16 30 November 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
GENERAL CHECKING AND CLEANING: GOOD PRACTICE
It still pays to use a cloth
One of the best ways to ensure your camera
gear lasts well is to give it a good clean
occasionally, especially if you’ve been on a
sandy beach or in salty sea spray. Even if your
camera is weatherproof and sealed, use a soft
cloth to dry it if it gets wet. A lot of this is
common sense, so don’t get complacent.
A different bulb mode
Use a bulb blower to remove loose sand and
dust. It’s useful around buttons and dials as
well as the viewfinder, card bay, battery
compartment and connection ports. However,
don’t use canned air as the high pressure can
blast dust deeper into small crevices, even
though weatherproof seals.A good brush-up
A brush is useful for removing dust that
a blower won’t shift. Use light strokes to flick
the dirt away. Pay particular attention to areas
like the lens mount; you don’t want any debris
such as sand or grit getting on to the mount or
inside the camera when you remove the lens.
It can cause expensive internal damage.Technique MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
own sensor-cleaning system. This
can sometimes be set to vibrate the
sensor as you turn the camera’s power
on or off. While setting it to work as you
switch on the camera may seem like a
good idea, it can sometimes mean missing
those fleeting moments when you want to
power up the camera as fast as possible
and take a quick shot. Consequently,
I prefer to set the cleaning cycle to run
on power-down if I can.
Alternatively, you can fire up the
cleaning mechanism whenever you like.
This is activated via the menu, and you’ll
feel the sensor vibrate inside the camera
once you hit ‘Start’. If this doesn’t shift
a problematic mark, more direct action
is required. Digital SLR cameras have
a sensor-cleaning mode that lifts the
mirror to let you reach the sensor. This
will usually only operate when the battery
is at or close to full charge because it’s
important that the mirror doesn’t flap
back down half-way though the process.
Obviously, that’s not an issue with
mirrorless cameras.
Sensor common sense
Knowing that the sensor is the most
expensive part of your camera doesn’t do
anything to steady the nerves the first
time you clean it, but it is something that
can be done at home provided you have
the right gear. There are lots of gadgets for
cleaning a sensor, but a good bulb blower
that’s specifically made for cleaning a
sensor and purpose-made swabs and
cleaning fluid are simple and reliable.
Don’t use a bog-standard blower as that
can spit bits of rubber/plastic onto your
sensor. And never use canned air – the
propellant is bad news for the sensor!
Ideally, you should clean the sensor in
a dust-free environment, but few of us live
in those. Basically, don’t do it immediately
after dusting or vacuuming. Steam from
a shower can help eliminate dust, so a
bathroom can be a good location for
sensor cleaning, but wait until the steam
has settled, as you don’t want any of that
moisture inside your camera.Call the experts
If you don’t fancy cleaning your camera’s
sensor yourself, there are plenty of places
where you can have it done. However, bear
in mind that another speck of dust can
land on your camera’s sensor the next
time you change lens, so it’s worthwhile
plucking up the courage to do it yourself.
Also at around £30 for an APS-C format
sensor clean and £55-60 for a full-frame
sensor clean, you’ll save quite a bit of
money if you do it yourself.
Many DSLRs have an autofocus
micro-adjustment feature that enables
you to get the best from your lenses.
This is designed to correct the slight
variations that can happen as a result of
manufacturing tolerances, and it may be
required with a new lens or camera.
Again, this is something that you can do
at home, but if your camera and lens
develop significant focusing issues after
a period of use (or a drop) there may be
a problem, and it’s advisable to take them
to a service centre.
Whether it’s a smashed screen, broken
dial, jammed shutter, loose aperture
blades or a stuck memory card, a service
centre that’s approved by your camera or
lens manufacturer is the best place for
repairing physical damage or resolving
a sudden inexplicable breakdown.
I’d also recommend taking your kit in
for a thorough check if it’s taken a dunk
in water. Even if you follow all the usual
advice of drying the camera with a cloth,
putting it in a warm (not hot) place
and putting it in a bag with silica (orSeawater and gear
is not a happy
combo. Clean your
camera with a
slightly damp
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