Why does nobody talk about how easy it is to scratch a lens with a cheap microfiber cloth?

Last week I was cleaning my old Pentax 50mm f/1.4 and used a generic microfiber cloth from the gas station. I didn't think much of it until I held it up to the light and saw tiny hairline scratches all over the front element. Turns out those cheap cloths can trap grit and dust particles that grind right into the coating. Has anyone else ruined a lens this way or is it just me being careless?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_chen3514d ago

My buddy Dave actually did the same thing to his Canon 50mm f/1.8 on a road trip last summer. He grabbed one of those free microfiber cloths they give out at car washes and wiped a smudge off the front element, next thing he knew the coating was all hazy. I always carry one of those little lens cleaning pens instead now, the retractable brush kind that you can replace the tips on. It's saved me a couple times when I got a bit of dirt or grease on a lens while out shooting at the park, plus you don't have to worry about lint or grit getting trapped in a cloth.

spencer_ross13d ago

Yeah I read somewhere that those car wash cloths have leftover wax or something that ruins the coating. Smart move with the pen @olivia_chen35, been thinking about picking one up myself.