The Best (and Worst) Ways To Clean Camera Lenses

There's a right way and a wrong way to clean a camera lens. We show you the best – and worst – ways to do it!

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[JasonMorrisphotocinema]

the sand paper hurt my soul watching it haha

[yjyip]

The front element of my soul has been irreparably scratched watching this

[SuperBram]

Me: 2020 has been the worst


2020: Hold this video’s intro

[YourStoryStudios]

Oh goodness, that opening sequence was painful! But entertaining.

[Dreyno]

Remember to keep an eye on the rear element as well. Condensation can eventually leave a film on it so it looks clean but your photos start getting soft.

[cameraconspiracies]

Jordan trying to kill you, and you being saved by random camera gear needs to become a thing.

[BigBucks]

I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth.

[street_biologist]

I would always vote for the UV filter. Back in 2011, I fell down over 30 ft while hiking on top of a volcano in Ecuador. My left shoulder was dislocated and three nails were ripped off! My Nikon D90 was hanging from my neck. The UV filter was completely broken but the 18-200mm survived and it still works!!

[Indrakusuma_a]

For a moment I thought I was watching the old DRTV

[gwilliams]

Loved the scene with your daughter, deserves an Oscar. Thanks for this informative and fun video. One of the reasons I use protective filters over my expensive glass. Cheers

[PostColorGear]

Thanks for pointing out the pressure needed to damage the front element, Chris. I've told people that in the past. The glass on lenses isn't the same as some cheap window glass. It can take some beating and still not "crack".

[linsnowx]

I know it was a broken lens, but every time I saw a lens dropped my heart still skip a beat

[ImpriumGG]

Chris's daughter is so cute. Loved that infomercial segment. Was bloody hilarious. Overacting done right.

[TheWriterforhire]

I physically was pained with the nail part. When I was a camera assistant I used to have to carry around whole cases of rented Zeiss prime lenses for movie cameras, usually F2 or T1.2 types and the nail part, it gave me chills.

[Jocoseman]

5:26 "...scratches at a level 6, with deeper grooves at a level 7"

[problematque]

Mirrorless cameras have lead to a huge growth in usage of vintage lenses, so I want to chime in and along with many other commenters ask for a video on vintage lens cleaning: oily aperture blades, oil on internal elements, oil that has solidified, and remove black paint around lens mounts are good topics. Fungus is probably not fixable, so that's just a mention.

[Ninsound]

The little movie is hilarious, oh my word, i can't get enough of you guys. Always on point.

[jprchri]

I'd like you to test just how dirty a lens has to get before it causes noticeable image degradation. I'm guessing a lot more than most people think...

[Happy_Zulu]

Thanks very much for the vid. Bought a camera a few weeks ago (has not been delivered because of covid). And I've been so excited with its delivery that I completely forgot about the practical realities of having one. So the timing of this video could not have been more perfect. Thank you.

p.s. I picked my first camera (X-T30) based on everything I've read and watched from DPReview. Thanks again.

[Maxfli]

Chris, great content. Thanks to the lenses for taking one for the team. One question I have is can you use “expired” lens cleaning solutions. I just found an old bottle of Zeiss lens cleaning solution when cleaning out my bag. Don’t know how old it is but if I were to guess maybe 5 to 10 years old. There’s no expiration date printed on any of most of these cleaners. So are the solutions still good to use?