Lens Care: Cleaning and Changing Lenses

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://photography.about.com/od/takingphotos/a/a050206.htm' target='_blank'>http://photography.about.com/od/takingphotos/a/a050206.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"I’ve noticed that some photographers have far more trouble with dust on digital sensors than others. In part this seems to be due to camera differences, and in general CMOS sensors have seemed to give fewer problems than CCD devices. This could reflect differences in electrostatic build-up on the two types. How well the mirror physically seals the sensor may also be important, as well as heating effects in different areas of the camera during use which could cause air currents. But even photographers using the same camera model find marked differences, and my hunch is that it may be down to how we change lenses."</i><br /><br />A nice overview of how to best clean and/or change your lenses on your cameras.

[Kris Kumar]

Thanks for posting the link.

Found the the related article on Sensor Brush (TM) - DSLR sensor cleaner (http://photography.about.com/od/digital/fr/sensorbrush.htm) extremely useful.

My Canon DRebel has been suffering from dust infection. Hoping that this brush will help. :-)

[Neil Enns]

Found the the related article on Sensor Brush (TM) - DSLR sensor cleaner (http://photography.about.com/od/digital/fr/sensorbrush.htm) extremely useful.

I wrote a review of the sensor brush a few months back for DMT, and had quite a different opinion (http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,7076) than the link you have above.

Neil

[Kris Kumar]

Thanks for the warning. I think I might get the Sensor brush. But will stay away from the Sensor clean solution kit. That one looks a bit tricky.

I just got my sensor cleaned professionally and had to take it in twice before I was satisfied. And hoping that from now on using Sensor brush would help me keep dry dust specks off the sensor.

[Jason Kravitz]

I've heard from this and other sources that you should always power off the camera to avoid the static monster from sucking all the dust out of the air into your camera.

I rarely remember to shut the camera off when I change lenses and dust is not a huge problem for me.

Do you guys always power off for lens switch??

I got kind of lazy changing lenses thinking I could go all fancy one handed till I dropped my 50mm/1.8 lens on the ground cracking it open. Luckily that one is the cheapest of my lenses - still would rather it be back in one piece though!

[Bob12]

I've always powered my cameras off to change lenses and attach/detach the flash, Not so much because of dust as much as just not being comfortable making and breaking powered connections. Kinda like the non-usb/firewire ports on computers.