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New 445nm SL - Safest way to clean AR coated glass lens?

ElectroMagneticFreak

ElectroMagneticFreak

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Hello,

I just received a beautiful new Survival Laser I basic 445nm kit and I absolutely love it. I am going to post a review as soon as I can get the lens clean to be able to show it in its top operating condition. I think I may have clumsily touched the lens even though I knew not to do this, and now I have quite a bit of splash that lights up the yard far to the left and right of the beam.

After doing a bit of searching it seems that the AR coating on the glass lens can be sometimes weakened by using isopropyl alcohol. I am pretty sure it is a fingerprint or oil so I doubt an air duster would work. I was thinking of using the cleaning cloth that came with the Eagle Pair slipover goggles.

The owner of SL (Garoq) has been unbelievably helpful in taking time to answer so many of my questions before and after my purchase and I can't agree more with what so many people have said about Gary and Survival Lasers. Just wondering what you guys would recommend and if the Eagle pair cloth would be safe and if I should use any other soap or solvent.



Thanks !! :beer:
 





From what I've read, nothing short of acid can degrade an AR coating. I've also read people using Acetone before. Unless its a 3 element lens, then I think you're screwed no matter what you use.
 
Thanks very much for the response, Tech_junkie!

In the "About" section on the SL website it lists the specifications of the lens that I have with the basic kit as a 3 element AR coated glass. I apologize but I wasn't sure if you meant that if it is 3 element that it would be safe as well to use pretty well any solvent? :thinking:

Thanks again, and sorry for the confusion.
 
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Its not wise to get a 3 element wet. Moisture can get between the lenses.

You can wrap your cloth around the top of a Qtip, and try wiping the top lens.
 
Yep, no liquids for multi-element lenses. I've heard of people successfully drying out acetone that got sucked up in to them by carefully heating them to 110F for extended periods of time, but there were varying amounts of success and often there was some residue.

Try a microfiber cloth wrapped around a q-tip stick.
 
Sigurthr Thanks very much for your response as well!

Yeah, that sounds like a real ordeal trying to dry out a 3 element lens!

I am going to try what you and TJ suggested using the Eagle Pair cleaning cloth. I'm guessing that the Eagle Pair cloth is most likely microfiber. It definitely feels like the same material used in cloths for cleaning expensive eye glasses.
 
Yes, you can disassemble the 3-element glass lens but it is a bitch to clean all the tiny lens surfaces.

2011318232048211.jpg
 
I find cleaning lenses to be a pita! If possible, never do it. I've soaked in 93% isopropyl with some degree of success. I'm never really happy with my results though. I always wish that I hadn't touched it at all.
 
Exactly ^.

I have a LensPen which works fantstic for larger lenses, but anything smaller than 1cm it can't do. I wish there was a Micro LensPen.

Edit: Ooooh 1000th post!
 
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Sigurthr said:
Exactly ^.

I have a LensPen which works fantstic for larger lenses, but anything smaller than 1cm it can't do. I wish there was a Micro LensPen.

Edit: Ooooh 1000th post!
Click to expand...

I have a bunch of lens stuff because I have a canon 7d and a bunch of L lenses. For some reason they clean much easier than a laser lens. Probably size.

I have some pretty high end cleaners and cloths, etc. I will try to look them up and share my results.

On lasers, I have always used acetone (fingernail polish remover - good thing i have a wifey so this stuff is laying around) to get superglue off of lenses that I have bolluxed up.

I hadn't thought of using tech junkies idea of just using it as the cleaner. Nasty stuff though!

I also keep a can of compressed air around to blow them off. Just make sure it doesnt have a bitterant in it to leave residue.

So far I haven't ever scratched a lens, so they seem pretty durable. I hate splash and wish they were easier to clean!

They DO have lens pens very small. I have this kit...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/748386-REG/Lenspen_PPK_2_ProPack_II_Camera_Lens.html

But lens pens leave a black powdery residue that I do not like.

Here is a tool I use a lot! http://www.amazon.com/SE-Mini-Brass...MU70/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1330819451&sr=8-6


EDIT: I use these - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...phic_Solutions_PAD44_Pec_Pad_Photo_Wipes.html and they have ZERO LINT but they don't get residue off the lens, they just smear it around. They are great to lay the lens on while you are working with it, and good for the first wipe down to get all lint and particles off of it.

These are ok for just removing particles of dust and lint, but they will smear anything else across the lens. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/555012-REG/Giottos_CL1310_CL1310_Retracting_2_Position.html

These are expensive and a big letdown. They leave a lot of lint behind. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...utions+sensor+swab+plus&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

I wasn't thrilled with the Eclipse cleaning fluid. It is just "ok." http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...Solutions_EC_Eclipse_Optic_Lens_Cleaning.html

I actually have some canon cleaning fluid that came with my 30d I think that works best.

I haven't tried this yet... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ILL_S2_DigitalDuster_SLR_Camera_Cleaning.html
 
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ElectroMagneticFreak;

I have cleaned both single lens aspheric, and the 3-lens low cost lense modules.

For your lens, I would use a microfiber cloth moistened with 100% pure acetone (flammable).

Clean in a circular motion if possible,

and then polish with a clean, dry portion of a clean microfiber cloth.

LarryDFW
 
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Sorry to not get back to everyone right away, I was away from the forums for a few days. Thanks Blord Tsteele93 and LarryDFW for your advice. It's nice to know there are so many people ready to help! I don't have any acetone lying around but I'll try the microfiber cloth and if it looks like I've smeared something I'll have to get some acetone. I think LarryDFW's advice of wetting the cloth with acetone and not pouring acetone on the lens should avoid any getting sucked up into the 3 element lens.

Thanks everyone for the help!
 
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