Cleaning a Filter

[timjon]

I was taking some photos of a rather violent sea recently, with the result that pretty much everything got coated with an occasional spray of salt water.

I had a UV filter on the lens, so the front element is fine, but I'm now struggling to get the filter itself nicely cleaned. I've tried using mild detergent and warm water, which works fine to get the filter clean, but it then dries with faint water spots all over it.

Any suggestions on a good way to get the filter back to its original "invisible" cleanliness? It's a 72 mm Hoya Super HMC, so a bit expensive to just buy a new one!

[Mr. Pickles]

I use a LENSPEN. One end of it had a retractable brush (I use it to clean dust of of glas, and yep, the sensor), and the other end has a cleaning "swab", that should take the spots off. I only use warm water or eye glass cleaner to get the really stubborn stuff of like your salt water spray, and then wipe the LENSPEN around it.

LENSPEN is available at most any local camera shop, B&H, Adorama, Amazon, etc. They range in price from $5 to $10 or so, and it just depends on the company name on the side of it.

Every camera bag ought to have a LENSPEN in it.....

[Wilt]

Your rinse water...if it is not DISTILLED WATER, it contains minerals which get concentrated and leave the spots! Rinse with distilled water.

Wipe dry with a microfiber cloth. Extremely gentle even to muticoatings, and will 'absorb' any residual stuff left on the lens which was not removed. Excellent to use microfiber even without solutions, such as to remove accidental fingerprint while you are out shooting.