cleaning pentax lenses?

[pavlovs_dog]

i have recently got new glasses, and for the first time have pentax lenses which are anti-scratch and anti-reflection coated.

i find that they smear like nobodys business, and cleaning them with water and a cloth, which is how i have always cleaned my glasses in the past, doesnt really seem to do the job.

are the smears a known issue with pentax, and any advice on how to get them clean and smear free without spending a fortune on products?

[lolly5648]

I always use a microfibre cloth - just breathe on the lenses and clean. I would never use water.

I have also got a spray that I use occasionally - the optician recommended it but it doesn't do much. Just make sure you have a good sized microfibre cloth for glasses.

[wishiwasarichgirl]

The reason you notice smears is because of the anti-reflection coating, it makes the lenses a lot clearer than normal plastic lenses, but a side effect is that dirt and fingerprints show up much more easily. It is not that the lenses are dirtier than your previous glasses, you just couldn't notice it before cos the reflections on the lenses hid it more.

I always have the AR coat, it makes glasses look so much better.

You need a decent cleaning cloth, not an old dirty one, a tissue or the hem of your jumper etc.

The cloth you got with you glasses should work but they are generally pretty small, and once they get dirty they don't work so well. you can wash them but you shouldn't use fabric conditioner or it will smear your spex after.

I use a large cloth I got at work (I work in specsavers:)) but I have just tested a microfibre cloth that I got from tescos (for about 99p) and it seems to work fine too.

I use the cleaning sprays if they are very dirty. A big bottle (236ml) would be £4 in specsavers, but again, I get it free, so never shopped around to see if you can get it cheaper anywhere. It lasts for ages though, I generally only use it about once a day (or less)

[pavlovs_dog]

cheers for that wiggly, i was hoping that you'd show up :D

[wishiwasarichgirl]

cheers for that wiggly, i was hoping that you'd show up :D
no probs, I'm always trying to make myself useful on here! (well it makes up for all the rubbish I post in the arms ;) )

:D

[keithmelt]

i used a cleaning product that i got for free when i purchased a pair of glasses from www.wantglasses.co.uk (http://www.wantglasses.co.uk), i have used other cleaning products including specsavers but it doesnt compare. Wantglasses were offering them for free. Let me know how you get on with it :beer:

[nedmundo]

Try and get hold of some 'Solution 30' and a 'Selvyt' lens cloth. It's what lens labs use and if you put the cloth in the washing machine once a week to remove grease and grit, it'll get better with age. Independent Opticians are probably your best bet.

[nedmundo]

I've just spotted that you can get Selvyt cloths on eBay - get the largest possible!

http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&shortcut=0&from=R41&query=selvyt&category0=&Submit=Search

[nedmundo]

And here's a link for some Solution 30. Expensive, but lasts for ages and it smells nice!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Professional-Solution-30-Lens-Mirror-Cleaner_W0QQitemZ190196826945QQihZ009QQcategoryZ31 415QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l12 47QQcmdZViewItem

[shelly]

My specs get covered in everything...hairspray, finger marks, the lot. Best thing Iv'e found for cleaning them is a baby wet wipe then dry off/buff with a clean tissue. Works a treat for me.

[nedmundo]

Oh no! Don't use tissues! They abrade the lens surface with fine scratches. Eventually the lenses will turn opaque.

[shelly]

Oh no! Don't use tissues! They abrade the lens surface with fine scratches. Eventually the lenses will turn opaque.


So does dropping them pretty much every time I take them off :rotfl: By the time tissues could do any damage I'd have a new pair anyway so using a tissue every now and then doesn't worry me.

[luvafreebie]

Keithmelt,

Thanks for the great lead,have now ordered my first pair of glasses over the internet and keeping my fingers crossed!! They were only £15!!!!:T Chatted to the staff who helped me a lot and got cleaning product thrown in for free.Cheers again,and for all u money savvy savers out there look at wantglasses.co.uk if u need a pair of specs,cant see how it can be beaten! Let me know if anyone can better this price x:rotfl:

[nedmundo]

You might find that cleaner adequate, but in all likelyhood, it would smear anti-reflection coated lenses such as the Pentax ones mentioned in the original post. For those, you need something with a solvent in, which will dissolve the grease film layer which builds up on lenses.