Can Windex glass cleaner be used on lenses?

Boy I hope this isn't a dumb question. If it is, consider that I'm asking this for a friend, who um, was wondering.

Really though, can glass cleaner be used on lenses and not damage anything?

Nope, not a good idea. Funny thing, years ago it was very easy to find fluid specifically for cleaning camera lenses. Of course years ago it was also easy to find stores just for photography! Now the only fluids in local stores are really just for eyeglasses or plastic LCD screens. For camera lenses the new "lens pen" gadgets seem to have taken over.

no help Kelly

Thank you for the answer. I'm glad I posted this. Any idea what the glass cleaner does to the lens glass?

Lillian Harges wrote: Thank you for the answer. I'm glad I posted this. Any idea what the glass cleaner does to the lens glass?

It can destroy the special coatings that are put on the glass lenses.

Just looked in a recent Nikkor manual. It says to use either ethanol or lens cleaner. It's not at all specific as to the lens cleaner chemistry, so Nikon is apparently not concerned about that.

Won't be using ethanol. The only ethanol In the house is for drinking.

The old lens cleaning fluid that Kodak sold was really just a mild soap of a type that did not leave any film behind. I don't think it had ethanol as a component.

This link may be The Last Word on lens cleaning -

www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/05/the-len...ens-cleaning-methods

Kelly

LOL ... I like the reference to "major lens OCD."

Oh crap. Really? When I got started I didn't know this and did use glass cleaner on a couple of my lenses. How can you tell if the coating is damaged? I cleaned perhaps 3 times before I got a cleaning kit for my birthday. Could 3 times with glass cleaner damage the glass?

Not necessarily. Modern lens multi-coatings often have the outer most layer of quartz, which is quite hard. Deliberately put there to protect the other layers of the coating. It was the early simple mag-fluoride coatings that were easy to damage, back a few decades now, The main risk with non-approved fluids is leaving a thin film or trace of the cleaning fluid behind on the lens.

Kelly

Heck no! Keep glass cleaner away from your lenses!

Horrible for the glass

Whenever I've used cleaning liquid I put a small amount on a microfiber cloth not directly on the lens. I use ROR (Residual Oil Remover) as mentioned in the article; a brush (also like mentioned in the article) - I have a vintage one that's really soft. I've used the Zeiss individual cloths mentioned as well as vintage tissue I've bought which seems softer than what's made now.

Then when I'm out shooting sometimes I just breathe on the lens and use a microfiber cloth if not my shirt tail - which may not be recommended but I've done that for years and at this point don't worry about it.

KCook wrote: Not necessarily. Modern lens multi-coatings often have the outer most layer of quartz, which is quite hard. Deliberately put there to protect the other layers of the coating. It was the early simple mag-fluoride coatings that were easy to damage, back a few decades now, The main risk with non-approved fluids is leaving a thin film or trace of the cleaning fluid behind on the lens.

Kelly

The quartz coating is a by product of the coating process, so they do not have to apply it separately. It is like the front coatings on telescope mirrors where they claim that theirs have a Silicon Oxide one. In reality in the modern evaporation process these elements are naturally occurring. Again it is a marketing gimmick to make them sound better. The modern coatings are very tough compared to the ones used in the early days, this is because of as usual improving the processes. When I had to send my one 8 inch mirror in for a recoat because the aluminum was starting to tarnish, I had to use Sulfuric Acid to get the old coating off cleanly. The point being that these modern day coatings are way tougher than people think they are. Being careful is always a good thing, but being paranoid that you will ruin them easily is not.
On a personal note I have used about everything to clean lenses. This includes, oh noes!, the Windexes, pure ammonia, spit, lemon juice, and various acetone/alcohol with no ill effects.

Joves wrote:

KCook wrote: Not necessarily. Modern lens multi-coatings often have the outer most layer of quartz, which is quite hard. Deliberately put there to protect the other layers of the coating. It was the early simple mag-fluoride coatings that were easy to damage, back a few decades now, The main risk with non-approved fluids is leaving a thin film or trace of the cleaning fluid behind on the lens.

Kelly

The quartz coating is a by product of the coating process, so they do not have to apply it separately. It is like the front coatings on telescope mirrors where they claim that theirs have a Silicon Oxide one. In reality in the modern evaporation process these elements are naturally occurring. Again it is a marketing gimmick to make them sound better. The modern coatings are very tough compared to the ones used in the early days, this is because of as usual improving the processes. When I had to send my one 8 inch mirror in for a recoat because the aluminum was starting to tarnish, I had to use Sulfuric Acid to get the old coating off cleanly. The point being that these modern day coatings are way tougher than people think they are. Being careful is always a good thing, but being paranoid that you will ruin them easily is not.
On a personal note I have used about everything to clean lenses. This includes, oh noes!, the Windexes, pure ammonia, spit, lemon juice, and various acetone/alcohol with no ill effects.

That might all be true. But I'm still not putting frakin' windex on my $2000 glass.