Kodak Lens Cleaning Tissue

[Gem Singer]

For the sake of those folks that do not want to use disposable lens tissue to clean their lenses.

Breath moisture on the lens and carefully wipe it off with a clean microfiber cloth. Can be used over and over.

Wash the cloth occasionally in warm water with a mild cleaning agent (Woolite).

Hang it to dry like a sheet of film. Keep the dry cloth stored in a plastic bag (Ziploc) when not being used.

[Mark Sawyer]

Micro-fiber cloths are nice when brand new, but I use them once or twice and retire them to the computer screen.

Kimwipes and pancro.

There's a dispute over using Kimwipes on camera lenses, with knowledgeable people on both sides. Schneider recommends them for their multi-coated filters, so I figure they're at least okay for uncoated glass, which is what I've used them for for years with no problems. There are several types of Kimwipes available. You'd want the Kimtech Science Delicate Task Wipers.

Mostly I don't clean my lenses unless necessary, which is very, very seldom.

[Steve Goldstein]

The combination of Rosco Lens Tissue (available from Filmtools) and Pancro cleaning fluid is the best I've found.

[C. D. Keth]

There's a dispute over using Kimwipes on camera lenses, with knowledgeable people on both sides. Schneider recommends them for their multi-coated filters, so I figure they're at least okay for uncoated glass, which is what I've used them for for years with no problems. There are several types of Kimwipes available. You'd want the Kimtech Science Delicate Task Wipers.

Mostly I don't clean my lenses unless necessary, which is very, very seldom.

I use kimwipes because I don't know a lens technician at a motion picture rental house who doesn't use kimwipes and pancro. They trust lenses of extreme value (master primes cost around $400,000 a set, an angenieux 12:1 zoom costs around $100k, cooke S4s are $25k a lens with 18 lenses to a set, lightweight zooms tend to run around $50k each) to kimwipes and pancro so they're more than good enough for my little stash. The thing that will damage lenses faster than any other is poor cleaning technique, not the materials you use.

As you say, the best way is to clean only when you have to. I can't even remember when I cleaned one of my lenses with fluid. Dust-off and/or a brush is usually enough.

[lenser]

I just bought a packet of the Tiffen tissue from an ebay seller in Asia to confirm that it is the same as the Kodak. It does appear to be identical to the old Kodak tissue which was BY FAR the best lens cleaning tissue I've used in over forty years of experience. Now I wish I could find the old Kodak lens cleaning liquid as every product I've found in the last five years either leaves a film on the glass or streaks like crazy.

[Kevin Crisp]

Try Berkshire Lensx 90 tissues, they come in packs of 1000. Every bit as good as the Kodak ones. I got a couple packs of them on Ebay years ago and I think I'm down to my last 700 sheets.....

[Roger Thoms]

The combination of Rosco Lens Tissue (available from Filmtools) and Pancro cleaning fluid is the best I've found.

I was going to recommend the Rosco Len Tissue, but Steve beat me to it. I'll have to give the Pancro Fluid a try.

Roger

[Kevin Crisp]

I bought the Pancro fluid after reading about it here. It leaves a smeary residue for me, requiring a second breath-only cleaning. What am I doing wrong?

[D. Bryant]

Well FWIW, I mainly use them for cleaning my reading glasses. I don't often need to clean lens surfaces.

[C. D. Keth]

I bought the Pancro fluid after reading about it here. It leaves a smeary residue for me, requiring a second breath-only cleaning. What am I doing wrong?

First, use dust-off and a brush to remove any particulate. The first application of fluid on a tissue should be worked in a rolling motion to pick up stuff on the lens surface without rubbing it around on the lens. The second application of fluid to a tissue is rubbed in circles until it is all dry. If you do this right, there won't be anything but a few fibers from the tissue left and those come off with dust-off.