New to the group, with cameras on the way, and questions about vodka,etc.

Hello there,
I live about 24 miles north of Everett Washington, married to a Boeing
computer nerd who has a collection of Nikon DSLRS. He's kinda
territorial about them, and I worry every time I use one, for fear
he'll yell if I bobble it (he rarely does, and it's unnerving when it
occurs).
I recently got a wonderful, well-paid job, and went on eBay last week,
and won myself a Canon AE1 outfit, complete with 5 lenses (4 of them
Canon),cases for everything,neck strap, extra batteries and film, all
said to be in REALLY GOOD condition. The seller has been on eBay for
years, and has a 100% approval rating, so I set aside my usual,
pennypinching caution, and won the lot for 88 bucks!!! No manual came
with it, so before I won it, I put a manual on my "watching" list, and
closed that deal when I won the camera. I also won a Nikon D70 body,
in "mint condition", with everything except a case, lenses and manual,
for 335 bucks, much less than they usually sell for on eBay, this
seller also had a long, good background. I again "watched" a D70
manual, and a case for the Nikon, and closed those deals when I won
the Nikon.I'm gonna borrow Mike's Nikon lenses as I need them for it,
will buy my own as I learn more about using and selecting lenses. And
will borrow his tripod, too, it's collecting dust.
Into the photography field with a BANG, I guess!
Also, is it true that VODKA is a really good camera lens cleaner? And
how well does it keep? I don't drink, so a fifth might not get used
up for YEARS.
Thanks for any help, happy to be here!

 

No. It is only 40% alcohol and, advertisements to the
contrary, isn't very pure. Pour an inch or so into a
glass, let it evaporate and look at the residue.
Stoly leaves behind a green gooey gum.

As to cleaning - well pour some on a paper towel and see
how well it does the windows ...

Windex is probably the best. It isn't lens cleaner that
damages a lens but the rubbing. The less rubbing the less
damage. The more oomph in the cleaner the less you have to
rub.

Apply Windex to a qtip or lens tissue. Never spritz it
on the lens - it gets under the retaining rings and
cleans the rings by depositing the crud on the front element
glass.

 

Stop by your local camera shop and buy some lens cleaning solution and
lens cleaning paper...please. Total investment here will be less than
$5. Don't use vodka, Windex, eyeglass cleaner, or tub and tile
cleaner. Camera lenses and their coatings are much more delicate
than windows, glasses, or your esophagus for that matter. You might
want to invest in a lens blower / brush while you're at it...another
$5 to protect your lens investment.

On rear and front surfaces:
1. Blow / brush loose dust from the lens surface or crumple a sheet of
lens cleaning tissue and use that as a whisk. (Do NOT use facial
tissue which sheds lint and contains lotions and other chemicals that
will make things worse).
2. Put a drop of (Kodak) lens cleaning fluid on another crumpled sheet
and gently wipe the lens surface in a circular motion to clean off
fingerprints. Do not put liquid directly on the lens surface as it
will run inside and make a mess that will require a professional
cleaning.
3. Use another crumpled clean sheet to dry the lens surface and
eliminate any streaks. Using crumpled sheets allows any remaining dust
particles to be swept into the paper rather than rubbed against the
lens.
4. Put a UV/Skylight filter over the front of the lens and/or cap it
immediately. Use rear lens caps for any lens not mounted and use a
body cap on the camera when no lens is mounted.

With the AE1 you never have to clean the sensor. For the D70, you'll
need a dedicated sensor cleaning kit from your camera store. The
sensor is more delicate than the lenses.

By the way, never touch the mirror in the camera. It is a front
surface mirror with a very fragile coating. You can blow dust off of
it. The mirror doesn't affect your pictures, just the view finder.
If it is dirty enough to bother you, send the camera to a repair shop
which will have the materials to safely clean a mirror.

 

--cut---

Drink, drink vodka! It's good for desolving this cow fats (hamburgers,
steaks etc. shit) from your blood.

 

Plays hell with your speller and punctuator, though.

When my mother expired in 1979 we found a half-gallon of Smirnoff
under the sink in her house. No telling how long it had been there,
but all except one screwdriver's worth is still in our liquor cabinet.
Looks the same; I'll test it out in the next year or two.