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cleaning objective lens

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onfinal View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote onfinal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: cleaning objective lens
    Posted: July/28/2009 at 20:00
Is there a safe, do-it-yourself method of cleaning scope lenses at home? I just noticed something smeared on the obj lens of my Leupold VX-I, but when I--very lightly and gently--apply a soft cotton cloth all I do is move it around. I don't want to use water or eye glasses cleaner until I know it's ok, and it's too late tonight to go out and buy a lens cleaning pen.

Any home remedies?



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Roy Finn View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2009 at 20:16
Yep, it's called Zeiss spray. No Zeiss spray available, get some camera grade lense cleaner. Don't use any household type products........Windex, Glass Plus...etc etc.


add: Lenspen's work really well in general but if you have anytype of oil/grease it's better to use one of the lense spray's to cut through that stuff first. Lenspen's are a "touch-up" tool in my opinion.

Edited by Roy Finn - July/28/2009 at 20:19
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/28/2009 at 20:20
Soft lens cleaning cloth...........Zeiss cleaner ( like Roy said...) is what I use....( I am a camera person....)   spray on cloth.....wipe lens while holding mouth in a special position....( like this...........Bucky )  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2009 at 12:36
+1 on the Zeiss spray. I just used some I bought last week to clean the lenses on my rangefinder and it seems to leave far less residue than other cleaners I've tried. I always use compressed air first, followed by cleaning fluid on q-tips, drying, wiping with a clean lens brush and finally wiping with a very clean lens cloth.

In the field, if the lense is not to dirty, use the brush and then the carbon-black tip on the other end.
Reaction time is a factor...
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onfinal View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote onfinal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2009 at 13:26
Thanks to all. Couldn't find Zeiss Spray locally and didn't want to wait for shipping so I went to a local shop for prof photogs/high end telescope users and got some of what they use. About the same cost when you figure in shipping cost, and the glob of whatever is gone from my Leupold. Still don't know what it was or how it got there.
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Roy Finn View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2009 at 13:50
Sometimes when manufacturers seal their scopes (with grease and O-rings) a little of the grease can seep out. That's more than likely what happened assuming that it didn't come from an external source.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote magshooter1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/29/2009 at 15:11
Several years ago when the original Signature Line was about a year old a Tech. Serv. guy from Burris told me that they use acetone on every scope lens before it leaves the factory.  I was concerned about the coatings but he said it didn't hurt them.  I v'e used it ever since.
Some people are educated BEYOND their intelligence.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Randall45 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/04/2009 at 21:56

I scratched the lens once from spraying the lens first than wiping.Now I use a Zeiss cleaning kit.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/04/2009 at 22:35
Originally posted by magshooter1 magshooter1 wrote:

Several years ago when the original Signature Line was about a year old a Tech. Serv. guy from Burris told me that they use acetone on every scope lens before it leaves the factory.  I was concerned about the coatings but he said it didn't hurt them.  I v'e used it ever since.
 The people at U.S. Optics also insist on the use of acetone to clean the lenses of the high-end scopes they build. Seems harsh to me, but it does cut through oil and grease better than most any other solvents, and it evaporates away completely. They would certainly know if it would hurt the coatings, and they recommend it without reservations...
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote twofer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2009 at 10:49
For a good discussion of lens cleaning options;
 
 
--twofer
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Roy Finn View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Roy Finn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/05/2009 at 13:04
The only thing that I would add to this discussion is a warning about the use of acetone. Make sure you don't over spray any onto wood stocks or even synthetics cause it will eat away the finish if left behind.
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