Review – URTH Lens Cleaning Kit

INTRODUCTION

Every photographer cleans their valuable camera equipment and lenses and if they don’t, they should. Ever since we picked up a camera in the early 80’s we have meticulously cleaned our gear, especially before a domestic or international trip. We always carry, as most photographers should, lens cloths, a blower brush and lens fluid. In fact, the air blower is all we have ever needed when removing dust from our camera sensors.

Generally, our cleaning products are used specifically for cleaning the exterior of lenses, particularly non-internal focusing zoom lenses that can attract dust. We also clean the UV filters on all our lenses and use a blower brush to remove any dust from the front and rear elements of the lens. We never recommend repeatedly applying cleaning fluid repeatedly to a lens element. While lens elements are coated, we are not confident that frequent cleaning is beneficial, so we always advocate using a UV filter on lenses.

Although we have always carried cleaning products, we have never carried them as a kit but instead as individual items. Urth kindly sent us the Lens Cleaning Kit for this review and fortunately, due to a logistics error, we were sent the V1 of the kit followed by the V2 replacement, so we can make this a bit of a comparison review although there’s not a huge difference.

URTH LENS CLEANING KIT

If you are the type of photographer who carries a camera backpack you will love the Urth Lens Cleaning Kit. All the products are neatly stored in a compact bag/pouch, which makes it easy to stow in a backpack. However, for travel photographers like us, who carry sling bags with minimal real estate in our bags the kit is impractical in the field. However, the individual products in the kit easily store in our bag. We don’t carry lens spray or fluid in the field, but we use it if necessary upon returning to our hotel or home.

Personally, we prefer the size and case of the original V1 cleaning kit. The case is sturdier and features a zippered entrance. V1 is made with 70% recycled weatherproof nylon, which is typically the case with many of Urth’s products. Urth has also failed to mention the material used in the V2 version on its website, but it seems similar to vinyl, which makes it appear to be a more weatherproof case than V1 and possibly even waterproof. The V2 cleaning kit includes a magnetised flap that secures the entrance, but we’re unsure why they opted to change from the more secure zippered top.

The interior of V1 has plenty of little pockets that house the cleaning items keeping them separated and tidy. There are even 2 spare small pockets for other items. V2 on the other hand has no internal pockets, and all the products sit in a jumble. So in essence, the V2 bag is just a simple pouch to contain the products whereas the V1 was a proper case with at least some internal structure. This may not bother most people but we’re uncertain why it was necessary to change the case.

WHAT’S IN THE KIT?

Both kits contain the same items, although there are some minor design changes.

The Air Blower is an essential product for any photographer and is permanently in our bags. We use the Air Blower primarily to remove dust from the front of filters and our camera sensor. In the majority of cases, especially in the field, this will be the most used cleaning product for any photographer.

The Urth Air Blower has been redesigned for V2, making it shorter and teardrop-shaped, while the pointy nozzle has been removed, which we believe is much more aesthetically pleasing. It is now also shorter than the V1. Not having the nozzle on the V2 is a great idea, as these tend to bend and wear over time. If an air blower is going to tear, this is where it will occur. Personally speaking, we prefer the V2 air blower as it has less chance of damage. The product is manufactured using recycled silicone. Strangely, when you purchase the kit the air blower is a light grey colour (as pictured), however, if purchasing separately it is only available in Charcoal (Black).

As already mentioned, we don’t carry cleaning fluid in the field. This item is usually left at home or back at the hotel. It is particularly useful if the lens element or an attached filter gets wet from water droplets, as these contain dirt particles that can adhere to the surface of the lens or filter. We generally just wipe these away with a Lens Cloth and apply a proper clean with Lens Spray on our return home or to the hotel.

The Urth Lens Cleaning Spray in V2 is a non-abrasive plant-based cleaning fluid, however, there is now only 20ml of fluid compared to the 30ml in V1. It is used in conjunction with the Cleaning Cloth provided in the kit.

