Oopps

[Miss Moo!!]

I have just tried taking some water shots and I have got splashes of water at the end of my lens/on the glass... what can I do to fix this?

 

[lawrie29]

Make sure that your camera is further away from the water or behind a sheet of glass next time?

Get a lens cleaning cloth to clean off the watermarks?

Think I answered both questions, depending which one you asked

 

[Miss Moo!!]

Thank you.... stupid me

The glass is smuged now... does the glass on the lens tend to need cleaning??

 

[Miss Moo!!]

Ps - I used a screen cleaning cloth and a glasses one

 

[String]

Buy a lens pen!

Does an excellent job of cleaning the lens and can be used regularly

 

[Miss Moo!!]

Will that get rid of the smudges??

 

[Nawty]

It will, if you can't wait to get one of those then breath on the lens and use the glasses cleaning cloth AFTER you have made sure there is no grit or dust on the lens.

I reckon a lenspen is the only MUST have for a beginner.

 

[Miss Moo!!]

Thanks guys, think I have fixed it by using my glasses cloth and circle motions

Won't be doing that in a hurry again :doh:

 

[Yardbent]

or better...''link''

Baader Optical Cleaner Fluid as used on telescopes

brilliant and with a micro-fibre cloth too...

 

[ash59uk]

Buy a lens pen!

Does an excellent job of cleaning the lens and can be used regularly

Thanks for the tip,I have never heard of it. Still messing with puffer brush and tissue and cleaning fluid.

Just ordered one on ebay and even the genuine ones are cheap and it will slot easily into my pocket.

 

[Nawty]

Err, don't use tissue, it's quite abrasive...

 

[Martyn...]

or better...''link''

Baader Optical Cleaner Fluid as used on telescopes

brilliant and with a micro-fibre cloth too...

I would agree with that ... very good stuff

 

[Miss Moo!!]

Is a lens pen worth buying??

 

[Nawty]

YES!!

 

[Miss Moo!!]

Cool I may buy one off Amazon, as the lens isn't perfect, has dust on it...

Any recommedations on a particular one?

 

[Nawty]

I've used generic ebay cheapies and the 'real' deal. Both work fine.

 

[Miss Moo!!]

Just got a Hana one for £5, thanks for the help, fingers crossed it looks like new again

 

[lensflair]

Just got a Hana one for £5, thanks for the help, fingers crossed it looks like new again

One thing, don't get crazy with the cleaning and do it too often, only do it if you have to. Personally in the field I use a little soft brush (like the lenspen usually has) to get rid of any debri. Then if I need to I use my breath and and a lens cloth to clean any smudges. There is a really nice little product called spuds
http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod1422.htm that I like. It's pricey but so convenient, the cloth stays nice and clean in the pouch and its sewn in so it doesn't come away from the pouch. Keep one in my pocket.

Don't tell anyone but I have been known to use my t-shirt, but I'm kinda rough with my gear sometimes :/

 

[strumstrum]

also getting a UV filter on front will potentially stop you ruining the lens glass.

 

[latercomer2]

I'm presuming all UV filters are not the same - i.e. you get better quality ones etc? Is it worth paying a lot more for a specific make or are generic ones ok?

 

[Miss Moo!!]

Don't tell anyone but I have been known to use my t-shirt, but I'm kinda rough with my gear sometimes :/

Don't worry I wont tell anyone, as I did it too sssshhh

 

[Miss Moo!!]

also getting a UV filter on front will potentially stop you ruining the lens glass.

How much do they costs and what other benefits do they have?

 

[Nawty]

The have no other benefits and can degrade image quality - they especially induce flare, especially the cheap ones.

I only ever use one if I'm at a 'drinking event' where I and others will be drunk and there's a danger of beer going all over it. At all other times I just use a lens hood which is much better than a filter for general protection against knocks.

 

[String]

Will that get rid of the smudges??

Yes!

 

[Miss Moo!!]

The have no other benefits and can degrade image quality - they especially induce flare, especially the cheap ones.

I only ever use one if I'm at a 'drinking event' where I and others will be drunk and there's a danger of beer going all over it. At all other times I just use a lens hood which is much better than a filter for general protection against knocks.

Is a lens hood shaped like one of them dog cones that they wear after an operration, but smaller?? I think I got one with my 55-200 VR lens...

 

[Big Andy]

Is a lens hood shaped like one of them dog cones that they wear after an operration, but smaller?? I think I got one with my 55-200 VR lens...

Yes and some are petal shape type.

 

[Miss Moo!!]

Yes and some are petal shape type.

Cool I got one of them, just thought it was for light

 

[lensflair]

The have no other benefits and can degrade image quality - they especially induce flare, especially the cheap ones.

I only ever use one if I'm at a 'drinking event' where I and others will be drunk and there's a danger of beer going all over it. At all other times I just use a lens hood which is much better than a filter for general protection against knocks.

Agreed. The filter for protection debate is a common one. Personally I don't like them as they reduce image quality. To get a good one that has the least effect they can cost as much as a cheap lens so not much point in those cases IMO.

Most of my glass is in the 3k$ bracket and I'm not going to put a filter that reduces quality and cuts light on those either. It's a personal choice of course and if you want to put one on, the camera shop will love to sell you them. We used to use uv filters on film cameras but you don't need to with dslrs, so they will say its for protection.

But I always use a lenshood, cuts flare and provides good protection, and gives me somewhere to stick my flash gels. I do sometimes leave the lenshood off if I want to get the lens to flare up for creative effect.