K i t Z o n e
128 DIGITAL CAMERA^ MARCH 2020 http://www.digitalcameraworld.comMini Test
Eco-Fused Microfibre
Cleaning Cloths
£5.49/$7
http://www.amazon.co.ukM
icrofibre cloths are the go-to
cleaning product of choice for
many photographers. They’re
great for cleaning not just lenses, but also
your camera’s LCD screen, as well as
filters, phone and tablet screens.
These Eco-Fused cloths use an especially tight
weave, so they’re better suited to cleaning fine
dust and smears. The slick fabric also resists
picking up dirt and debris while it’s stored in your
kit bag. Excessive dust on your lens is best blown
away first, but otherwise the cloths clean well
and remove most smudges and oily marks.
For a truly crystal-clear finish, however,
they’re best paired with a specialist lens
cleaning spray, like the Zeiss spray on test.
Each pack contains ten 18 x 15cm washable
cloths, plus an additional pair of 14 x 8cm cloths.
We opted for the discreet black and grey option,
but blue cloths are also available; and if you’re
really fed up with losing small items in your
bag, go for the yellow and green pack.PROS Cloths are a useful size and material;
gives a decent clean; good valueCONS Best paired with a liquid cleanerVerdict
Camkix Lens Cleaning
Paper Tissue & Double
Sided Cleaning Cloth
From £6.20/$7.29
http://www.amazon.co.ukT
issue paper doesn’t immediately spring
to mind when you’re thinking of ways to
clean your lenses – but that’s exactly
what you get in this kit, along with a 16cm-square
microfibre cleaning cloth. The theory goes that
you use a sheet of tissue paper to pick up loose
dust and lint, then follow up with the microfibre
cloth to clean away any residue and smears
the tissue paper sheet didn’t catch.
It may seem strange, but the system actually
works. The paper sheet does a pretty good job of
removing oils even without the cloth for backup,
though neither quite leaves the same spotless
finish as a wet cleaning system. The combo
also consumes more kit bag space than
a few handy Zeiss wipes.
Camkix offers the kit with 300 papers and
a single microfibre cloth; with 550 papers and
two cloths; or with 800 papers and three cloths.
The latter is still slightly less expensive than 200
Zeiss wipes, but you’ll need to clean your lenses
very frequently for the added quantity to be
more useful than the extra speed and
convenience of wet wipes.PROS Cost-effective; cleans loose
dust and light smears wellCONS Won’t quite get rid of very oily
residue – you’ll need wet wipes or a
spray and microfibre cloth insteadVerdict
Giottos GTAA1900
Rocket Air Blower
From £13.50/$17
http://www.giottos.comS
queezy blowers like this are a simple
but effective way to remove loose
dust and dirt from your lens. They’re
equally useful for blowing dust off your camera’s
image sensor, or even giving a dusty computer
keyboard a quick spruce-up.
This particular blower works exactly as
advertised, directing a powerful, focused jet
of air right where it’s needed. The ‘rocket’-inspired
design also lets you stand the blower up on
its end so it won’t roll away.
It’s a convenient system, and a quick and
easy way to shift loose dust from your lens.
Blowing with your own lungs will accomplish
similar results for free, however – and, unlike
the Rocket Air Blower, this method doesn’t
consume any space in your kit bag.
High-pressure air also won’t do anything about
smears and oils on your glass: wipes or a spray
cleaner will still be required to shift these.PROS Good at removing loose particles;
fun design; suitable for other cleaning jobsCONS Relatively pricey next to cheaper
and more versatile lens cleaning
solutions; comparatively bulkyVerdict
Lens cleaners
Dirty, smeared lenses just won’t do. Keep them
spotlessly clean with a specialist lens cleaner