Tips on how to change lens

[stephengv]

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Hi, I'm currently vacationing in Europe. While I was in France, a dust hit my sensor. It can't be remove by blower. Good thing there is a leica store in Paris. Anyway, any tips on the proper way to change lenses to prevent dust? Whether indoor or outdoor? 

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[jaapv]

Camera mouth facing down, camera switched off, lens dustfree , in as a wind- and dustfree environment as possible - and no worry.
Cleaning a sensor on the road is not problem if you take some cleaning gear with you. Blower, butterfly brush, stamping tool and in the Pollen Season right now on the Northern Hemisphere, swabs and Eclipse.

[A Almulla]

Jaap nailed it. I'll only add that if you have a car then change it inside with the windows closed or duck into a shop for a quick lens swap.

[Peter Kilmister]

The advice years ago with lens swaps was to do it inside a bag. However, if it's a supermarket bag, take the beetroot and cauliflower out of the bag before doing the swap. (The reference to the supermarket bag is courtesy of David Strachan.)

 

On a serious note this isn't a bad idea. In the old days it was to prevent light getting into a film camera. These days it protects the sensor from dust and pollen. A large neoprene bag has enough room for hands, lenses, and camera body.

Tricky to see the red dot but practice makes perfect, as camera makers advised years ago.

[jmahto]

Most of the times I have to change lens outside and there is no bag or car. I a) let the camera hang on my neck remove the rear cap of second lens and hold it in my right hand c) with left hand remove the first lens and immediately d) put the new lens with right hand.

 

The mouth is exposed for less than 1 sec. Of course you need to make sure the camera is off (easy to forget) and there is no wind blowing dust into the camera.

 

Lastly, do not worry about the few dust here and there.

[250swb]

Really, you're stood in front of the Taj Mahal and your are sticking both hands into a carrier bag to change a lens? Is it just me or do I also see the need for an assistant, especially on a windy day?

 

To the OP, just change the lens, if it makes it seem more clinical do it with the camera facing down, but then it takes longer because you are peering upside down to see the red dot. It should take no more than a second or two, but if you do get some dust inside not all of it will land on the sensor, and what does clean it off!

 

It is an interchangeable lens camera and the "proper way to change a lenses" is to do it when you need a different focal length lens, not when you get back indoors, not with your hands inside a damned bag, and not hanging upside down from the ceiling.

 

 

Steve

[david strachan]

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To the OP, just change the lens, if it makes it seem more clinical do it with the camera facing down, but then it takes longer because you are peering upside down to see the red dot. It should take no more than a second or two, but if you do get some dust inside not all of it will land on the sensor, and what does clean it off!

 

 

Steve

Too true Steve.  I love the silly stories of getting into cars, or waiting till you have a nearby bathroom, to change lenses.

cheers  Dave S

[jaapv]

The red dot is raised, you don’t need to peer upside down. If you put your thumb on it when removing the rear cap, you will always have it located....
The only reason that I normally don’t take my own advice fully  is, that changing lenses is a bit of a juggling act if you are unable to put one lens down, holding a camera, two lenses and a rear cap at the same time.

 

However, easiest- and fast way is:  Take the new lens from your bag, .remove the lens rear cap, drop it into the bag, hold the lens with pinky , ringfinger, and palm of your left  hand mount facing upwards (note the position of the red dot), grab the lens on the camera with the remaining left hand finger(s) and thumb holding the camera with your right hand, release the button  with your right indexfinger, twist off the lens and drop it into your camera bag ( not releasing the replacement lens) and mount your lens with the camera mouth more or less down.

A lot faster to do than to read.

 

If you mistrust your dexterity, hold the left hand over the camerabag all the time...

[david strachan]

The advice years ago with lens swaps was to do it inside a bag. However, if it's a supermarket bag, take the beetroot and cauliflower out of the bag before doing the swap. (The reference to the supermarket bag is courtesy of David Strachan.)

 

On a serious note this isn't a bad idea. In the old days it was to prevent light getting into a film camera. These days it protects the sensor from dust and pollen. A large neoprene bag has enough room for hands, lenses, and camera body.

Tricky to see the red dot but practice makes perfect, as camera makers advised years ago.

Hi Mr pkilmister

I think you are onto something. 

What about a supersoft polyethylene, freezer type plastic bag, transluscent, ...one can see through it. They come in large enough sizes. Scrunched in your pocket for easy access. Also quick cape for camera and lens?

 

Particularly if you are photographing Afghani camel sale and yards...or on the beach.  Good protection and easy see through.

cheers  Dave S

[Mornnb]

Really, you're stood in front of the Taj Mahal and your are sticking both hands into a carrier bag to change a lens? Is it just me or do I also see the need for an assistant, especially on a windy day?

 

To the OP, just change the lens, if it makes it seem more clinical do it with the camera facing down, but then it takes longer because you are peering upside down to see the red dot. It should take no more than a second or two, but if you do get some dust inside not all of it will land on the sensor, and what does clean it off!

 

It is an interchangeable lens camera and the "proper way to change a lenses" is to do it when you need a different focal length lens, not when you get back indoors, not with your hands inside a damned bag, and not hanging upside down from the ceiling.

 

 

Steve

Agreed. Dust happens don't let it make you hesitate to change to the lens the shot needs.

The sensor can be cleaned, and the spot removal tool can remove any dust in photos.

