I just got a gift of the Lens Pen. Does anyone have any experiance, or words of caution, with this product and it's use. Do I dare use it with new M glass?

-- Brooks (bvonarx@home.com), February 08, 2002

Answers

I've never heard of a lens pen, but if you have to ask, "Do I dare . . ." the answer is probably "no."

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), February 08, 2002.

I wouldn't, but I haven't used one. I like a medium size cotton lens cloth and a little bit of Kodak lens cleaner. At least with the cotton, it's easier to give your lens that final streak-free buff (buffing lightly and quickly). Of course I start that off with a camel hair brush (kinetronics), maybe a few light bursts of canned air too. Seems like a lens pen would be more apt to trap stuff on it.

-- James (snodoggydogg@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

Hi, Brooks:

Go to the old threads ("Miscelaneous") where you can find more on this topic and access http://www.lenspen.com/ through a direct link.

Regards !

-Iván

-- Iván Barrientos M (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), February 08, 2002.

Brooks,

I have not used the Lens Pen. Am concerned with using such a small contact surface repeatedly that it might pick up grit which could then scratch the lens during the cleaning process. I use the Clear Sight cleaning kit on my Leica lens and binoculars. Check out their web site for more information. LB

-- Luther Berry (lberrytx@aol.com), February 08, 2002.

It's all I use. I've been using the Lens Pen on everything from Leica ASPH to Canon L and have yet to damage or scratch anything. I've found there's nothing better for removing smudges and fingerprints. I just give it and the lens a quick blast of compressed air before and after each cleaning.

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

BTW, those of you who admit to never having used one, hold off on the speculation, as it just doesn't help. I've used Lenspens for years ever since I stumbled onto them while looking for something to clean off the haze left behind on my 35/1.4 ASPH by ROR ("Residual Oil Remover").

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

As with everything (cleaning-wise), use caution. I've had and used Lens Pens for 4 or 5 years now and they are great, especially for smudges. But as always, touching the lens is always a last resort. First I use a puff of air, then a camels brush, and finally if the element is still dirty, the Lens Pen. As well I replace them once year just incase they pick up grit........

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

I use Lens Pen more than ten years. Soon after it appeared on the market, Popular Photography had a short paragraph about the advantage of Lenspen. I use it on my Zeiss/Leica lenses, and it cleans smudge far better than Kodak lens cleaning fluid plus lens cleaning tissue

The only thing you need to do: change the lenspen often.

When traveling abroad, I always carry a Lenspen in my carryon

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), February 08, 2002.

I have used the Lenspen on my M6 viewfinder as well as on the Leica 35 and 50mm lenses it uses. So far nothing but terrific results!

-- Kent Demas (kdem@boomweb.com), March 23, 2002.