Given all the issues I have with fully correcting dust motes, stains, and the like on my RGB filters, I finally decided to clean my filters and the IR/UV cut glass on my camera. What methods have people found to work best?
Filter cleaning
Well Written Engaging
After blowing off the dust I would think you can't go wrong with a high percentage alcohol, 90%+ as a solvent. If it's clean after blowing off the dust, I wouldn't even do that.
Would follow Chroma's recommendations. I would start with air bulb. If all most of the dust is gone and the image does not show drastic dust motes, I leave it at that. Otherwise follow the guide:
https://www.chroma.com/support/knowledge-center/cleaning-filters
https://www.chroma.com/support/knowledge-center/cleaning-filters
Yup...... air bulb (I use a "rocket blower") and optical methanol and lint free wipes. I use Eclipse lens cleaner and PEC pads wipes. Just be sure to keep the eclipse away from anything painted (like flat black) as it will dissolve the paint.
Rocket Blower
PEC Pads
Eclipse
There is a bit of technique in that you need to apply the Eclipse and quickly wipe then use a dry PEC to polish and do it fast before streaks can show up.
Some white thin and snug cotton gloves are a good idea as well...
Rocket Blower
PEC Pads
Eclipse
There is a bit of technique in that you need to apply the Eclipse and quickly wipe then use a dry PEC to polish and do it fast before streaks can show up.
Some white thin and snug cotton gloves are a good idea as well...
Helpful
Thanks, guys. I have been using 90% alcohol and Kim wipes, but never was fully successful… though was more successful than ever last night. One of the big issues is my inability to verify that the filter is fully clean until I actually image with it. At which point, it is a royal pain to remove it again. I ordered the Eclipse and PEC pads, in the hope that it is a bit more fool proof than the alcohol and Kim wipes method. I did use nirtile gloves last night, which probably made a difference. Even handling the filters with bare hands using just the edges seems to create issues.
Helpful
I use lens pen and or air brush and compressor
The only not commonly done thing i do if i clean my filters is to blow ionized air (hairdryer of my wife) on it. I do that since i had aggressively stucking dust on an optolong filter. After blowing ionized air on it, the dust just fell off.
I remember in the photo industry we used little brushes that had a radioactive source to accomplish the same thing.
https://www.thomassci.com/Instruments/Spectrophotometers/_/STATIC-ELIMINATING-BRUSHES?q=3620B30&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1Km7BhC9ARIsAFZfEItHD_9PVJ_gm0sLaobmgrAnn-PR9f3v9P6rcF2lZMb2jIqzMLkiE0saAml9EALw_wcB
https://www.thomassci.com/Instruments/Spectrophotometers/_/STATIC-ELIMINATING-BRUSHES?q=3620B30&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1Km7BhC9ARIsAFZfEItHD_9PVJ_gm0sLaobmgrAnn-PR9f3v9P6rcF2lZMb2jIqzMLkiE0saAml9EALw_wcB