[david strachan]

However, easiest- and fast way is:  Take the new lens from your bag, .remove the lens rear cap, drop it into the bag, hold the lens with pinky , ringfinger, and palm of your left  hand mount facing upwards (note the position of the red dot), grab the lens on the camera with the remaining left hand finger(s) and thumb holding the camera with your right hand, release the button  with your right indexfinger, twist off the lens and drop it into your camera bag ( not releasing the replacement lens) and mount your lens with the camera mouth more or less down.

A lot faster to do than to read.

 

If you mistrust your dexterity, hold the left hand over the camerabag all the time...

As Jaap says...it's a nightmare! I look for a surface to work on.

Supermarket plastic baggies, sandwich bags, ziplock if you like... help if you do a lot of lens changing.  Just leave caps off, filters on, hood on, and slip into a baggie.  They are slippery to pull out of your pocket.  A small lens can fit in your jeans pocket. The work flow is easy with no caps to bother. Doing this method is good with camera bags too.  I've found one can bag-up all lenses...very quick to change lenses....and v low dust problem.

cheers Dave S

[MarkP]

Most of the times I have to change lens outside and there is no bag or car. I a) let the camera hang on my neck remove the rear cap of second lens and hold it in my right hand c) with left hand remove the first lens and immediately d) put the new lens with right hand.

 

The mouth is exposed for less than 1 sec. Of course you need to make sure the camera is off (easy to forget) and there is no wind blowing dust into the camera.

 

Lastly, do not worry about the few dust here and there.

 

Exactly what I do. 

[erl]

For crying out loud!!!

What do some of you guys photograph that you feel the need to 'jump through hoops of fire' to change a lens?

Try this; I did.

You are riding a camel in the Sahara, just after dawn and you see a camel train emerging over a distant sand dune, beautifully lit by the early sun. You have a 35mm lens on your camera. Your camel is bumping along and you need urgently to swap the 35 for a 90mm tele, faster than now!

My response was, hell, just change the bloody thing and shoot. Drop anything and it won't be worth stopping to pick it up. I got the picture and maybe some dust. So what.

I'll never know because the Moroccan 'CIA' (whatever the real name is) stole ALL my film afterwards and deleted all my my files (bar one long story).

Moral of the story: The real danger is not dust, but bulldust in the form of authorities.

[MarkP]

Thanks for another injection of Antipodean common sense.

[jaapv]

LOL, John, thanks for that:)  However, the question of the OP was how to change lenses avoiding dust, I hardly think your example qualifies

 

Btw, have you ever tried photographing riding a Camel? I can tell you from experience that the best strategy is to dismount. There is a good reason that Lawrence of Arabia was not a photographer. You are perched on the thing, swatting  flies, brushing off ticks and generally hanging on for dear life. And you want to change a lens?

[bocaburger]

I've always changed lenses like this: Letting the camera dangle from my neck I grasp the lens with my right hand, press the release button with my right thumb, twist and remove the lens while simultaneously placing the fingers of my left hand tightly over open mouth of camera.  Then with my right hand I put 1st lens in bag, take off the rear cap of the new lens and put it on 1st lens.

Then I quickly uncover the camera mouth and fit the new lens in as quick a sequence as possible.  (Note, if you've been eating Cheetos you might want to wash your hands first )

[jmahto]

.....

To the OP, just change the lens

.....

 

Steve

I think you missed "damn" in that sentence.

 

Seriously, I do see why people fret over lens changing specially if they come from zoom background. I never owned a zoom before 80-200 R and consider lens change as normal process. 

 

I remember once talking to a friend who had an old Canon EOS film camera lying around and was surprised (when I showed him) that you could remove the lens and use it in his digital Canon !! I also know more than one person who have never removed the kit zoom from their camera... never !! 

 

You can see I don't really move in the circle of elite photographers.

[erl]

LOL, John, thanks for that:)  However, the question of the OP was how to change lenses avoiding dust, I hardly think your example qualifies

 

Btw, have you ever tried photographing riding a Camel? I can tell you from experience that the best strategy is to dismount. There is a good reason that Lawrence of Arabia was not a photographer. You are perched on the thing, swatting  flies, brushing off ticks and generally hanging on for dear life. And you want to change a lens?

Exactly what I did!

Mind you, I did get that shot from camel back, but I doubt I could have shot accurately with a .303 as Lawence purportedly did from camel back.

As an aside, I learned last week that "El Aurence" (one of my idols) was not the first to cross the Sinai Desert to take Damascus. The Australian Light Horse crossed it first, two hours ahead of him and were ordered, for political reasons, to wait for Lawrence. In fact they stumbled on the Town Hall where Damascus was to be handed over and dictated the letter of surrender to the Turks who gave it to the Australian commander, who subsequently passed it to Lawrence of Arabia who was driven up later, in a Rolls Royce. I recently saw footage of the original documentary shot at the time.

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Hallo,

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[A Almulla]

Too true Steve.  I love the silly stories of getting into cars, or waiting till you have a nearby bathroom, to change lenses.

cheers  Dave S

 

 

After a dust storm which happens often during the summer season, dust particulates remain airborne for days. Hence I'll leave these little stories to your expertise 

[250swb]

After a dust storm which happens often during the summer season, dust particulates remain airborne for days. Hence I'll leave these little stories to your expertise 

 

You know it's not just people who live in 'dusty' areas of the world that encounter dust on the sensor. At the moment in the UK the air is full of pollen, even finer than sand, and generally speaking you can't see it, until that is you zoom in on the photograph and see the tell-tale blobs in the sky. So lets not get caught up in micro managing where the dust bunnies come from, it isn't exclusive to a few situations.

 

There is too much fear and trepidation attached to Leica photography, a bit of backbone is required, along with a sensor cleaning kit.

 

Steve