Lens took on some sea spray -- best practices?

[ahsanford]

Was shooting near the coast in Oregon recently. There was a light drizzle the entire time, but my 5D3 + 24-70 f/4L IS handles that just fine -- so I thought nothing of it.

However, when I looked at the camera the next day, it wasn't just rain. It had white residue (surely salt) over the focus/zoom rings of that 24-70. Some very stiff winds must have also kicked up some sea spray and it promptly dried out. The lens was filtered the whole time, so I doubt any direct fluid ingress took place -- I didn't take any direct hits from a wave or anything.

So I traveled back home today and will promptly bag + desiccant the body/lens combo shortly. Any best practices to get the residue off before it goes in the bag? Warm wet cloth? Some form of cleaning solution?

Thanks!

- A

 

[Loswr]

I generally just use a damp (with water) cloth.

 

[Don Haines]

I generally just use a damp (with water) cloth.

Mine has gotten salt spray on it several times, I have used a damp warm cloth to wipe it off, paper towels to dry it off, and let it sit somewhere dry overnight...

The filter was taken off and soaked in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes and then dried off....

 

[privatebydesign]

Put some white vinegar in a syringe or on a cotton wool bud and put a drop on each screw then wipe it off with paper towel. Make sure you get them all, the worse ones are the strap mounting brackets.

After that do the damp cloth and dry with paper towel too.

I work in and around the ocean a lot and have shot surfing and sailboat racing for years, vinegar is the best defense by far, do it today and the salt will be neutralized. If you don’t do it then in a few months you will see the white specs on a couple of screwheads and I’d bet a lot it will be the strap bracket screws.

 

[slclick]

50/50 white vinegar and distilled water is my cleaning go to for lcd screens, camera bodies, lens bodies and filters. It's the only thing that keeps my MBP retina screen clean. For lens optics I use lens papers and pursol.