Any advice on how to clean a wet lens?
I've tried all sorts of cloths but nothing seems to be able to dry and clean a lens when it gets wet, either from immersion (waterproof TG4), rinsing mud off or just what I assume must be sweat.
I'm thinking that the only thing that will really work effectively is a paper tissue but would love to hear what other photographers use.
Thanks,
Mudman

I asked this question on here a while ago - in my case relating to a TG1 and wanting to surface in airbells and use the camera immediately. Various people contacted me directly; of the various advice I was given, a quick shot of pressurised air seemed quite effective. That's easy when you're a diver; you can just add a hose with a small blow gun on the end to one of your DVs. If you're not a diver though you might be able to bodge something up with a squeezy bottle? Maybe an old (dry inside) washing up liquid bottle? There you go; a typical zero cost caver's bodge . . . 

Thanks Pitlamp.
Gives me something to think about. I must admit to not having considered blow drying it. I'll have to see what I can knock up and give it a go.

you can get aerosols of compressed air for dusting..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/COMPRESSED-CLEANER-PROTECTS-KEYBOARD-ELECTRONICS/dp/B00RL3ZSTM/ref=sr_1_4?s=officeproduct&ie=UTF8&qid=1529145366&sr=1-4&keywords=compressed+air

not sure of how they'd fair in sumps mind.

SamT said:

you can get aerosols of compressed air for dusting..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/COMPRESSED-CLEANER-PROTECTS-KEYBOARD-ELECTRONICS/dp/B00RL3ZSTM/ref=sr_1_4?s=officeproduct&ie=UTF8&qid=1529145366&sr=1-4&keywords=compressed+air

not sure of how they'd fair in sumps mind.

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Weirdly I was just looking at that very page and wondering about them.

If has got really wet it can be tricky to sort . A quick air blast may be a temporary fix.
For the front element try gently blowing off dust, wiping with a glasses wipe, etc. then use a LensPen https://www.lenspen.com after particles removed to clean the finger prints, grease, sweat etc. off the front element otherwise you risk scratching.  You can blow on the element to fog it to aid the Lens Pen cleaning process. Often lens fluid & tissues or wipes won't clear the gunk - just move it around. Never put fluid direct on a lens as it can leak behind the front element. You can get them in different sizes and I've found them to be great. Don't get cheapo eBay etc. copies unless you like buying new lenses.
If camera has got wet through (lens or camera) rather than just the front element then open it up, remove the battery and SD card to reduce the chance of electrics frying, dab any obvious drops, and leave it in warm dry place (not on top of a radiator or using a hair dryer) for some time.  Did that with a Pentax MX-1 compact that got quite damp (not dropped in water though) and was fine after a couple of days.  Luck will play a part in whether the lens / camera can be used again or has to go in for repairs, or you get to buy a new toy.
The canned air dusters can leave a residue and damage components so use with great care, and the jet that comes out is very cold - especially if used at an angle or upside down.

When taking photographs in caves I generally wrap the camera and flashgun(s) ? placed in some sort of waterproof box ? in old nappies (!) ripped up into handy sized pieces; these act to protect the equipment from bashing around (or so I fondly like to think) but also provide something to wipe my hands on before getting a grip on the camera; I find that old rags like this can be used to dry camera lens.

bodge something up with a squeezy bottle

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Another thought - you can get air blowers  e.g. http://www.giottos.com/pro_view.aspx?nId=8&TypeId=77 basically squeeze the rubber bulb and a jet of air comes out the end. Cheap and portable, and you don't been to rely on brand names and, as there's no physical contact, the source is less relevant. I prefer these to canned air dusters, but that's just me.

I have only ever used a water absorbent cloth on my old TG 2. Its looking a tiny bit scratched now after thousands of wipes but still gives clear images. Dont forget that a lens will have to adjust to ambient temperature before cleaning it can be effective.

Thanks all for the input here.
My specific problem is that I tend to carry my TG-4 in the inner pocket of my oversuit (where it sometimes tries to escape from but that is a different thread  :-\ ). I like to keep it handy to be able to grab it at various points in a trip where you wouldn't want to be fiddling about unpacking it from a waterproof container for the ad hoc  action shot. Trouble is that I often find that the lens is misted up or, if I've been in water, that the lens is wet and of course in a cave atmosphere, it won't dry without assistance.
I've tried various water absorbent cloths but these either aren't as absorbent as they claim or you end up using them multiple times, getting mud on them and then scratching the lens (mine has a few as well OR).
I do have one of those bulb air blower thingies but, as seems to be the case with anything you need when looking for it last minute, I couldn't find it last night in time for the trip we had planned. I then hit on the idea of using sheets of kitchen roll torn into quarter squares and packed into zip lock bags.  This actually worked a treat, the paper is super-absorbent and the idea is that you use a single square as a single use lens-dryer. So long as there is no mud on the lens, then there is no danger of scratching it and then you put the used square into another bag for disposal later.
A cloth pushed into the oversuit is useful for wiping hands first. For me, a nice low-tech solution and I'll probably just end up continuing with that.

I used to keep my TG-4 in my suit and had the same problem you have. I now keep it in a small Pelicase clipped to a belt. I know it seems a bit daft keeping a waterproof camera in a waterproof case but it solves the damp/condensation problem and there is just enough room to get a reusable gel handwarmer in there as well, which stops fogging even in very damp places.

TheBitterEnd said:

I used to keep my TG-4 in my suit and had the same problem you have. I now keep it in a small Pelicase clipped to a belt. I know it seems a bit daft keeping a waterproof camera in a waterproof case but it solves the damp/condensation problem and there is just enough room to get a reusable gel handwarmer in there as well, which stops fogging even in very damp places.

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I do like that idea with the handwarmer. What case do you use for it?

It's a Peli 2010

Yeh, please let me know too. I often take tissue or a cloth, or failing that if I have not shaved for a while I use that. Eventually provided I am not covered in mud or too wet I can generally get it clear it on my under-suit or my hood.

I too keep my camera in a peli case, mainly because I managed to break an earlier suppository (Darn spell checker!) tough camera in Swan Dyke (before it got blasted wider) by not putting it in one. The case does keep it dry for a while but after a lot of shots while due to wet/muddy fingers the lenses visibility deteriorates as the trip progresses. Annoying drips into the box don't help either.

Its far easier to take shots abroad due to dryer caves hence why my best shots tend to be abroad.

I've had some success with just licking the lens of my TG-2 just to grab the shot. Probably not as good as using a dry clean cloth but having one of those to hand in a cave is not easy.