Cleaning Hoya CPL

[Davejl]

(Apologies if this has previously been covered here: I had a look first, but many posts).

I would appreciate some advice on cleaning a Hoya Pro DMC polarizer.
Nothing I have tried works. Hoya suggest lens tissue with a spot of lens fluid. Doesn't work on mine. I've tried a clean microfibre cloth with "huff". Doesn't work on mine. A very soft, clean, dry spectacles cloth. Result ditto. The lens has a fine oily smear which simply won't go and just moves around, spreading a bigger mess over the filter. (On the subject of microfibre cloths, I also find that cleaning my LCD on my Fuji X100 with (a clean) one is OK as long as I'm not tempted to "huff" on it, but makes an unholy mess of it if I do).

[Manfred M]

If you have oil or grease on it and the microfibre cloth is not working or lens cleaning fluid, I would be tempted to use small quantities of a very mild solvent (isopropyl alcohol) on a soft, lint free cloth to dissolve and absorb the grease.

Cleaning polarizing filters is not as easy as fixed filters as you don't want to get any solvents or foreign materials in and gum up the ability of the filter to rotate. The other concern is that a cPol is made of a linear polarizing element and a 1/4 wave plate that are bonded to a glass element. These are generally not sealed joints and liquids can penetrate the edges of the filter (one notable exception are the Käsemann style polarizing filters, which are moisture sealed). So be very careful to ensure that you minimize use of liquids near the mounting ring.

[Davejl]

Thanks Manfred, I'll try that. I did wonder whether the stuff on the filter might be some of the lubricant from within the rotating part of the filter, since I haven't encountered anything similar on a non-rotating filter (or a lens) and whatever is used in this CPL allows it to move fairly stiffly but very smoothly (some sort of silicone lube?). I don't think I've put my finger on the glass. But I'm quite probably barking up the wrong tree here

[Manfred M]

Could be Dave - I had a bit of a bit of a lubricant "leak" on my SunwayFoto indexing head when I first got it and the material was definitely a silicone grease that had been applied a bit too liberally during manufacturing. There are all kinds of other materials that can also be used as well.

[tao2]

Hi Dave,

ROR (residual oil remover) lens cleaner + clean (ah'd buy new) microfibre cloth - rinse it under the hot tap, wring it out and dry it before use.

Eclipse lens cleaner + pec pads/wipes

Isopropyl alcohol - 99% plus type ( the stuff ye get in the local chemist is usually only 75% and will leave residue) + micro cloth

The ROR is especially effective. All available on eBay/Amazon...

[John 2]

I have seen it said that Hoya filters are particularly hard to clean compared to other makes. Going from memory, it applied to just one of their ranges. Not sure whether it was the Pro 1 filters or the HD range. I use Zeiss wipes (about 1$ in our local supermarket) to remove any hard to remove major marks but they still need a polish after that and as Boab suggests, a clean, dry miccrofibre cloth seems to work better than a spectacles cloth.

[Davejl]

I have seen it said that Hoya filters are particularly hard to clean compared to other makes. Going from memory, it applied to just one of their ranges. Not sure whether it was the Pro 1 filters or the HD range. I use Zeiss wipes (about 1$ in our local supermarket) to remove any hard to remove major marks but they still need a polish after that and as Boab suggests, a clean, dry miccrofibre cloth seems to work better than a spectacles cloth.

I think it is the Pro 1 filters that are the notoriously difficult ones. I must say that had I known quite what a pain they would prove to be, I wouldn't have got them, but having landed myself with them, I will try the helpful suggetions here. At the same time I'd advise steering clear of them