How should a highschool student with a limited budget learn

[eric s]

As long as the microfiber cloth doesn't contain any wax or other things from its days of use on the car... then the microfiber cloth would be fine.

My order of cleaning is:
- blower ball (not a brush, just blown air)
- microfiber cloth
- actual cleaning device like the lens pen. (Note, I've never used that product, I just know of its existance.)

Absolutely DO NOT us something like sunglasses or eye classes cleaners. They can have cleaning solutions in them that are not designed to clean the multicoating chemicals that are put on some/most lenses.

So yes, I would buy a lens cap.

I would suggest a simple blower ball as a first thing to try to remove the dust on the mirror as well. Something like this:
http://www.naturescapes.net/store/pr...=14&page=1

Eric

[SayNoToPistons]

eric s wrote:

As long as the microfiber cloth doesn't contain any wax or other things from its days of use on the car... then the microfiber cloth would be fine.

My order of cleaning is:
- blower ball (not a brush, just blown air)
- microfiber cloth
- actual cleaning device like the lens pen. (Note, I've never used that product, I just know of its existance.)

Absolutely DO NOT us something like sunglasses or eye classes cleaners. They can have cleaning solutions in them that are not designed to clean the multicoating chemicals that are put on some/most lenses.

So yes, I would buy a lens cap.

I would suggest a simple blower ball as a first thing to try to remove the dust on the mirror as well. Something like this:
http://www.naturescapes.net/store/pr...=14&page=1

Eric

Thanks. What about alcohol? Or tap water?

[eric s]

I'm mixed on tap water. Depending on where you live, it isn't the most filtered water around. You want to watch out for things that will scratch off the multi-coatings put on the lens. You won't scratch the lens its self, though. But you pay money for those coatings and you want to keep them!

Alchohol might be good, I don't honestly know. It should evaporate off and not leave streaking... but again there are several types (isopropal, rubbing, vodka (just kidding.))

I wouldn't use it, but that doesn't mean you can't. You imght be able to ... I just don't know.

Eric

[Photo 5]

My tip is get a 1GB card and take as many pictures as you can. Experiment with different settings and see what works for you. Download and view your pictures often. Also make sure you save them to CDs or DVDs and not just your internal hard drive in case some goes wrong they are stored in more than one place.

dave