best way to clean compact camera lens
 

so i love how compact my g11 becomes when the lens retracts into the body however not having a lens cap means so much crap gets on the lens. So far i've been gently cleaning it with hurricane blower and lens pen. that take care of most dust and hazing however there is one speck of what i suspect to be my spit residue on the lens that won't come off no matter what I do with my lens pen, I'm afraid i will ruin the lens and hence the whole camera if i apply too much pressure. is there any kind of solution i can use to safely clean that speck without ruining the lens and the retracting/extending mechanism on the camera?


it doesn't seem to show up in pictures but its driving me crazy

You can go to any camera store and buy lens cleaning fluid and some lens tissue. Or, breathe on the lens and wipe it with a CLEAN cotton cloth, shirt, etc... Modern lens coatings are very tough, so you don't have to be super careful, but exercise caution, nonetheless.

I use my cleaning cloth for glasses and air from blowing on it. For filters at least.. Haven't touched the lens yet!

thank breathing on the lens than using the padded end of the lens pen worked :) i trust breath vapor alot more than some liquid mix with random ingredients. Now I see another speck of dust that I couldn't clean, it seems to be below the lens. It this cover by canon warranty? If it is is it worth it to take it to canon to have it clean out? I fear if i have it clean out canon repair might do more harm than good as not all repair stories' have happy endings

Random ingredients? Lens cleaning solutions are almost 100% alcohol. Simply breathing on the lens won't be very effective against oil or grease.

If you take it to a Canon authorized repair centre like Vancam, you should have nothing to worry about.

Just clean it with one of these, and you'll be fine :D

http://www.abilityonecatalog.com/img...0002555135.jpg

Just went to home depot to pick one up, thanks niforpix!

Welcome! Now remember, the key is to scrub it very very hard. It'll get rid of all the gunk and grease, etc ;)

That thing is too big! I want one small enough for the lens on my Panasonic LX2, and harder bristles!

No it's not! It's also for cleaning rest of the camera, especially the LCD in the back.

....but I also want to scrub my 5DmkII's sensor....

Crap... you got me there...

i went to futureshop they sell a lens cleaning kit with tissue cotton swab cloth and cheap lenspen and the solution for like i believe $20. I look at the tiny bottle of solution it said it is a LCD/lens cleaner and its alcohol free?