Hot take: I think spraying lenses with IPA is way better than using those expensive sensor swabs

I've been cleaning lenses for 15 years now and after trying both methods on a dusty 24-70 f/2.8 last week, the IPA spray left zero streaks while the swab left smudges I had to redo. Has anyone else ditched the fancy swabs for a simple spray bottle?

2 comments

2 Comments

richardknight22d ago

Yeah, I read somewhere that a lot of pro studio guys just use IPA and a gentle wipe. Seems like the industry's been quietly shifting away from swabs for a while now. I switched last year and haven't looked back.

amy_foster5622d ago

Jolted me awake reading this, @richardknight. Wait, you mean people are actually using straight IPA on their fancy mics? I thought that would eat through the diaphragm coating or something, like it does on some vintage ribbon mics (which I learned the hard way, oof). I've been using those expensive little swabs that cost like $15 for a pack of three, and now I feel like a sucker.