Warning: My lens cleaning cloth left scratches all over a $400 lens

Used a microfiber cloth I bought off Amazon last month on my 50mm f/1.4 and it left tiny scratches across the front element that I can see in every shot now. Has anyone else had a cloth that looked soft but turned out to be abrasive garbage?

3 comments

3 Comments

faith_king6d ago

Are you sure the scratches weren't already there before?

the_spencer3d ago

Oh man, that’s rough. I once tried cleaning a lens with a cheap microfiber from a gas station and ended up with a tiny scratch that looked like a hair in every photo. @blair_martin I feel your pain, it’s amazing how a cloth that feels soft can be secretly made of sandpaper. In my experience, some of those Amazon ones just don’t have the right weave and trap dust or something.

blair_martin6d ago

@faith_king nah mine were spotless before, that Amazon cloth ruined my 24mm the same way.