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cleaning objective lens |
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onfinal
Optics Apprentice Joined: April/28/2009 Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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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
MODERATOR Steiner Junkie Joined: April/05/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4856 |
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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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Ed Connelly
Optics Retard God of no Chihuahua Joined: December/16/2007 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 24225 |
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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........... )
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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+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. |
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Reaction time is a factor...
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onfinal
Optics Apprentice Joined: April/28/2009 Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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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
MODERATOR Steiner Junkie Joined: April/05/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4856 |
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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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magshooter1
Optics Professional Joined: August/27/2008 Location: El Dorado, AR Status: Offline Points: 827 |
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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.
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Some people are educated BEYOND their intelligence.
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Randall45
Optics Apprentice Joined: June/25/2009 Status: Offline Points: 284 |
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I scratched the lens once from spraying the lens first than wiping.Now I use a Zeiss cleaning kit. |
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RONK
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: April/05/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3199 |
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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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twofer
Optics GrassHopper Joined: November/13/2006 Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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For a good discussion of lens cleaning options;
--twofer
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Roy Finn
MODERATOR Steiner Junkie Joined: April/05/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4856 |
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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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