Lenses are expensive pieces of equipment. High-quality prime and telephoto lenses, for example, can cost thousands of dollars. You must, therefore, take care of them and understand how to properly maintain them.
A simple process that is sometimes overlooked is cleaning the lens glass. The outer glass of a lens can become dirty over time. You may handle your lens gently, but regardless of how careful you are, the glass will inevitably attract dust. Moreover, you may smear the glass when handling your camera or it could become exposed to water and moisture.
To ensure the external glass remains clear, we advise investing in camera lens wipes. As you will see below, these are relatively cheap little accessories you can keep in your gear bag to help improve the quality and longevity of your lens.
Using these wipes, you can undertake a regular cleaning routine to ensure your lenses are free from dirt and smears. This helps improve the clarity and quality of your photos and ultimately ensures you get the best usage from your lens.
Camera lens wipes come in two forms – either pre-moistened wipes or microfiber cloths. We have chosen six brilliant products consisting of both wipes and clothes that are ideal for cleaning camera lens glass.
1. ZEISS Lens Cleaning Wipes
ZEISS is a renowned manufacturer of high-quality optics. Therefore, you are guaranteed that their camera lens wipes are superb quality too. These pre-moistened lens wipes measure 6×5” and the standard box includes 200 individually-wrapped wipes.
The wipes are ammonia-free and have a special formula that ensures a streak-free finish. Furthermore, when using these wipes, no residue is left on the lens glass. Aside from use on basic lenses, this item is also suitable for lenses with special protective coatings.
If you want a high-quality, reliable camera lens wipe, you can’t go wrong with this excellent product from ZEISS.
2. CamKix Lens Cleaning Paper
This fantastic product from CamKix features two parts – soft tissue and a double-sided cleaning cloth. The tissue is used first to remove any debris and surface dirt from the lens glass. You then use the lens cloth to remove and smears and stains.
A standard pack includes six booklets, each with 50 cleaning sheets. The value of this product is superb and it is an effective tool for lens cleaning.
The tissues are soft and easy to use – you shouldn’t rub these too hard, they are simply meant to collect and remove any loose surface dust. The microfiber cloth is what you use to give the lens glass a thorough clean.
3. Care Touch Lens & Screen Cleaning Wipes
Care Touch pre-moistened wipes are a bargain – this box of 400 camera lens wipes is extremely affordable and superb value for money.
The wipe utilizes an ammonia-free coating and high-tech materials to ensure that damage to the lens glass is not possible. Moreover, the isopropyl solution ensures a smear-free cleaning process that leaves your lens looking like new.
When unfolded, the overall size of a single wipe is 5” x 6” – large enough to cover even the most sizable wide-angle lenses. The individual wrappings are easy to tear and the wipe inside is accessible. Moreover, the small size means you can carry several of these in your pocket for instant usage.
4. PEC PAD 4×4” Non-Abrasive Lint Free Wipes
PEC PAD is a well-known brand that produces a myriad of cleaning equipment. The PEC PAD 4×4” lint-free wipes are an excellent choice for you camera lenses. The only downside is the quantity; they are only available in large pack sizes which some people may not want.
The wipes are lint-free which ensures that no stray material finds its way onto your camera lens. Furthermore, the pads are extremely soft – you do not need to put much effort into the cleaning process. A light circular rubbing motion will effectively remove dirt and smears from your lens glass.
At 4×4”, the PEC PAD wipes are an ample size to clean even the largest of lenses. These camera lens wipes are an excellent choice if you have a large lens collection and use them frequently.
5. Eco-Fused Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
High-quality microfiber cleaning cloths work just as effective as camera lens wipes. They essentially perform the same function. These lens cloths from Eco-Fused are a top choice and extremely affordable – the standard package provides 12 cloths in total in three different colors.
The cloths are ideally sized and can fit easily in your pocket or camera case. Moreover, the material is extremely soft but effective at removing dirt and stains without scratching the lens element. The longevity of these clothes is fantastic too – they can be machine washed or hand washed.
6. Optix 55 Pre-Moistened Lens Wipes (Budget Winner)
This box of 100 pre-moistened wipes represents our best budget value. Aside from the standard box of 100, the Optix 55 eyeglass cleaner is also available in boxes of 30, 200, 400, and 600 – all at reasonable prices.
These camera lens wipes have the benefit of multi-usage too. Not only can they be used to clean lenses, but they also work for computer monitors, sunglasses, smartphone screens and more.
The wipes are individually wrapped so instead of taking out a whole box, you can simply place a handful in your camera case for convenience. Moreover, wipe packaging is recyclable.
Due to the ammonia-free formula, these wipes are easy to use and do not smear or leave streaks on your lenses. They also won’t damage the glass either.
Take Care of Your Photography Kit with Camera Lens Wipes
Don’t neglect the maintenance of your camera lenses. The glass elements are extremely expensive and contribute towards the higher price of these items. It is therefore wise to invest in the correct cleaning equipment.
Camera lens wipes are a simple and affordable item – the benefits they provide are unavoidable for professional photographers, and those who have expensive photography kits.
