Latex gloves for CLA work? I switched from bare hands last month

I used to do all my lens cleaning with bare fingers and got tired of leaving smudges on glass and foam. A buddy at a shop in Portland told me he wears nitrile gloves for every shutter repair now. Has anyone else tried switching to gloves for precision work or do you prefer the feel of bare hands?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbara_baker571mo ago

My first time with nitrile gloves I dropped a lens cap and it rolled under the workbench and took me ten minutes to fish out with a broom handle. So my track record is not great but at least my greasy fingerprints are off the glass.

jenny_coleman1mo ago

You're actually not supposed to use a broom handle for that... the metal end can scratch the lens if it catches the edge. I learned that the hard way with an old 50mm f1.8 where the broom handle slipped and put a hairline scratch right across the front element. A long wooden dowel with a piece of electrical tape wrapped sticky-side-out works way better for fishing stuff out from under the bench, and it won't mar anything if you miss.

lucaslee19d ago

Nitrile gloves are the way to go for sure. I switched a few years back and never looked back, way better grip and no more finger oils messing things up. Took a day or two to get used to the different feel but now bare hands feel wrong.