Why does nobody talk about lens pens for quick cleans?

I had a smudge ruin a perfect photo opportunity. My lens pen wipes it away fast. What's your go-to for dirty lenses?

3 comments

3 Comments

Isn't it strange how lens pens are kinda underrated? I read a piece on a photography site that called them the best kept secret for field cleaning. Mine lives in my camera bag and has saved me so many times. The only downside is remembering to clean the brush end regularly so you don't just push dust around.

thomas.tyler1mo ago

My lens pen brush is basically a dirt collector at this point.

the_ray1mo ago

When I was shooting in the desert last year, I noticed fine sand gets stuck in the brush hairs differently than city dust. It made me realize the brush material might matter more than we think, like if it's too stiff it can scratch, too soft and it just moves stuff around. Actually, I read that some pros use a separate microfiber cloth to clean the brush itself after every few uses. Kinda makes the whole 'pen' part less handy if you're adding steps, but still better than a dirty lens.