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Caring for your DSLR camera
Cleaning your lens Using the bottom of your t-shirt is not a good idea for cleaning dust or debis from your lens! You will end up with bits of lint all over it which is almost impossible to get off again. Tissue is even worse. You must only use the proper products designed to clean your lens and it's readily available at any camera shop. Firstly you will need a lens cloth to remove any dust and keep the lens perfectly clean. If you need to clean more thoroughly then use lens tissue paper and lens cleaning solution, taking care not to let the solution drip into your camera always apply the solution to the tissue and not directly onto the lens. Also a lens blower brush is a good idea for removing dust. Cleaning the body (of your camera) The camera itself should be cleaned only use a soft dry cloth to ensure that no cleaning fluids get into the camera itself. A blower brush can also be used to get to the hard to reach places, never blow inside your camera with your mouth, it just makes it worse. Mirror lock-up Occasionally you may get dust inside you camera which gets stuck on the low pass filter, this filter covers the image sensor and any dust will show up in your images. To clear the dust you will need to clean the filter using the mirror lock-up setting. This sounds tricky and you will need to take great care not to damage the filter which is extremely delicate but it can be easily done at home. Firstly remove the lens of the camera. You will need a blower to blow out the dust but do not use the brush end as damage will occur. Make sure that you have a full or nearly full battery to prevent power failure whilst cleaning as this will cause the mirror to close. Select the mirror lock-up from the setup menu and follow on-screen instructions. When you press the shutter release button the mirror will stay open until the camera is switched off. Hold the camera under a light to examine the problem, if you can see debris on the filter turn the camera so that it is facing downwards and using the blower try and remove it, do not touch the filter or try and wipe it with anything. If the dirt cannot be removed with the blower you will need to take it to a specialist service centre. If you have successfully removed the dirt you may now turn off the camera and the mirror will return to it's normal position.Protecting your Camera The best place for your camera when not in use is in a proper camera bag, along with all of your other expensive accessories. Always replace the lens cap when you have finished and if you can fit a filter to your lens then do it. There is nothing worse than the sound of a camera hitting the floor and it's better to break your fairly inexpensive filter than a really expensive lens. Obviously if you do have to leave your camera in the car don't leave anything on show or anything that might say I have an expensive camera stashed in my boot. And never leave your camera where it can be exposed to extreme heat or cold, and never ever where it can be exposed to moisture. If you really have to take shots in the rain a plastic bag can be placed over the camera with holes cut out for the lens and light sensor, but it's best to wait till it's stopped raining if you can. Always make sure that if you camera does get damp to dry it out thoroughly. Using silica gel is a good idea for stopping any moisture penetrating the camera when not in use. Whilst out and about at sometime you will be walking around with your camera swing off your shoulder, if it's a dodgy area place the strap around your neck to stop thieves grabbing it and running off with your prize possession. I would rather spend a night in ER with whiplash than let someone pinch my camera! The other thing to consider is when you bend down the camera is likely to bash into something so I find it best to have the strap round my neck but hold the camera aswell. Never walk around with the camera attached to the tripod, it's a recipe for disaster! |
I love my camera, honestly I never leave home without it, you never know when that perfect shot will turn up and it's really annoying when you see something amazing and think "I wish I had my camera". But if like me you do carry it everywhere then you need to take good care not to damage it or let it get dirty. In this section I will explain how to clean your camera and protect it from getting damaged.