Cleaning a sony digital Lens

I just bought a store model sony dsc hx20v,
and the lens is very dirty, with what appears to be smudges

is there a best way to clean the lens?

I have some cleaning packets, made for monitors & len's,
although they seem to be a little dried out.

Or maybe a Qtip, with some kind of fluid?
What kind of fluid would I use, or not use?

thanks
marc

 

Most camera stores (if you are lucky enough to have one) can sell you
a microfiber cloth and some fluid suitable for cleaning lenses.

Or you can buy kits on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Optical...371585814&sr=1-5&keywords=lens+cleaning+fluid

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Optical...71585814&sr=1-11&keywords=lens+cleaning+fluid

The second one contains the first one as a subset in addition to some other
handy items for the same total price, but does not have the possibility of
free shipping.

 

If there's a Harbor Freight near you they'll sell you a bag of big
microfiber cloths for 6 bucks that work fine. For lens cleaning one bag
should last several generations of photographers. For cleaning fluid
isopropyl alcohol, possibly diluted with distilled water, works fine.

Another option is a dust blower and a LensPen.
<http://www.amazon.com/Giottos-AA1900-Rocket-Blaster-
Large/dp/B00017LSPI/ref=pd_sim_p_1>
<http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/851852-REG/Lenspen_NLP_1_NLP_1
_Lenspen.html>

Note--be careful about the LensPen--there are some fakes out there that
fall apart after a couple of uses--make sure you buy from a reliable
online source or a local dealer where you can return it easily. Before
you buy on Amazon read the reviews--they're apparently getting some
fakes from whoever supplied them.

 

Unflavored vodka or denatured alcohol will work.Just dapen part of the
cloth, and use the other part for drying. The trick is not to rub, just pat.

 

I'd be surprised if either were pure enough although it depends exactly
what they were flavoured or denatured with. Isopropanol that has been
stored in a glass bottle is one of the better lens cleaners.

I am old school and prefer a strip of lens tissue for cleaning lenses.

You can buy lens cleaner from any photodealer, but you should be *very*
gentle when cleaning and leave as little residual solvent on the surface
as possible. Under no circumstances scour the surface or rub hard as
every tiny scratch diminishes the contrast of the image.

Paradoxically a "dirty" lens still works pretty well unless you are
facing into the sun with the front surface illuminated! You can easily
make things permanently worse by too frequent or aggressive cleaning.

 

Method One:
Wipe the lens when we choose the following tools: Professional lens cleaning cloth / chamois (never used glasses cloth), professional lens paper, soft brush, blow up balloons, lens cleaning water, etc. (these can be to shop to buy professional equipment)
If there is dirt, first use a blower to remove dust, blowing not available to sweep the brush, soft brush to remember not touch, because the hand with oil, then rub the lens with lens cleaning cloth droplets from rotate struck the inside out, note that the intensity can be repeated several times, not once used by the intensity is too large. Then the remaining dust with a blower to blow.

Method two:
Equipment is not sufficient in the case of, for example, we have only lens cleaning cloth or lens cleaning paper
Then blow the lens is: with my hand in front of the camera into a 30 to 45 degree angle, with the mouth to the hands of the blowing gas reflected to blow away dust on the lens so, this benefit is to prevent saliva blow on the lens.
Lens cleaning method: Kazakhstan on the breath on the lens (lens cleaning liquid equivalent effect), to prevent dust scratch the lens, then wipe with a lens cleaning cloth or lens paper, wipe from the inside out spin out method wipe the lens.

With these two simple methods complement each other can do an emergency lens cleaning, usually according to a certain method of a proceed.

 

Yes isopropyol alcohol will work too. You can't overstate the importance
of not rubbing, or using excess fluid.

 

thanks all,

I was able to clean the front lens, to where
it looks much cleaner...BUT....

look at these 2 new test photos, after cleaning

http://imgur.com/jVLZGun

http://imgur.com/qqvUfCG

something else is wrong with the lens;
see the dark grey small cloud like spot?

I think I'm returning the camera

marc

 

What model Sony is that?

sony cyber-shot DSC hx20v

[I have many more photos with the same spot]

marc

 

that could be a dust spot on the sensor, which is esily cleaned.

<http://www.bythom.com/cleaning.htm>
just Google sensor dust You will find lots of answers. If you are
uncomfortable cleaning it yourself, most local places will do it. the
going price in the US is anywhere from no charge, to $35.

 

Marc-

That spot reminds me of "burn in", where a bright image would burn
itself into the phosphors of an old CRT computer screen.

Suppose the camera had sat on the dealer's shelf for several months,
pointing at a bright light or perhaps the store's front door. I think
the grey cloud may be in the sensor, and cleaning will not fix it.

Fred

 

tomorrow,
I think I'll take a photo of a totally White background,
and see what shows up

marc

 

OK I sit corrected.

 

I think this is the best course of action.

 

here are 3 shots of a White piece of paper

regular, 20x zoom, and 22x zoom

http://imgur.com/NAqCKq0
http://imgur.com/i4ZmLNO
http://imgur.com/eQtvua4

does this tell anything more, about where the spot comes from?

thanks,
marc

 

That is why I put a clear lens protector on the lens first thing, when
it is clean and pristene and new, and obsessively clean the protector
instead.

 

Looks like Lint on the sensor.

If you're lucky, a vacuum or a bulb blower may dislodge it.
Or make it worse.
It may need to be serviced otherwise, which may or may not be
a total loss financially if you have to pay for it.

-Wolfgang

 

I was planning on just returning the camera,
which I still can for a few more days,

but I woke up yesterday,
and the big grey spot was gone, on all new photos!
I have no idea what happened.

I did make a second try to re-clean the front of the lens,
in case I missed something, then testing,
all the pictures still had the spot,

but now it's gone, mysteriously...

marc

 

Likely the "dirt" - whatever it was - has fallen off the sensor, and
lodged elsewhere in the camera. If you're lucky, it won't come back -
some cameras have a sticky layer at the base of the sensor compartment
to catch such bits.

 

it is now looking like it was internal lint, dust, dirt, etc

thanks
marc