HELP - cleaned lens: bad move

FM1

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So I cleaned my canon 10-22 lens after it got splashed with little specs of water when I was taking a photo of a fountain. I used a micro-fibre cloth with no cleaning solution and it worked.

The only problem is that when I look through the viewfinder there is now a very weird affect. Its hard to explain but try imagine the following: you have a piece of glass that has been polarised or tinted. After rubbing it, the polarisation/tinting has faded unevenly so some there is a spotty layer on the glass. Thats pretty much what it looks like.

The weird thing is that the photos turn out fine and it has no impact on the IQ what so ever. Its just every annoying seeing it every time I take a photo.

Any advice on what it is or how to get rid of it is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Does this only occur with your 10-22? Have you checked the camera's mirror and/or focus screen for marks? This would be a more likely cause of the problem, given that image quality is unaffected.
 
Clean it again but this time breathe on the glass first.
 
microfibre cloths (which i use at work all day) will always smear if even slightly damp, let alone wet. try using a brand new out the box microfibre and there should be no smear, i know exactly what your on about as i've had it happen to me!
 
Does this only occur with your 10-22? Have you checked the camera's mirror and/or focus screen for marks? This would be a more likely cause of the problem, given that image quality is unaffected.

Its just the 10-22. My Tammy 17-50 is fine.

Can you see anthing on the optics of the lens after cleaning it or does it look clean?

It looks perfectly clean. Not a single smudge or mark. I breathe on it to try and detect any possible marks, but there doesnt seem to be anything there.

Clean it again but this time breathe on the glass first.

I have done that several times but it hasnt worked so far.

Did you clean the rear element as well?

No, just the front. Only did it cause It got some water on it.

microfibre cloths (which i use at work all day) will always smear if even slightly damp, let alone wet. try using a brand new out the box microfibre and there should be no smear, i know exactly what your on about as i've had it happen to me!

The cloth was actually bone dry when I wiped it down. I didnt use any cleaning solution (dont have any). Ill buy a new one and give it another go.

Thanks for the advice so far guys.
 
The weird thing is that the photos turn out fine and it has no impact on the IQ what so ever.

Does this only occur with your 10-22? Have you checked the camera's mirror and/or focus screen for marks? This would be a more likely cause of the problem, given that image quality is unaffected.

What would have been a bigger surprise is if the marks you describe HAD affected image quality. It takes a surprising amount of damage to a lens front element to show up on a photo. Perhaps somebody will highlight the thread here showing the smashed lens and the resulting photos. I've had a lump of chocolate the size of a small grape stuck to my lens and all it did to the photo was produce a tiny area of blurring.

As for cleaning it - get some spectacle lens cleaner and cloth (or a decent microfibre) from an optician. That's about as good as you'll get it.



And here's the aforementioned post

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=149080
 
What would have been a bigger surprise is if the marks you describe HAD affected image quality. It takes a surprising amount of damage to a lens front element to show up on a photo. Perhaps somebody will highlight the thread here showing the smashed lens and the resulting photos. I've had a lump of chocolate the size of a small grape stuck to my lens and all it did to the photo was produce a tiny area of blurring.

As for cleaning it - get some spectacle lens cleaner and cloth (or a decent microfibre) from an optician. That's about as good as you'll get it.

This one LINK slight damage to front element, scroll down the page :thumbs:
 
What would have been a bigger surprise is if the marks you describe HAD affected image quality.

Not really. If a mark on the front element is visible through the viewfinder, it will generally be visible on the photograph.
 
Some MF clothes (normally of the more expensive type) have a coating to help attract dust, it may be that this coating is now on your lens?

Or perhaps the polarisation effect is due to the fact the cloth has been used before and now contains a layer of contaminents (such as grease, sweat etc).
 
I've had bad experiences with MF cloths, and the one thing I've learned about cleaning lenses is the same thing I learned about cleaning my spectacles - just use fresh plain soft tissue.

Seriously, that's all I've ever used, and never a single problem.
 
LensPens are excellent for this.

Or lens cleaning tissues - don't use microfibre cloths, they are rubbish they just seem to move smudges around and leave debris behind.
 
There seems to be some conflicting information about mf cloths. Ill see how I go with tissues and if that doesnt work Ill give lenspens a crack. Ill report back with results over the weekend.
 
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