OPTICLEE
Developed by Jonathan J Lee, a Hollywood-based cinematographer and a lens technician, he first came up with the idea after encountering issues with other lens cleaners in the market.
Almost all well-established, “industry-standard” lens cleaners come in spray bottles, which oversprays the solution on areas that you don’t want the solution to get on, such as your hands, cameras, and parts of the lens that is not the glass. Most lens cleaners also have a habit of leaving behind streaks and “cleaning marks”, even if advertised as ‘streak-free’. Some of these cleaners also have difficulty removing finger print residue, dried saliva and fake blood.
As a lens technician, Jonathan knew that all professional lens technicians used acetone as a cleaning solution for lens elements made of glass due to their gentle cleaning properties, only dissolving oils and organic compounds while not affecting the lens coating or the glass. However, because they are too gentle, Jonathan found that acetone alone had difficulty removing dried saliva or fingerprint residue without help from other chemicals, such as isopropyl alcohol, which in return would leave streaks on the glass.
Experimenting with different combination and ratio of chemicals that contain specific properties that help with cleaning a variety of contamination on coated lenses, Jonathan came up with the perfect blend of solution for cleaning glass lens elements. A combination of acetone, isopropyl alcohol, detergent and more under a very specific ratio, this solution is gentle on the lens while effectively cleaning surface contamination, all while drying fast and leaving no streaks. Additionally, he purposefully avoided using harsh chemicals such as methanol to make the solution safe for everyday, external use.
Jonathan put this solution in a nail-polish dispenser bottle instead of a spray bottle to avoid having to spray a lens cloth/tissue and instead saturating the cloth/tissue by simply pressing it down on the pump. he used it in professional fields both working as a full-time lens technician and on set as a camera assistant. Only after other camera assistants asked about his unique dispenser bottle lens cleaner and showed keen interest did he decide to make it into a small-batch specialty product specifically designed for camera assistants.
1. Use an air blower to blow away dust and particles from the lens element surface.
2. Grab a lens tissue (e.g. KIMTECH Kimwipe) and fold it into a swab.
3. Pop open the top lid. If possible, set the bottle on a flat, sturdy surface.
4. Press the swab down on top of the pump, right on top of the white dot.
5. Check if the swab is saturated. If not, press the swab down on the pump again to saturate.
6. Use the saturated swab to clean the lens element. Use medium-light pressure. Start from the center of the lens and work your way outward in a spiraling motion.
7. Once the swab touches the edge of the lens, rotate the lens while maintaining the same contact point of the swab on the edge in order to prevent smearing the edge contamination onto the surface of the lens element.
8. Flick the swab off the surface to get all the grime and lint off.
What’s in it?
It is mainly acetone and alcohol. They are both solvents but work in tandem to dissolve, remove and clean residues/contamination without leaving ugly cleaning streaks. Additional ingredients help attack specific contamination, such as dried finger print residue and saliva.
Is it coating safe?
YES. The main ingredient acetone is used in labs to clean microscope lenses, as it removes oil and grease without leaving behind streaks or damaging coatings that may affect its optical properties. While they are a very potent solvent, they are VERY gentle on lens coatings and will not harm them. Other ingredients have also been tested to be coating safe. And it does not contain ammonia unlike some lens cleaning solutions, as ammonia is severely damaging to lens coatings!
Can I use it to clean my sunglasses/eye glasses?NO. Please do not use this solution to clean eye glasses or sunglasses. Eye glasses and sunglasses have lenses made of polycarbonate, which the acetone can affect. It can cause the material to swell, crack, or become brittle. Acetone can soften the polycarbonate, leading to permanent haze and potential damage.
Can I use it to clean slate/lens surface/camera/Sharpie marks/tape residue?
NO. Please do not use this solution to clean whiteboard markers/Sharpie from camera slates. Because the solution contains acetone, it can dissolve/discolour plastic surfaces. The solution can be used to clean residue off of metal surfaces, but if the surfaces are painted, it can cause discolouration as acetone can dissolve and remove paint.
In a daily use scenario, how long will a bottle last?
Each bottle has 80ml of solution. Using the solution on 5 lenses per day, the bottle can easily last you at least a month.
Is it safe on skin?
YES. While the acetone may dry out your skin a bit, it is safe on skin unless its an overly excessive amount (don’t dunk your hand in the solution!). Acetone is used daily around the world as nail-polish remover and even produced by your liver! All other ingredients are used as medical disinfectant and as detergents, so they are not harmful on skin.
What lens cloth/tissue should I use it with?
OPTICLEE is recommended to be used in tandem with lens tissue, such as KIMTECH Kimwipes. While acetone generally doesn’t affect polyester, it’s a safe idea to avoid using microfiber cloth with OPTICLEE. Microfiber cloth can also trap contamination and grit, which can scratch the lens elements.
Are the bottles leak-proof?While the bottles and dispensing mechanism are leak-proof, the lid itself does not have a complete seal and may leak if there are solution left on or around the pump. Before putting it away, please wipe away excess fluid in order to prevent accidental leakage.