changing lenses: dust

[coro]

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As I frequently seem to have dust on the sensor I consider the following. Put clean camera and lens in a new-thin-big plastic sac, close it immediately and change lens through the sac. Has anyone experienced this?

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[jaapv]

Ah-yes. You sent me an e-mail yesterday Welcome to the forum. I considered this idea. I doubt it would work for me, as i usually change "on the fly "and actually always wish I had three hands. And it would not stop dust from the rear of the lens. But it might work for some. The best way to avoid dust when changing lenses:

1. Keep your lenses and camera outside reasonably dustfree

2. Vacuumclean the inside of your camera bag regularly

3. Try not to hold the mouth of the camera towards the sky when changing. Dust tends to fall in.

4. Maybe a myth, maybe not: switch off the camera when changing lenses.

[coro]

Jaap, you are rather fast in replying! Thanks.

[sanyasi]

Also, watch the surface on which you put the camera and lenses. I prefer my coat, plastic baggie, or camera bag to concrete.

[yanidel]

After 6 months with M9, I have not had to clean the sensor yet. There is some dust spots once in a while but easy to remove in post. I do change my lenses a lot so I wonder how come you get so much on yours (maybe you live in the desert ?)

Your plastic bag system means only one thing : you are going to miss a lot of shots while you put that condom on your camera

[Stealth3kpl]

I try to remember to point the lens at the ground whilst removing and mounting a len to keep stuff from dropping to the back of the camera.

Pete

[Ecar]

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The best way to avoid dust when changing lenses:

1. Keep your lenses and camera outside reasonably dustfree

2. Vacuumclean the inside of your camera bag regularly

3. Try not to hold the mouth of the camera towards the sky when changing. Dust tends to fall in.

4. Maybe a myth, maybe not: switch off the camera when changing lenses.

 

5. Try to get some shelter if it's (even moderately) windy.

[lars_bergquist]

My dirt comes from inside the camera. See my thread "Scrubbing Decks".

 

The old man from the Age of Dirty Film

[rhom]

I had a dust problem, too. Cleaned the rear surfaces of my lenses and then tried using a rocket blower to blow dust off the sensor, but there was still some dust there. Next, I cleaned the sensor with Elipse and a Sensor Swab. This got the sensor clean, but I had dust again the next day. My camera is not used in a dusty environment, either.

 

The more I thought about it, it seemed logical that there might be a few small "dust bunnies" within the body of my M8, just before the shutter curtain. I rigged my shop-vac vacuum with a narrow cleaning tip to my workbench, set the M8 on Sensor Cleaning, tripped the shutter to expose the sensor, held the camera so that the sensor and open body were about 8 inches above the shop-vac cleaning tip, turned on the vacuum, and then used my rocket blower tip about an inch outside of the camera body lens mount opening (i.e. pointing upward into the camera body) and blew air toward the sensor and surrounding area for about 30 seconds. I figured that this would dislodge any dust and the vacuum would pick it up before it could re-settle within the camera or on the sensor.

 

Anyway, I have been dust-free for more than a month. I have changed or removed the lenses at least several dozen times since, so I am knocking on wood that this "technique" will keep sensor cleaning down to a minimum. Unconventional, yes, but I was desperate!

 

Best Wishes,

 

Rick

[likalar]

Here's how I've done it for years (the idea is to have the camera innards exposed less than 1/2 second).

 

Stand up, with camera hanging in front of you by the neck strap. Have the new lens in your left hand, rear glass toward your body, cap removed, red lens dot to the right. Place the right hand over the mounted lens, palm side down, over the barrel. Grasp lens, twisting the right hand counter clockwise to do so, with the thumb on the lens release button. Now grip the lens firmly. The human hand doesn't really like to twist this way, so some discomfort may be felt. Now push the button and remove the lens. As the lens is moved away from the camera body, quickly and closely follow up with the new lens, entirely with the left hand. Each lens is handled only with 1 hand, and you'll be surprised how little time the body is lensless. This sounds like a strange operation, but it works for me, and may be worth a try.

 

Larry

[Artichoke]

one simple trick not yet posted

blow around the lens mount prior to dismounting a lens

dust tends to gather in the joint between the lens & the camera & this may lesson the likelihood of getting dust in the chamber

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