LensPen NLP-1 , Black

Like many others, I've been using LensPen products and their variants for a number of years. They've always proven to be reliable, easy ways to perform lens and filter maintenance while in the field. And sometimes when we see a product that claims to be better than previous versions, it's been a hollow promise.I was skeptical, but this LensPen NLP-1 lives up to the "new & improved" tag that appears on the upper right portion of the product. It's good enough so that this user will not go back to the older versions, as worthy as they've proven themselves in the past.Pros:+ Compact, tight design; fits into the camera bag or pocket easily+ Lens or filter is cleaned in ten seconds or less; fingerprints and dust are gone+ Screw-on cap protects carbon cleaner; won't fall off in the pocket+ Retractable dust removal brush; very handy and protects the brush+ Carbon tip does a superb cleaning job; no fluids needed+ Great price on an excellent product; very competitive+ Carbon tip cleans in ten seconds; lives up to its claimsCons:- None encounteredIn Use:When my order for the LensPen NLP-1 came in, the first thing was to check and compare it with my old favorite Nikon 7072 Lens Pen Cleaning System, which is also made by LensPen... check the cap. The NLP-1 is about a half inch shorter, but all of the good features of my old preference are still there. It has a new shape, and the screw-on cap is a welcome change.The retractable dust removal brush does an excellent job of eliminating general dust and the environmental residue that we seem to collect when we're out taking photos. But where this LensPen stands out is its use of the dry-carbon cleaning pad on the other end of this product. When I was a kid, we used to clean windows and mirrors with crumpled newspaper. Black printing is made with a carbon compound, and the carbon molecules have the capability of absorbing oils, grease and contaminants. It's the carbon that does the cleaning, and why the dry cleaning of this improved LensPen works as well as it does.But there are times when one needs to take further steps, such when I recently left my Nikon DSLR on a picnic table while having lunch, lens faced up. As luck (or fate) would have it, a seagull started his bombing run, and instead of my companion or me, he got my 35mm f/1.8G Nikkor lens smack in the middle of the UV filter. Did a superficial cleaning, and when I got home, I cleaned the "residue" off with a microfiber cloth and a small amount of good lens cleaner. I have both Carl Zeiss Optical Lens Spray Cleaner and Purosol All Natural Lens Cleaner for such heavy duty cleaning instances. I have a five-year-old original LensPen that lost its cap years ago, so the next step was to use that with a drop of the lens cleaner on the filter surface, then the newer LensPen with the dry-carbon cleaning pad to finish the job. It sparkled.Summary:The LensPen NLP-1 is relatively inexpensive, and this with the other LensPen products are a very low cost way of maintaining your photo gear. It's new size and features are evolutionary of a well-design product in the first place, and fit quite easily into your pocket or even into the smallest camera bags. These would make a great gift for a photographer or anyone using field optics, and are usually quite appreciated. For the price and value received, they're highly recommended 5-star products for keeping your lenses and filers clean.9/6/2012

I’ve always used Lenspen to lightly dust off and clean when the inevitable smudge or dirt gets on the lens. I’ve mostly gone with UV filters now but these are still great at cleaning them off. Nice compact size makes it easily portable and the build quality makes it last until the charcoal ends eventually wear out. Definitely a must have for photographers.

The LensPen is the most genius lens care product in all history. This is the second LensPen I have purchased, and I will never go back to solution and cloths, again. This LensPen is compact (more so than the previous design), and sturdy (again, more so than the previous design). It fits in your pocket, and it very simple to use. It takes less than a minute to brush debris away with the retractable brush, and wipe the lens with the cleaning pad. Fingerprints, water marks, streaks, and other gunk on your lens will disappear completely, leaving a perfectly clean lens. No liquids, no cloths, no leftover streaks. Just quick, convenient cleaning for a perfect lens. I find that this also works great on the LCD, phone screen, and other optics/screens that need cleaning.

Pros: it's a lens pen, it's compact, it works, easy to carry.Cons: the screw-on cap is more difficult to get off and on than the carbon head cover on other brushes of this style, and the brush is too delicate to clean easily if you get finger oils on it (like from brushing off a polarizer while holding with fingers, before attaching to the camera). I also have a K&F Concept lens brush and I don't have to be nearly as delicate with cleaning that one if I hit my fingers with it.

This is one of the most essential lens-cleaning tools a photographer can have. There are several reasons why I choose these pens over any other type of lens cleaning:- This is very portable- The new design has a screw-on cap- There is NO way to scratch your glass with the brush- The carbon tip does an excellent job at cleaningTraditional microfiber cloths are good, however if you don't brush off the minute foreign particles on the lens first even a light cleaning can leave micro-abrasions/cleaning marks! I trust the LensPen not just for my Canon L glass, but also for vintage manual focus lenses, some of which are rare and quite valuable.I am very pleased with the new screw-on cap design - my last LensPen cap had several close calls hooked on the inside of my pocket, including on a hike that would have meant that I never got it back. The push-up design of the brush hasn't changed, seeing as it has always been excellent!RECOMMENDATIONS:If you have ever gotten anything on your lens that seems impossible to clean (pollen, little kid sticky fingerprints etc), I would highly suggest the following cleaning routine:1) Using the brush, remove all particles from the front element as best you can.2) Spray some Purosol All Natural Lens Cleaner on the included microfiber cloth, and wipe off until clean3) Finally, gently use the carbon tip to finish up, gently making sure there are no streaks (unlikely with this spray)4) Be amazed by the cleanliness of your lens!I know that cleaning solutions aren't required with the LensPen (having its own carbon compound), however for certain contaminants you really do need something liquid to get things moving. 90% of the time, you won't need to, but I find the above method to work every time.IMPORTANT:1) Make sure you use the brush side FIRST. If you use the carbon tip first you run the risk of grinding dirt into your glass. This is how lenses get micro-abrasions which can actually affect image quality by wearing on the front coating, and will definitely affect the value of your lenses. Once you have used the brush side, you are free to clean it with the carbon pad.2) Believe it or not, this pen is faked rather often...I have even come across one or two while traveling. Make sure that there is a LensPen holographic seal of authenticity somewhere on your packaging! I would NOT recommend using one that doesn't have this hologram, who knows what quality control the imitations do or do not have! If in doubt, send it back! To avoid this possibility, buy directly from Amazon or a seller with high feedback whenever possible!OVERALLThis never leaves my gear bag/pocket while I am shooting. People tend to over-clean their lenses leading to deterioration of coatings, but I love that I can at least use the brush as often as I want to get rid of the bigger particles, using the carbon pad or the method described above only when I accidentally get a fingerprint on the glass. This is indispensable, and HIGHLY recommended!