4 Essential Tips to Caring For Your DSLR
You’ve invested a bit of your dollar bills on a DSLR and you’re going to want to start developing good habits to keep your DSLR in top condition.
1. Cleaning the lens and imaging sensor
We all know the lens of our DSLR is one precious baby so the first step to caring for your camera is to regularly clean the lens. Use a soft cloth to remove any dust particles that will affect your image quality and could creep into your camera body. It’s recommended to get proper lens cleaning cloths so you don’t scratch the lens. Micro fibre cloths are also a good option. Do not use your T shirt regardless of how soft and supple you think that shit is. Make sure to clean the lens with a lens cleaning solution and special cleaning tissues as well.
To clean the imaging sensor, you can use specific sensor cleaning tools. This is a delicate task so if you’re not so confident, bring it to your manufacturer’s service centre or you can be a boss and youtube it. If you’ve ever seen dark spots in your shot, it is most likely from dust in your sensor. It’s really important to protect the imaging sensor and keep it clean. Cleaning the sensor will help remove dirt and dust from the lens system of the DSLR in order to avoid lens motor failure. An important tip is to have your battery fully charged so when you’re cleaning the sensor, the mirror doesn’t close on you. There are a number of videos to get you started on cleaning your DSLR imaging sensor.
2. Cleaning the body of your DSLR
After cleaning your lens, use a soft dry cloth to wipe down the body of your camera to prevent liquids entering the inside of your camera. You can use a blower brush to get rid of touch grime in hard to reach places but make sure you don’t blow on your camera because the moisture from your breath can make it worse.
3. Protecting your camera
Humidity is not good for the camera and it could screw up the imaging sensor which you really don’t want happening. Don’t expose your camera to extreme temperatures, for example avoid bringing your camera from a really cold room to a warm room because the imaging sensor will be affected from the condensation. Rain can also be evil, make sure you don’t remove the lens or open the memory card door when you’re out in the rain. It’s more important to keep the insides of your camera safe in a rainy situation. A good tip is to always keep a micro fibre cloth in your camera bag.
4. Storing your camera
Again, keeping your camera out of extreme temperature conditions for a long period of time will help maintain the life of your DSLR. Your DSLR body is pretty tough but be aware of where you leave it when you’re not using it. Make sure it’s not cooking in the boot of your car. Store your camera in a cool, dry place and somewhere that isn’t dusty or at risk of getting wet. Store it in a padded camera bag with the lens cap on, you could even use silica gel to prevent moisture from seeping into the camera.
Good luck!
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