Lens cleaning pen - is it good?

[davidpretorius]

I saw dave47tuc using one of these at snakevalley. It looked excellent!

I though i want one of those, but stopped when i saw how cheap it is!!! $18 I thought it would have been more???

https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=6621

Anyone else have any comments to the usefullness of one of these. I really don't like the ??% isopropyl i am using and if i get the radian or pentax or whatever, i want to be able to clean it with confidence!!!

Thanks

[xstream]

Excellent product Dave.
It even works on the Naglers. :lol:

[davidpretorius]

Yes, i really do not want to scratch the good ones when i get them. A hurricane blower would be best to use first and then the pen???

Would I need anything else???

[Starkler]

This is what I do
1: Gently brush away any dust or dirt.
2: Use windex on a cotton bud gently to get any gunk off. Alcohol doesnt seem to work well with water based gunk.
3: Polish any remaining smears away with the lenspen.

I wouldnt use the lenspen on a dirty eyepiece and risk transferring contaminants.

[rumples riot]

David I use the lens pen on my camera lenses. I would not use it if I thought it would even leave a slight scatch.

Your right though, use the hurrican blower first then lens pen. Or do like Gary does.

[davidpretorius]

thanks geoff! nice and simple but effective!

[davidpretorius]

and rumples, thank you as well!

[janoskiss]

Yes, it works and the best way I know how to clean EPs and other optical (glass) elements. It does leave a residue, but you would not see it normally. I can only see it on the projector lens when its being flooded with high intensity light from the lamp.

I've seen both Hurricane blowers and Lenspen around for much less than Bintel sell them for (close to 1/2 price). Sorry, I can't remember where, but it was an Oz astronomy shop.

[Stu]

Just about any camera shop has them. I bought mine for about ten bucks.
The only problem is they really only work well on eyepieces with large lenses. A small focal length plossl is hard to clean because the pens pad is 4 times larger than the lens of the plossl. You can use the edge of the pad but you always miss a bit.

[h0ughy]

I have a couple, but don't keep them forever, change the m every once and a while - 18 dollar lens pen up against $2000 lens, works for me!

[asimov]

That's cool Dave....You can clean my EPs for me before you send em' back to me! The LV could do with a spruce up :lol:

[iceman]

Sounds good guys i'm on the hunt for one myself. I'll pick one up next time i'm in Bintel.

[davidpretorius]

once or twice a year???

[h0ughy]

once every 3 years

[atalas]

I got one from Bintel David there great !

[[1ponders]]

Sounds like a good opportunity for a batch purchase Mike, like the red light pens and astronomy 2006. I reacon you'd get heaps of takers. I'll have 2 or 3.

[acropolite]

I'll take a couple too if we can get a bulk purchase hapenning...

[davidpretorius]

sounds like a vote!!!!

[33South]

Dont want to do BinTel out of your business but you can get them from most good camera shops.

[square_peg114GT]

How is the oil/dirt removed from the lens pen after each cleaning to prevent it from being transferred to the next eyepiece?

Does this thing really work better than a small amount of lens cleaning solution sprayed onto a Q-tip or lens tissue? I guess I just like the idea of disposing of the cleaning tool for fear of re-introducing a foreign object to a lens.

[davidpretorius]

good point!

[iceman]

I picked up a Lens Pen yesterday from Bintel.

So far, it looks and works great.. used it on my new camera lens yesterday. It won't work on the tiny eye lens of the series 500, GSO plossls or Orthos in the short focal length, but on any eye lens bigger than about 10 or 11mm, it'll work well.

[h0ughy]

MIke there is a small version of the pen that allows you to do those pieces.

[iceman]

Cool h0ughymeister, will have to find me one of those too.

[asimov]

Can someone tell me what this lens pen comprises of? How does it work. What's on the end of the pen that actually does the cleaning (& what is it made of)? Looks to be like a small pad of some sort. :confuse3:

[fredw2943]

Works well for me, I haven't any idea how long they last for ??

[Starkler]

I beleive the pad on the end is a soft chamois material, and the cap contains some kind of powder. The instructions say before cleaning give a cap a twist one full turn.



See my earlier post. I do most of the cleaning with windex and polish up any remaining smears with the lens pen.

[davidpretorius]

my little family has now bought me one for xmas- so it is off the wish list. $18 from the local camera place - sorry bintel!

[iceman]

I got one a few weeks ago from Bintel. I've used it several times on my camera lenses and filters. Haven't used it on the eyepieces yet, but mainly because a TOUcam has been in the way :)

I'm happy with how it performs on the camera lenses, and think it will do just a good job on the eyepieces. I'm glad I got it.

[ving]

i got one a few weeks ago from a local camera shop for $12... works good :)

[Thiink]

Hm I need one of these as well. Might be handy for getting finger prints off my glass. I dont know how I manage to keep getting them on the bottom of my GS barlow!

[jjjnettie]

I bought the Celestron lens pen the other day from York Optical. Great stuff.
One end of the pen has a retractable brush, the other has a cleaning pad. The pad is cleaned and recharged by putting on the end cap and twisting. There is a sponge thingy on the inside of the cap.
Could you use one of these to clean the spots off your ccd chip?

[beren]

:lol: nice signature JJJenitte {the Dyson :thumbsup:}

Got a few of those lens pens for different pieces of equipment , they seem to work well but im not confident about the pad end , they seem to me to leave a film of residue on old eyepieces that ive tested :confuse3:

[jjjnettie]

LOL I had to put the Dyson in my signature, the hand piece has Dyson Telescope embossed on it.