaning-Cloth/dp/B0002E3WGI

OlyMan · Nov 23, 2017

Really you think this is the first time someone got a fingerprint on the lens in perhaps 48 years?

shutterfinger · Nov 23, 2017

Lens tissue is the Model T of lens cleaning, crude but reliable.

albada · Nov 23, 2017

One warning: Never apply a drop of any liquid directly to a lens. It will run under the front element and can create haze between elements. Always apply liquid to your cloth, and not dripping wet either, and gently rub that on the lens. But first of all, blow off any grit with compressed air so it won't scratch the lens under pressure of cloth.

Mark Overton

TheRook · Nov 23, 2017

jim10219 said:
The trick is, clean the lens of solid debris first (which is important for both tissues and microfiber cloths), and don’t reuse the same spot on the microfiber cloth. Also, clean the microfiber cloth regularly using laundry detergent. But make sure not to use fabric softener with them.

I would add one more point:
When wiping, always do it very gently. No need for forceful rubbing, pressing the cloth hard onto the glass as some folks like to do! Carefully wipe, don't polish.

Ko.Fe. · Nov 24, 2017

pentaxuser said:
Sorry to hear this happened to you but I remained amazed that a micro-cloth can scratch a lens, even an old Leitz lens. Ilford even recommends its micro-cloth for wiping film. What do you need for the wet clean part before you use Kimwipesand what it is about Kimwipes that makes them safe when micro-cloth isn't

pentaxuser

No worries, I didn't managed to scratch badly my old Leitz lenses, because I read about what I'm about to do, before doing it.
Developed film is actually harder than chalk soft Leitz coatings and glass. I remove the rest of the RemJet from ECN-2 films by running through the lens cleaning tissue and I have to squeeze it hard. Not damage at all. If same pressure will be applied on old Leitz glass.....
Micro-cloth is quick and dirty solution for guys who sell dusty lenses at camera stores (they breath and wipe it off) and good solution to keep in camera bag and wipe off the spill or splash from the lens filter.
Special cleaning paper like Kimwipes EX-L is very different from the cloth for wet cleaning. This particular brand and type is well known for service people in broadcast, television, production industry where they deal with equipment and lenses which cost a lot more than regular SLR camera, lens.

Fingerprint on Lens

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