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Tips on how to change lens


stephengv

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While I've been a Leica shooter for just a year, I'm a commercial and industrial photographer that uses Canon gear. In the field I shoot in dirty, dusty environment with lots of airborne particulate matter. I change lenses when I need to and to it as quickly as possible. My sensors get dirty and most of the time a good blower will take care it. When it doesn't, I use sensor swabs and Eclipse. I never let the fear of dust change the way I shoot. Dust is cleanable and photos can be easily edited. I just try to make sure I have a clean sensor before each assignment. 

 

So far dust hasn't been an issue on my Leica, but when it is, I'll clean the sensor and keep shooting. :)

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If you have a changing bag, left over from shooting film, they make a fairly good environment in which to change a lens. Of course frequent vacuuming of the interior and exterior will reduce and dust introduced by the bag. Keep in mind any protocol is subject to failure.

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Meanwhile, I have just cleaned my sensor once, yesterday, in the last six months. In that time it has travelled to Turkey, Egypt and almost daily to the beach each morning, not to mention regular shoots of a miscellaneous nature. In that time I have changed lenses 'in situ' 1000's of times, without incident. I shudder to think what pics I would have missed while fluffing around in a change bag, fumbling with two lenses and a body 'in the dark'. And what the hell do I do with that bag when I'm shooting. Maybe wear it on my head! :rolleyes: 

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While I've been a Leica shooter for just a year, I'm a commercial and industrial photographer that uses Canon gear. In the field I shoot in dirty, dusty environment with lots of airborne particulate matter. I change lenses when I need to and to it as quickly as possible. My sensors get dirty and most of the time a good blower will take care it. When it doesn't, I use sensor swabs and Eclipse. I never let the fear of dust change the way I shoot. Dust is cleanable and photos can be easily edited. I just try to make sure I have a clean sensor before each assignment. 

 

So far dust hasn't been an issue on my Leica, but when it is, I'll clean the sensor and keep shooting. :)

+1

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Actually, the problem of dust has always existed - negatives and slides with pre-processing dust on them are far from rare and once affected are rather more difficult to deal with than digital files. I just don't worry about dust. When the sensor needs cleaning  I clean it - its a balance thing about when its more of a chore to remove specks in Photoshop versus being bothered to clean the sensor which I probably don't do as often as I should.

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The only times I've ever used a 'change bag' in the field was when a few times over the years I couldn't get the film out of the camera and I needed a temporary darkroom.  

 

I used a heavy jacket with the centre made lightproof by putting it face down with the waist and neck folded underneath, and the camera and a lightproof film canister sitting inside the jacket.  Then put my hands down the arms of the jacket, removed the film from the camera by feel, and then put it in the canister.  Long time since I've had to do that.

 

I would have to be really desperate in a very 'hostile' environment to use a change bag for a lens change.  

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Actually, the problem of dust has always existed - negatives and slides with pre-processing dust on them are far from rare and once affected are rather more difficult to deal with than digital files. I just don't worry about dust. When the sensor needs cleaning  I clean it - its a balance thing about when its more of a chore to remove specks in Photoshop versus being bothered to clean the sensor which I probably don't do as often as I should.

 

My M9 sensor was very oily/dirty in it's early days. despite regular lens changes in various environments I've had little if any dust problems on the M240 and Monochrom.  If I've been in a dusty environment I'll just use a rocket blower on the sensor.

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I shoot landscape and have used a changing bag with no problem in fairly hostile environments such as Death Valley and on the Oregon & Washington coasts.

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I try (emphasis on "try") to change lenses out of the wind and dust. However, it's often impossible to keep dust out of the camera and off the sensor. I change the lenses and hope for the best  ;) . I also learned to clean the sensor when objectionable bits of dust/crud affect the image and PP is not a good option to remove them. I've thought about making a changing bag of sorts with sleeves and gloves so nothing much gets in there. The problem is that using such a device in the field would probably be quite impractical (at least for me). If I'm shooting indoors, it's not so big an issue so I gave up on the idea. This is one disadvantage of prime, fixed FF lenses... Now I should do a sensor dust detection and see if I need to clean it  :D.

Oh yeah, I think the single biggest source sensor contamination is the pollen during the spring... It is brutal here in the South. The answer is to keep one lens on and forget changing lenses outside of the house if possible.

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How old is your camera? I have never taken any special precaution when changing lenses, and I have no problems with dust. The fact that it can't be removed with a blower makes me wonder if it isn't oil that hit the sensor, which is very common with new cameras and has to be removed with a thorough wet cleaning.

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