The V1 Lens Cleaning Spray comes in a charcoal-coloured container with a removable lid. Unscrewing the lid attached to the container allows you to refill it with any other third-party cleaning fluid. In contrast, the V2 Lens Spray is housed in a light grey container with a twist-top that exposes the nozzle. Once empty, you can purchase a refill, or refill with a third-party cleaning fluid.

The solution is safe for nano-coated optical glass and tech devices. The V2 spray provides you with about 100 cleans.

We like the V2 version of the Lens Cleaning Spray as the V1’s lid is not secure and can fall off, but it’s a shame that there is 10ml less fluid. The V2 bottle is made from ABS recyclable plastic and is also slightly taller than the V1.

The V2 can be purchased online. 

The Dust Brush is ideal for removing more stubborn particles the Air Blower cannot remove. Back in the film days, we used a small combined air blower and brush, but we have never used an individual dust brush as an Air Blower and Cleaning Cloth have always been sufficient. Both V1 and V2 are identical except for colour. V1 is Black and V2 is light grey, consistent with all the colours in the kit.

In our opinion, the Dust Brush and Air Blower accomplish the same thing so we’re not sure this item is entirely essential. If the Air Blower fails to remove dust or a mark then the Lens Cleaning Spray and Cleaning Cloth will usually be sufficient. The Dust Brush may be more useful for cleaning the camera and lens body rather than filters and glass elements. Nevertheless, this is still a handy tool in the kit should you prefer a different cleaning technique.

Please note that this item is the only item in the Cleaning Kit that is not available to purchase as an individual item so do not lose it as you will need to buy another kit.

The new ON1 Photo RAW 2027 is here - Elevate your photo editing with ON1 Photo RAW 2027—now available for pre-order! Packed with game-changing upgrades, this next-generation release features a brand-new RAW engine, state-of-the-art NoNoise AI, a smart AI Culling Assistant, redesigned masking tools, and the all-new Perfect Eraser.

Click the banner above and enter code WideScenes20 at checkout to instantly save 40%!

The humble cleaning cloth is an essential accessory and should be in every photographer’s bag. We always carry a few. The Urth Cleaning Cloth is made from recycled microfibre materials and is designed for nano-textured glass. It is ultra-soft, non-abrasive, and machine washable. It’s also safe for tumble drying and ironing.

The V1 cleaning cloth is much larger (20cm x 20cm) than the V2 version which has shrunk to just under 17cm x 17cm. V1 is Charcoal coloured whereas V2 is light grey. Realistically speaking, the size doesn’t matter and both versions will do the job. You can purchase extra Urth Cleaning Cloths online.

THE FINAL WORD

This hasn’t been the most exciting post to write and hopefully, you are still awake. Nevertheless, it can’t be emphasised enough how important a cleaning kit or individual cleaning items are to a photographer. Urth has simplified cleaning items into a neat little kit that will stow easily into most photographers’ bags. For those with premium space in their bags, the Urth Lens Cleaning Kit is still a great option as the items can be separated and stowed in areas of the bag that will more easily accommodate small items.

While we appreciate the V2 version of this kit, we overall prefer the V1 (mainly because of the case). However, only some retailers with existing stock will carry the V1 kit. Purchases made online via the links in this post will be for the latest V2 kit. Regardless, no matter which version you choose, most photographers will love the Urth Lens Cleaning Kit. We’ll definitely be using it.

RATED: RECOMMENDED

PRICING & SHIPPING

Please Note: When purchasing the Urth Lens Cleaning Kit the items will have a light grey colourway, however, when purchase using the links below they will have the Charcoal colourway.

Other Gobe/Urth Filter Reviews

If you are interested in reading any of our other Gobe/Urth Filter reviews click the links below –

Disclaimer:  This review is totally unbiased. As Professional Photographers we would never recommend the use of any product unless we have used the product ourselves. We always strive to give you our honest opinion in order to help you make the best choice. We did receive the product with compliments of URTH but were not paid for this review. We may also receive commissions on other links in this post.