How it clean mud specks off front glass element?

Personally I'd dampen a lint free cloth & gently moisten the dry spots before trying to get them off. Maybe with a soft brush?
You will no doubt have to repeat it quite a few times though.
 
Id personally use a cotton bud/q-tip and soak it in distilled water/lens solution... Soak the cotton bud and hold it on the mud speck until it is damp and it should kind of "stick" to the cotton bud. I wouldn't wipe it about as small particles may scratch the element.
 
elliotedwards said:
Id personally use a cotton bud/q-tip and soak it in distilled water/lens solution... Soak the cotton bud and hold it on the mud speck until it is damp and it should kind of "stick" to the cotton bud. I wouldn't wipe it about as small particles may scratch the element.
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q-tip dipped in distilled water
jesus, that's the most precious thing i've ever heard
do you have a little knitted jumper for your camera if you use it in the winter months :P

just scratch the majority of dry mud off with your fingernail, spray on some glasses cleaner and wipe with a cloth until gone

http://petapixel.com/2011/04/08/this-muddy-nikon-d3-shows-the-benefits-of-weather-sealing/
 
What ever you do don't wipe it with a cloth. That can and probably will scratch the lens. If it was me I would grab my shop vac and slowly poor water on the element as I vacuumed the mud off. Or just hold it upside down and spray it with water from a spray bottle. That way the mud and water will drop off. Just make sure you get it all off before you get a cloth anywhere near it.


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Are we talking globs of mud or just a couple of dirty water spots? If it's globs of mud, moisten them with water on a cotton bud (distilled water is a bit overboard) and dab them off without moving them round too much. Once you're down to dirty glass, a damp lens cleaning tissue wiped gently (as little pressure as possible on the front element of the lens) should get the grub off. If just dirty water spots, again moisten but it won't take as long!
 
Nod said:
Are we talking globs of mud or just a couple of dirty water spots? If it's globs of mud, moisten them with water on a cotton bud (distilled water is a bit overboard) and dab them off without moving them round too much. Once you're down to dirty glass, a damp lens cleaning tissue wiped gently (as little pressure as possible on the front element of the lens) should get the grub off. If just dirty water spots, again moisten but it won't take as long!
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Yup, this is good advice. As is using a fingernail to prise off large, dried, spots.

Most mud will have tiny bits of sand in it. Sand is mostly made from one of the few things on Earth that is harder than glass - Quartz. Even iron isn't as hard as glass. So the last thing you want to do is grind those super-hard fragments into your expensive glass.
 
I don't understand why some people are panicking about picking a bit of mud off the element but are then suggesting pouring water onto the lens instead? It's a bit of mud on the front of a lens, not a hundred year old tapestry!

If I don't have my t-shirt to hand I buy boxes of 100 glasses lens wipes for a pound in Asda and keep a handful of them in my bag. People really do worry too much about being delicate.

Steve
 
pjm1 said:
Is your lens water resistant? If so, get it a bit wet first...
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Not many lenses are water resistant enough for that... it depends how you do it though. Place a damp (not wet) cloth over it for a while to soften it, then gently remove with as little pressure or movement as possible. Don't just wipe it off as if it was dust. Dabbing at it rather than wiping would be preferable until you're confident there's nothing abrasive left on it. Mud can be nasty if there's sand in it.

You'd be surprised how tough lens coatings can be though. Remove it carefully and there will be no problem.
 
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stevelmx5 said:
I don't understand why some people are panicking about picking a bit of mud off the element but are then suggesting pouring water onto the lens instead? It's a bit of mud on the front of a lens, not a hundred year old tapestry!

If I don't have my t-shirt to hand I buy boxes of 100 glasses lens wipes for a pound in Asda and keep a handful of them in my bag. People really do worry too much about being delicate.

Steve
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Totally agree. I dropped a 1d mkiv & a 600 mm f4 in a lake briefly. It was covered in mud. The front element was caked with crud.
I wiped it clean with some tissue I had in my bag then carried on. My pictures before & after show no signs of what happened at all.
 
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