Keep Lens Clean With This Nifty Pen

Product: LensPen

Description: A lens-cleaning system for binoculars, rifle scopes, and camera and video equipment self-contained in a penlike unit that is four inches long and inch in diameter. The pen weighs approximately 1 ounce.

Pro: This is a very compact and easy-to-use lens-cleaning system that quickly and safely removes dust, grit and smudges from a lens. The cleaning compound is nonliquid so it won’t spill or leak. The brush retracts into the pen protecting it from dirt and damage. Although it is not recommended, I have used the pen to clean my sunglasses when only light cleaning was called for to remove a finger smudge or two.

Con: Introduce water or moisture to the lens and the LensPen won’t work and ends up creating more of a mess. You must first dry the lens by carefully using standard, soft lens tissue or a cleaning cloth. There is no forced air-capacity to literally blow dust off the lens while you are brushing it clean. The fact that the unit will not work in wet conditions coupled with the lack of a forced-air feature will limit the LensPen’s effectiveness to simple cleaning tasks.

Comments: Despite the limitations, I have added the LensPen to my camera bag and take it with me everywhere in the field. This is the best quick-clean system on the market that I have come across. The LensPen is ideal for those times when a little simple dusting and dabbing is all you need to add clarity to an otherwise smudgy picture.

Suggested retail: $14.20

Company: Leupold & Stevens Inc., P.O. Box 688, Beaverton, Ore. 97075; (503) 646-9171